Mumbai
Mumbai is shit. Thats all really I have to say for the place. Am sorry am being too blunt or too north indian to say this, but honestly, the place is not worth living. You might have heard this line so many times, that " Life in Mumbai is Fast. " Its really a rhetorical statement if you ask me. If they mean spending more than half of the day on roads stuck in jams with the ever present shit smell. Then i totally agree.. Life is indeed fast. Am not blaming anybody for this honestly, its just a personal opinion that Mumbai is not the place to live life peacefully. Dreams might come true there as most of us say, but i guess it'll be a lot better to put in an extra ounce of effort in your dreams so that they come true in a better place.
Anyways, enough battering Mumbai. I stayed there for 4 days involved nothing on my itinerary. So one day i decided to go to Juhu beach and Andheri myself. I went by a taxi which took me an hour. But it actually look as if seasons changed outside. Damn.. The place is sooo crowded, any place you go. You need some really awesome driving skills to drive in a place like mumbai. Yes .. "Awesome" is the word.. Taxi's change lanes faster than it takes you to give an indicator honestly. But one thing which i personally noticed that, people were calm. Even if you cut someone off in traffic, nobody will retort with any abuse or give some disparaging facial expressions. None.. Here in chandigarh, ok i shud zoom out a bit, lets say, in north people just can't hold off the abuse meter no matter who's fault it is. People here just love to harangue while driving here. The driving sense is obviously not one out of the text book, but Mumbai-ya driving score on the temperament part. And this is totally of what I noticed in those 4 days. Maybe i just got to the see the sober ones in those days. I really can't say.. !!
Anyways, i cudn't go to juhu as it was far off, and i was really put off after a hectic drive and roaming here n there. And hunger was also a major pt. which make my junket a bit rusty in the end. I spent 2 hours roaming in Andheri. I went to SP jain just to see the college and all. Then finally on my way back, rather just as i started, i saw Mc Donalds. I actually cannot write in words how happy i was bcuz i had been eating shit food for 3 days. First 2 days involved hospital canteen, then in house where my sis is living. After eating, another thing which really made my brain tick was the local Railway Station. Ya, you heard it.. !! I was just about to take the taxi, when i had the craziest of ideas. I thought of getting a real feel of Mumabi. And seriously, if you havn't experienced a journey in local train, you have just touched Mumbai. You didn't get into the groove of it.
Well uhhh., I no it sounds way to good..
Last Local
It was around 2 in the afternoon. First there was a a very very big line on the ticket counter. ( sort of line. ) The ticket costed me 6 bucks for the same journey which costed me 25 times more while coming. Neways. Heading to the platform, it took me several minutes to figure out on which platform i've to be on. Then i took the stairs to cross the platforms on which it seemed as if i glided to the top. No kidding.. Mind the pun.. !!
No, not what you conjured right now in your mind. It was as if, i flew with the crowd you no. Autopilot mode.. !! Only thing which have to do ( if you cud do nething else ) is to move your front foot ahead. thats it. The whole direction part will be taken care off pretty well. Just that you have to make hell lot of effort to go in different directions. Neways, waiting for sometime for the train. It finally arrived.. !! Yes.. N boy wat a huge swarm.. Every man for himself in the battle. Fighting and striding and doing whatever u can to get into the train. ( N i thought it was a foul to raise your elbow in football ) ..
N again, a funny thing happened. As it was my first time in a local train, as the train was about to stop, i couldn't decide which coach to get into. It was like calculations going in my mind, which coach had the least people hurdling and easiest to get onto. N the one i chose..??? Was all ladies.. Damn.. Seriously, in my defense, i didn't no that there was a separate coach for ladies. And as soon as i entered, it didn't me long to realize that there were awful lot of women in that coach staring at me. (And that doesn't happen too often :-) ) As if i came in a superman costume in my own wedding you know.. N i felt very awkward but suddenly one lady broke the ice with such harsh words, " this is a ladies coach ". I wasn't actually so offended, bcuz i knew something was fishy. So i got down n immediately looked for the next one. I had to hurry cuz, the train doesn't stop for long. Hardly 2 min or something. I entered another coach and obviously, there's more chance for the Indian football team to make it to the World Cup than getting a seat in the train. There are several levels of luck you know..
Very Very Lucky, --Walla... You got a seat.
Very lucky -- you get something to lean onto.
Lucky -- You get a latch to hold onto.
No Luck -- just try and keep your feet on the ground bro..
So i was Lucky and while standing, you just can sense the (un)freshness in the air. mind the "un". Seriously, there's nothing worse you can ask for than in a humid weather, men standing with one hand raised and standing right next to you. N again, mind you !! We are not talking about ONE man here. Though, the smell sensors in my nose were a bit inured after 3 days for the smell, but seriously, no sensor in the world can outsense ( if thats a word ) the smell in the local train.
Anyways, the train journey was a bit cumbersome ( a bit.. ??) but good thing was, i reached the place in 10 min which took me an hour in a taxi. So in fairness, its actually quite convenient and saves lot of time.
After saying bye bye to the baby boy, we came back to a chillier and thankfully better smelling Parwanoo.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
4th gen # 2
Posted by Arjun Goel at 23:22 1 comments
Labels: Travel
Monday, November 24, 2008
4th Gen #1
Disclaimer - Firstly the title doesn't refer to any Apple products. ( iPods or nething ) Enough has been already said n written for Apple till now. Given that topic a break :-).
Old times
Bombay, oh sorry i mean ' Mumbai ' , i visited long back. Somewhere in 95 or something. I clearly don't remember, but it was when Essel world was one thing which had to be checked in your itinerary no matter from where you manage to squeeze time. But any ways, I have a faint memory about Bombay, ( ya bcuz it was called this when i went earlier ) Juhu beach, where i had this extremely spicy Bhel Puri, and i remember meeting Salman Khan and Karishma Kapoor.
New Times
But, i got a chance to go back to Mumbai last week , bcuz hey !! My sis became a Mum, my mum became a nani and i became a Mama. :-) I wasn't actually sooo excited about the whole thing before, maybe bcuz i didn't no how it feels you know. But when i saw the cute little, oh wait, way too little thing lying in the bed, it just took my breath away. I mean, this has to be biggest miracle known to mankind i suppose, when a human makes another human. N oh my god, how small it was. Ya i no am using " it " as an antecedent for the baby, but seriously, you just cannnot refer it with ' him ' or nething at present when its just a week old.
Anyways, going back, i mean the trip from Delhi to Mumbai n then to the hospital, before i actually met my sis and the new kid. I had a plan to go by train to Mumbai but the ticket canceled, so i went by Indigo Airlines. And to my surprise, the airlines weren't as shit as what they seem from their name. The plane journey had nothing exciting but the only thing which i cannot resist to write is that, credit crunch has affected companies so badly, that you don't get free water bottle in planes nemore. I waited and waited a bit longer if the air hostess wud bring water bottles or nething, but nah. It was freaking PAID... !!! Seriously I mean, i've never traveled before where i paid for water. Even GoAir i guess gives you 200 ml water bottles, those 5 rs ones for free. Not giving free water is actually is act of cheapness of such degree, that even the cheapest of the cheap end up saying, Damn,, now how cheap is that ?
Anyways, the flight time went by easily, but it was the time i spent in taxi to get from airport to the hospital which sucked big time. Firstly, before i enter into the taxi, i wud like to honestly pay my regards to Russell Petters bcuz what he said about the shit smell you sense as soon as you step out at the airport is soo soo true. As if airport hired people to shit and go as soon as there is an arrival.
Which century seriously ??
I took a taxi from the airport to the hospital where my sis was. And Taxi is actually the funny part here . I never knew that taxi's in Mumbai were still those stone age fiat.. Damn... !! N to top that, those taxi's still have those button doors, which you have to press to open the door. I never noticed that it had a button system, so i just went for the latch and pulled it, n tried till a cracking sound came, and the driver said, sir , you need to push the button. I might sound insane but seriously, its been ages when i actually pushed a button to open a car door. It was just a normal reflex action you know to open the door. Neways, the driver wasn't too mad about the door lock thing.
The First ride..
It took me 1 full hour to reach the hospital and it was one pathetic journey i must say. But even more pathetic ones are yet to be experienced in this journey, so wait a bit. Neways, the scenes were awful really on the road side and lots of slum areas around the city. Roads not at all wide, too much shit all over, and the inescapable smell is just something which your nose has to deal with. Regulate its meters inside or watever.
The Baby
Slowly edging through the traffic, with dust all over me and inside me probably, i reached hospital to witness the smallest human being i've ever seen in my life honestly. It was soo tiny that i cudnt even pick him , not obv bcuz they are small, just that bcuz they are soo delicate and have soft or less bones gives you a feel that they'll wobble out from your hands or something. Anyways, on the first day, i was scared to pick it up, so just spent few min playing with it. Babies are just so much full of expressions honestly. Not that elder people are not expressive, but what you get from babies is something more candid. Although right now, a week old child wont do much on the expression part. All they do is sleep and shit. n thats what made me call him " Shit machine ". Seriously. sleep n shit. !! That sums up the day for them really.
There's a bit more to the trip.. will continue..
Posted by Arjun Goel at 23:50 0 comments
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Chinese
A very happy Diwali to all.
Posted by Arjun Goel at 20:08 1 comments
Friday, October 24, 2008
Dichotomy
Posted by Arjun Goel at 22:05 2 comments
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Dusshera
I didn't plan to chip in back to back posts, but one thing led to another and it was worth every effort of mine to come back on my blog.
1. You’re a member of an iPhone forum --- Hell ya i'm
2. You posted more than 500 posts in this forum -- Not really, but nearing 100 u can say
3. At home or the office, you’ve moved photo frames of your loved ones to make space for your iPhone dock/charger
4. You know what BSD Subsystem is -- plsss, dumb ass question
5. You say the word “iPhone” more than 20 times a day -- make that 100 times day really
6. You’re googling “porn for iPhone” -- Nah, am no more a school kid.
7. You tuck your iPhone in at night -- I wud hav honestly, but swim a lot on bed, so its a risk
8. You think the iPhone could save lives if used properly -- Ppl actually will laugh at this, but someday it'll prove to am sure.
9. You have a nickname for your iPhone -- Heyyy, havnt thought of this really.. shud keep one soon, ( ideas appreciated )
10. Your gf is not allowed to use your iPhone -- I don't have one, but she won't be. Thats for sure..
11. You don’t talk to people who own a BlackBerry -- Nahh..
12. The Verizon Voyager’s ad makes you laugh -- Uhhh ??
13. You would buy an iPhone even if it was $1000-- Not really,
14. You take your iPhone out naked in hopes of meeting another iPhone mate -- Everyday !!
Posted by Arjun Goel at 23:05 1 comments
Monday, October 6, 2008
De-vista-ted
N seriously take my word for it !!!

Posted by Arjun Goel at 01:27 0 comments
Labels: Windows
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Been Around
I've upgraded myself this week, ya, i got the iPhone, Finally ! N the word is just .. you know it, WOW. I really don't want to revamp 'my part' into an iPhone blog ( what it seems from the previous 4-5 posts ). But yeah, somehow it makes itself worth writing for time n time again. It is more than just a phone honestly which makes it so special. N iPhone owners will agree with me. Ok yeah, even ipod touch one's too ;-) happy ??
Posted by Arjun Goel at 23:29 0 comments