The Voice In My Head…

Today I had an encounter with a suicidal cat

Suicidal, because what else would you call a cat who somehow manages to enter a house with multiple (very insane, non cat-loving) dogs?

So there she was, Ms. Grey (or possibly a Mr. Grey, I’m a dog person, wouldn’t know how to tell the difference, but she seemed like a she) all meow-ing, very aware of the fact that she now in enemy territory with several salivating enemies waiting to pounce on her.

And there we were, dog people all, but nevertheless, trying to help out the suicidal cat.

Which led me to think - yes, I’m weird that way, random things make me think - what is it about human nature that we always reach out to people who are suicidal & always try to help them to change their minds?

I mean seriously, I am so NOT a cat person. Most cats give me the creeps. I definitely do not want to go around trying to touch a random cat I don’t know from Adam, especially one that is all fired up anyway, meowing loudly & obviously in very delicate state of mind.

But more strongly that all that, none of us wanted the cat to get hurt. Ironic as it sounds, the cat was the underdog in this weird battle scene as it was unfolding in front of us.

Long story short (got you worried for a bit, hadn’t I?) we did save the cat.

Back to the parallel story though - have no idea for long. When people are suicidal, just saving them from killing themselves is not enough. Deep layers of work, mostly psychological is required.

Trying to help these people on our own is like being a dog person trying to help a cat. Possible, but maybe not effective in the long run. Do we really understand? And if we don’t really understand, can we really care?

But just why am I going on about all of this?

Because I had a friend who went through with this. Ironically (yes, more irony), thinking of her reminds me of the song ‘Cats in the Cradle‘ (if you must know, my mind’s playing the Ugly Kid Joe cover not the Harry Chapin original)

Which further leads my perennially-tangential mind to wonder, how many of the world’s problems would be solved if there was love, genuine love in our homes?

Call your spouse / parents / kids and genuinely tell them that you love them. Do it now.

[Befrienders India cares for the lonely, depressed & suicidal. Mumbai Ph: 022-27546669. Contact numbers for other states available on their site]

Further to my post on Dealing with Traffic Cops in Mumbai, I present to you (ta-da!) a new installment in our “Dealing With” section - Dealing with VIP Entourage Cars in Mumbai.

(01) Identify these correctly:

* Very simple - VIPs in Mumbai (for some reason unknown to me) are always followed by an entourage of Ambassador Cars (yes, tres chic indeed). Almost no one else even remembers what Ambassador Cars look like, but these people, they have not one, not two, but even upto seven Ambassador cars in their entourage.

* And they’re all white.

* And if you still think you’ll miss them (what are you blind??), then you’ll see the siren on top of them, always flashing.

(02) Know your facts:

* These people are MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU.

* They DO NOT NEED TO FOLLOW ROAD SIGNALS (what’re those?!)

* If you get in their way, while innocently driving home alongside them, know that THEY WILL push you out of their way by brandishing their MACHINE GUNS out of the rear windows.

(03) What you should do:

* Naturally, accept things without questioning. Move aside. Let them pass - they’re VIPS. You’re nothing. You’re no one (remember this!). They don’t even need your vote, they have slum banks for that.

(04) What you should never do:

* Don’t even think of driving behind them - some weird people (I don’t know WHERE they get these ideas from!) decide to drive fast behind them - after all, if they’re breaking all the traffic signals & all the cops are doing is “Salaam Saheb”-ing them - why should you get a break. No-sir-ee-bob. You should wait patiently on side.

(05) What you really should never do:

* Is get in the middle of the seven entourage cars. Even if you’re insane enough to follow all of them & break 8 signals along with them (yipee!), how dare you assume to get in the middle of their line up?!

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I love Mumbai city, I always have. Among the many things I love about this city, I love the fact that it is safe for women.

I have always felt safe in Mumbai despite the fact that I have on countless occasions been eve-teased. Sometimes though it does upset me. Once when I complained to a guy I know, he commented to me:

You should take it as a compliment. Everyone knows we only honk if the girl is sexy

This ‘brilliant’ guy is ex IIT & IIM. Educated and rich. Drives a fancy car and undoubtedly has honked at many ’sexy’ girls in his day. If this is how the educated people in our country behave, can we expect anything better from the uneducated?

To many people I know, it seems like the most natural thing to accept that when walking down a road alone or with girlfriends, that men will on passing by - on their cycles or in their Mercedes, honk or say things like “Oye Saxy” or “Hai Darrrling” or “Bea-utifool” (all in miserable accents of course, it almost makes it all comical).

Sometimes it’s not so funny though. I have personally experienced:
(01) Men exposing themselves to me while masturbating - three separate occasions.
(02) Being touched, groped and fondled in public - at least four occasions that come to mind.

My girl friends - every single one of them - have had similar experiences.

I have also experienced, countless times, men (sometimes married men) who’ve asked me out - to the point of harassment - despite the fact that they were senior to me at work.

For those of you who know me, or have been reading my blog for a bit, will know what a prude I am and hence will understand how much more difficult it is for me to admit to having experienced all this.

But today I was shocked.

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The title of this post really sums up & explains what the Technorati Link Exchange program is all about.

But perhaps my close friend and blog marketing guru G, (that’s guru G & not guruji) who broke into the Technorati Top 100 Most Favorited Blogs (originally thought up by Dosh Dosh) said it best. It’s a way to:

Discover New Blogs, Not Only Exchange Links

Since I too occasionally get into the behind the scenes of my blog - and since I was feeling rather good about my blog feeds crossing the double century mark (yay!) - I thought, what-the-hey, I’m too gonna start a Favorites Exchange Program - and plead with you all - in my ever so nice voice (yes, eyelashes batting et al) -

Please add me to your Technorati Favorites and (for good measure!) do also subscribe to my feed

Comment here that you’ve added me to your favorites & I’ll do the same for you.

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After every dark,

Comes a bright light.

When they dwell together,
It’s upto us to choose where to look.

(click to enlarge)

The first two pictures are both taken from the third, zoomed in at different places.

Disclaimer: I am not a complete snob,

but

Rest of the Post: I ABSOLUTELY cannot stand it when people do not have table etiquette.

Reason behind the Post: A few nights ago I went out for dinner with a few people - and OMG! - the complete lack of table etiquette on almost all of the parts left me cringing inside my head.

Rest of the Rest of the Post: To start with, most did not put their napkins on their laps as soon as we sat down to eat. Seriously people, this is basic! Then the cardinal rule of putting elbows on the table were royally broken. And to add to it all, while some left food in their plates in most horrifying manners, strewn all over the plate (seriously, the heartache!) and almost everyone left their silverware in wrong positions - some even carelessly throwing them in the plate like they were part of a cleaning crew.

arrgh.

So: I’ve decided to write a list of things that I absolutely think necessary to do / not to do at the table.

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And that’s not all, I’m a Blogger too.

Just in case you doubt the veracity of either, read diGit’s article below:

(click to enlarge & read article)

Yup, I had one of them birthdays. Again, this year too! Yeah I know, it’s funny how these things keep happening every year without fail!

I really love when my birthday’s on a weekend, sure helps with the partying! So much happened last weekend, I’m almost not sure I can remember it all. Will try to summarize for your benefit though:

Part the first, or, Can I change my mind. Again?
Started the day before my birthday, Friday the 13th, by going to the city with my dearest Saks. I love it when my bday falls on a Saturday & there have been many a year I’ve brought in my birthday on Friday the 13th. Still this year decided to stick with Saturday, so the plan for Friday was, after much (much) discussion; Breakfast at Leopold’s, Dinner at the Club (since I was skipping lunch).

Suffice to say, plans changed! Breakfast from Leopold’s was had in the car & office (lol!) and dinner was at China Gate. If you ask Saks, she’s likely to tell you that we reached the club & were entering when I changed my mind. But don’t believe her, because it was slightly before we entered that I changed my mind. So there.

I finally (after more debate & discussion) decided to bring in the b’day with my parents (yes, I’m a good daughter that way ) so vetoed the plans to go to Hard Rock Cafe with the guys & headed home by 11.30pm.

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A Guest Blog Post by Twisted DNA. Click on Image below to visit the author’s blog.

If you have been seeing some new glow in the blogosphere, it is our new star, Melody. She shot to stardom so fast that her Sitemeter’s servers blew up. With her recent appearance in print media, she is set out to be one of the hottest single girls in Mumbai.

If you are like me, you are speechless and are asking several questions (in sign language, of course). What is her path to success? What are her reader demographics? This is my attempt at answering them. I gathered some data and added some imagination (1% data, 99% imagination) and compiled these charts.

Her path to success

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Her reader demographics

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A Guest Blog Post by Pensive Lawyer. Click on Image below to visit the author’s blog.

Usually, a day in Court can be quite boring for the non-lawyers…unless of course the Judge in question decides to take the bull by its horns and literally wrestle it (read – the system) to the ground.

For the past few days the Division Bench headed by His Lordship the Hon’ble the Chief Justice (I don’t know why they say it like that!!! ….its something we learn never to question else, objection niklega!) has been hearing the Alistair Perreira matter. For the uninitiated minority, read the earlier articles on Mel’s blog being here and here.

Now this comprises two parts…. one being the Appeal filed by the State (the Prosecution) against the 6 odd months sentence given to the accused for running over the labourers who were allegedly sleeping on the road…..and the second component is the suo moto (which means, on its own accord) action taken by the Hon’ble High Court in this regard. Yes, the High Court is empowered to take such action and call for the papers and proceedings to ensure no miscarriage of justice had taken place in the Trial, which this Court did.

So, the Defense led by its Counsel propounded submission after submission backed by enough citations whereby it became clear that the procedure laid down in law to collect and submit evidence was breached to a significant extent. The term ‘tampering’ would not be out of mind and therefore, the question of a person being sentenced to jail on ‘tainted’ evidence would be incorrect.

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