How Do You Pass Time On A Flight?

A flight usually gets you to your destination the fastest, and yet the journey of even two hours can be unimaginably boring if you don't have an activity figured out that can pass the time. Being on the internet isn't a choice, even if you want to, so that's ruled out. 

I find a lot of people who download movies to watch on the flight. I think this is a great option as long as you don't get headaches or anything like that. An interesting movie or a show will definitely make the two hours of travel a breeze. But, I don't prefer watching or listening to anything through the flight, as I find that often people sitting next to me peep into the screen if I watch anything at all. So, unfortunately, I don't feel comfortable watching anything. Some people, especially families with young children, spend the whole time during the flight, clicking selfies from all different angles. Dodging the coverage of their cameras deserves a separate post in itself!

I have two favourite activities to pass time on a flight. 

1. Sleep. This is the absolute best. You fall asleep, and you seem to reach the destination before even you realize! Also, sleeping on the flight is very productive. You feel refreshed and ready to go about doing whatever plan you have for the day by the time you reach your destination. I always sleep on a flight, and have always found it to the best pastime. 

2. Read. Sometimes you are already fresh, so sleep is not the first thing you go to. The alternative for me is reading. I pick a safe entertainer for flights that is bound to be gripping, engaging, and will keep my mind absorbed in the story. Then again, the time flies. I also pick books of the size that will get done within the two hours. So, all my reading of useless-yet-entertaining fiction usually happens over a flight, and there is no guilt because what else could I have done! Funnily, people never seem to peep into books. The maximum they do is check out what book it is, so I am usually left to myself when I have a book in my hand!

I would have liked to write on flight, and I have once before, but I didn't prefer it when I found, once again, that people keep peeping into your screen. When we travel here in economy class, we can't really expect anything more, so I am content with either sleeping or reading, while others are busy on their phones. 

How do you pass time on a flight? Let me know in the comments!

Mumbai: A City Of Unforgettable Memories

A view from Marine Drive

Mumbai. One name, and many tags- the city of success, the city of dreams, the city with a warm heart. I stayed one month in Mumbai, all by myself last year, and all of that is true. It is a city of magnificent dreams, a city that never sleeps, a city where the people are so warm you feel welcome and happy the day you land, a city where there is no dearth for help anytime of the day if you are in need of it, a city that encourages you and your spirit. 

I had the greatest time in Mumbai every single day that I spent there. I explored quite a bit from the alleys in Parel, its famed Lalbaugcha Raja (being there during Ganesh Puja time is on my bucket list), the spice markets, the flower markets in Dadar, the gigantic malls in Lower Parel, Worli Sea-face, and then went up to Bandra, the famed Prithvi theatre and cafe in Juhu, the faloodas, ice golas and street food in the Juhu Chowpatty, then down south went around to Churchgate, Nariman Point, Colaba, and Marine Drive was a staple part of almost every other day! 

Chinchpokli

 And, while commuting so much around Mumbai, I got a guilt-free, embarrassment-free opportunity to try out all the Hindi that I learnt in two years of University. That way, Mumbai people were the absolute sweetest! It is heartwarming to see them break into a small smile when I communicate with my error-ridden phrases, and when I struggle to find the exact word of something and drag my phrases when my mind tries to scan the vague Hindi vocabulary in its racks. Every cab driver, every helper, every waiter always took that much time and effort  to give me a small compliment, and I felt so good about it. Till date, the compliments closest to my heart are the ones given to me by the benevolent Mumbai people- "aapki tooti fruity hindi humko bohot acha lagta hai".

Prithvi Theatre, Juhu

Food was great in Mumbai. Since I lived in a heavily Maharashtrian-populated area of Mumbai, I had the best and authentic taste of their vada pavs, bajji pavs, misal pavs, usal pavs, maska buns and the rest. I was also thrilled by the number of totally amazing dosa shops there. A couple of my favourites were eating in Juhu Chowpatty, I loved the faloodas and ice golas there. Another place that I went to repeatedly over that month-long stay was K.Rustoms & co. Ice Cream Parlour near Marine Drive. They had such beautiful and homely flavours, and for the first time I felt like I was eating an ice cream that was mindbogglingly tasty and yet didn't give that highly-processed feel. It was a great experience!

But, Mumbai is an expensive city. Either you had all the fancy restaurants that billed you in thousands, or you had those dirt-cheap restaurants that costed you less than a hundred for a meal. I found very, very, less middle grounds in Mumbai. For all its fame, I was very surprised to find Prithvi Cafe with great food at very nominal costs. I was lucky to have a lot of food joints that were sided towards a middle ground around my area, so that went better for me. 

Another thing that I clearly despise in Mumbai is its traffic- it is plain sickening. Having known this before even I went there, my only criteria for the place that I need to stay was that it has to be close to my office that I was interning in. And, I think that was the sole decision that made see the beauty of Mumbai. I don't think you can enjoy the city as much when you get stuck for 4 hours in traffic every day of that month!

What became my all-time-favourite ice-cream destination
in Mumbai

The pace of Mumbai is so fast, that whether you want it or not you have to match the city's pace. There is a certain energy that Mumbai demands of you every single day, and if you don't have it then it may not be a city that you would enjoy. More than whether you can match the pace or not, it is more about whether you want to. Coming from Chennai, I found cities like Ahmedabad, even though not as big as Chennai, more similar to the pace and culture that I have grown up being comfortable in. 

Mumbai is a beautiful experience, and an all-accepting one! It taught me many things, and this is a city that can make you feel welcome instantly. The beauty of Mumbai is its vibe, and whoever you are and whatever you like, given a month, you are sure to start jiving to the vibe! It was an unforgettable experience!

The Land Of The Rising Yen

Title: The Land Of The Rising Yen- Japan

Author: George Mikes

A brief outline on the history along with some detailed observations and anecdotes on the culture and people of Japan as Mikes saw in the 1970s, The Land Of The Rising Yen beautifully and gently captures Japan in the post-war and pre-boom period of the country. 

The book divides itself into three parts, one each on the people, the way they live, and the places. Believing that this Oriental heartland is "scrutable" as contrary to stereotyped expectations, Mikes goes on to explore this wonderland through light-hearted humour and keen observations on the Japanese lifestyle. 

"Stereotyped images die hard and there is always good reason for their existence."

With the above thesis, George Mikes meanders through the habits of kimono-clad men and women in Japan bowing ceremoniously, the shades of their pagodas, their geisha girls, antique string instruments that are akin to their culture, flower ceremonies, tea parties, and the tales of furious and disgruntled samurai. 

Mikes is floored by the Japanese courtesy throughout the book, and makes sure you are too. Not one chapter goes without yet another hilarious anecdote on embarrassments, misunderstandings, and the sheer awe he develops for the "Japanese manners". He observes how the art of saying 'no' is not one of the great Japanese arts, and that the exquisite manners of the Japanese could be exasperating, not to single out their "mania for bowing"! Here is an entertaining piece from the book, where George Mikes reflects on their intense affection for politeness:

"If you ask a Japanese a question he does not understand, he will smile politely, because pointing out that he has failed to understand might imply that you expressed yourself obscurely; if you ask him a question he understands perfectly but which happens to be embarrassing, he will also smile politely. In other words, if he doesn't understand you he will act as if he did; if he does understand you he will act as if he didn't."

A very interesting chapter is one titled 'Ladies and Gentlemen' where Mikes explores the similarity between the Japanese and the British, Americans, Chinese, and French. I also loved the chapter where he attempts to dissect the Japanese language. While surprised at the influence of English in the language, he wonders for a long time through his journey in Japan how he still couldn't understand one single word in a conversation, and the answer to which he sums up as:

"The answer is that the Japanese take the words and then twist them, adapt them, beyond recognition."

It is heartening to read as he joyfully describes his new discovery where the Japanese add a vowel in the end of English words, and spell r's instead of l's. Cheese became cheesu, flight became frightu, hotel became hoteru, and nonsense became nonsensu. 

The author also takes you through the 'ugly city' of Tokyo, the beauty of Kyoto, and the Manchester of Japan: Osaka (a rare-ish city in Japan where the people preferred cash to symphony orchestras). 

Being an Indian, somehow, reading about 1970s Japan brought with it a little bit of happy familiarity. It was not the kimonos that I felt familiar with, but the Japanese wearing a pant when they went to office and changing to a more comfortable, traditional outfit when they came home. It wasn't the dishes that were familiar, it was the way they stuck to their traditional dishes. The tinge of familiarity from an Indian's perspective, on a view of Japan in the 1970s by a European- that's an amusing cocktail of criss-crossing cultural identities!

I loved The Land Of The Rising Yen. With the wonderfully quirky ink cartoons by Zabo, a French cartoonist, this is an enchanting and humorously genteel piece of work on the Japanese, giving you a brief introduction and first-hand chronicle on Japan and the Japanese hospitality! This is a book where Mikes has had a enjoyable, pleasant, and entertaining time in Japan, and sums it up for you! 

The only thing to keep in mind is that the book dates back to the 1970s and is not essentially about the experiences that one may have in Japan today. However, it gives great and respectful insight into the Japanese culture! I loved it! 

The Motorcycle Diaries

Title: The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes On A Latin American Journey

Author: Ernesto 'Che' Guevara

A young twenty-three year old Che Guevara and a fellow adventurer Alberto Granado, step out of their comfort zone, and start from Buenos Aires to explore the beauty of Latin America on 'La Podersa', translated to 'the Powerful One', their 500cc Norton. They travel cutting across Brazil, and ride through Argentina, and the whole longitudinal length of Chile, Peru, Columbia and Venezuela, to finally fly back to Miami from there.

This book is the first hand account of Che Guevara's first trip across Latin America with his friend and it offers a close insight at the young and cheerful heart, and also the serious and ironic image of the young man.

With an introduction to Che Guevara, a chronology of events, and a map and itinerary of the places travelled in The Motorcycle Diaries, the book, when read, has a way to pull you in and visualize the experiences and adventures of Che on his motorcycle. 

It is a travellogue which captures the heart of all things human, and the actual beauty in the journey. Che takes us close to his experiences with the people across the countries of Latin America. The book is written in a narrative style with a lot of drama and hilarious anecdotes, by the end of which you feel like you just finished seeing a movie.

It's a wonderful read.

Trip to Pandarpur and Bombay

I had my December holidays. So, we went on a trip to Pandarpur and Bombay. We stayed at Pandarpur for three days and then went to Bombay. I loved it.

In Pandarpur, we had the darshan of Vittal and Rukmini. It was very pleasant and nice to roam about the town. We went to a place called 'Kaikadi Maharaj' and the place was amazing. We saw all the sculptures depicting scenes from the Ramayana, the Mahabarata, the stories of bakthas who worshipped Vittal and Rukmini and even scenes from the Indian freedom struggle from the British. It was very good. 

Then we moved on to Bombay. Here is an account of what we did for three days in Bombay.

Day 1

We left our hotel by ten in the morning and proceeded to Siddhivinayak temple. After having darshan of Lord Ganesh, we moved on to Mahalakshmi temple. There was a large crowd in the temple but we still had a good darshan. After that we went to High Street Phoenix Mall in the Phoenix Mills Compound. By this time our tummies were growling since it was lunch time. We hunted the mall for a 100% vegetarian restaurant. One of them in the mall directed us to a restaurant named Punjabi Grills. My father sent my brother to confirm if it was 100% vegetarian and my brother inquired in the adjacent restaurant. Incidentally, that also was a vegetarian restaurant. Only after we were welcomed cordially and all the plates were arranged before us did we realise that it was Rajdhani's Rasovara and not Punjabi Grills. Anyway, the food was very good and we had a good lunch. After lunch we drove over to Worli Sea Phase and took a long walk along the sea. Finally we got back into our car and enjoyed the drive on the sea-link road. This was all we did in day one. Day 2 was more enjoyable and interesting.

Day 2 

On the second day of our trip to Bobmay, we visited one of our relative's house in Versova and spent our time there until lunch. As a parting gift, me and my brother were given some book allowance. From there we went to Churchgate in our car. At Churchgate, we started walking. We saw many second hand and new books stacked and sold by vendors. After a lot of bargaining, I bought 'Life Of Pi' and 'Hard Luck' from the Wimpy Kid series. From there we walked to Jahangir Art Gallery and saw all the paintings, photographs and artefacts. Then we went to a shop named BARGAIN BOOK HUT. And this shop made us buy insanely. We got a lot of books(mostly classics), a few crossword books and I got a present for one of my friends. On the whole, Bargain Book Hut is a lovely shop that gives books at 'insane prices' and 'outrageous discounts'. I loved the shop. Finally, we got out of the shop and made our way to the Gateway Of India. On the way, I saw traffic signals which showed how many seconds a person has, or has to wait, to cross the road. I have seen it often at many places for vehicles but never for pedestrians. That was an interesting point that I wanted to share. At Gateway Of India, I saw many small and big, ferry and motor boats. We dined at a small but fantastic restaurant named Crystal on the marine drive. We saw the Queen's Necklace and drove back to our hotel in Malad in one hour. This was very surprising to all of us as it had taken us a tiring three hours to Churchgate from Versova. 

Day 3

We didn't do anything in the morning of the third day. We ate lunch in Malgudi in the Infiniti Mall opposite to our hotel. We went to take a long walk along Carter's road after spending some time in Matunga and visiting a few temples. At the end of the walk I head an Ultimate Chocolate Truffle in Costa Cafe. We then visited my uncle's place in Vile parle. There we had nice homemade 'rava upma' and 'thayir saadham' and drove back to our hotel.

The next day we visited another relative's place in Navi Mumbai and then came to Chatrapathi Shivaji Termianal (CST) to board the Chennai Express back to Chennai. We had a good journey.

On the whole I enjoyed the trip very much. I learnt a lot of things on this trip such as how to keep an account of money being spent each day(I tried to do it but didn't do a good job) and how to stuff all kinds of things into one bag. My first experience in Bombay was very enjoyable and pleasant.

A Trip To Thiruneermalai

                   



Yesterday we went to Thiruneermalai. It is around 17 km from our house.There are two sannadhis. One at the top of the hill and one at the bottom. It is not a big hill.There are 170 steps. The temple  is being renovated. I took some pictures. The city view from the top of the hill is wonderful. Thiruneermalai is not far from the city, but it is quiet and peaceful. I enjoyed the drive to Thiruneermalai.