Twenty- five Seven

Love in the time of war #Book Review of BAAZ

July 13, 2017

When you’re down and out there’s nothing like Chicklit to pick you up. Feeling under the weather after a particularly violent attack of diarrhea, I decided I needed to get back to my time an tested remedy of a good read. I chanced upon BAAZ Anuja Chauhan’s latest novel and grabbed it simply because of its compelling cover. Being a ‘child ‘ of the Defence Forces, stories of army life have always fascinated me. And nothing can be harder to resist than the image of a young man swaggering out of a paperback.

Having thus been induced to part with Rs.399, I settled down to a nice read after dinner. Surprisingly, it was well past 2 a. m when I finally put it down the book. There was the warm feel good sensation all right, but what thrilled me more was that I FINISHED THE BOOK IN A SINGLE SITTING. I must admit, however, that I was disappointed with the end.

The Plot:

Ishaan Faujdar, the simple Jat from Chakkhera and Tehmina Dadyseth cross paths in the most unusual ways. As alike as chalk and cheese the two make the unlikeliest couple but share an undeniable chemistry. She is a sophisticated Parsi girl with an American accent while he is a true son of the soil, making no bones about his humble origins . Both are rebels and thrill seekers in their own way with each one having familial baggage to deal with. He is a fighter pilot while she is a photographer though I would best describe her as a dilettante.

From the initial days at the Air Force Academy at Jodhpur to the final days of the Bangladesh war in Bangladesh we are also introduced to the lives of Maddy, Raja , Jana, Gana, Mana . They may come across as stereotypes but do infact truly represent the men who defend our borders. Thrill seekers, patriots or merely duty bound sons, these young men forge bonds of camaraderie and brotherhood that can only be understood by those aquainted with the military.

Baaz is not only the story of Ishaan and his buddies but an effective portrayal of the romance of a military life that is fast vanishing . Easy to read with language that flows, it doesn’t require much thinking top go through. However, there are times when the plot is ludicrous. There are also times when the plot is predictable. But, I suppose, when the sky is the limit there’s no reason to curtail one’s imagination is there?

Verdict : Anuja Chauhan has pulled off another chicklit winner with her easy going Hinglish that has now become the norm. While it won’t go down as a classic, it is definitely a light read, perfect for a rainy afternoon, a train journey to nowhere or just a pepper upper.

So now that the rains are pelting down, go order yourself a copy from Flipkart or Amazon and a pizza too if you’re up for it and breeze through the story of Shaanu and Tehmina.
When Google got it wrong on Peddar Road

July 12, 2017
Google should get its tag line right#Look before you leap

The God of our Times

Google has become the uncrowned God of our times with its vast knowledge base. Every so now and then, people cite GOOGLE as the authority to treat diseases, quote facts from history, geography and technology. Google is asked for recommendations on nearby restaurants, pharmacies, hospitals and directions to get from place A to place B and I’ve even heard of an instance when a young boy was asked his granny’s address, he put on his GPS and typed in ‘Gran’s House’ to get the exact address!

[Tweet “A young boy once typed in “Gran’s House” in his GPS to get the exact address of his grandmother!”]

But this is one time Google has got it wrong. I live on Peddar Road that Google so boldly advertises as a road which one can use fearlessly

#Look before you Leave

This is the hashtag which is the byeline for Google’s large sized advertisement placed strategically at one end of Peddar Road, just before the road begins to crowd up with 6 lanes of Southbound cars. I might add that this is a prime advertising spot as millions of cars go by ever day. This is of course during peak hours which occur around 9-11 in the mornings and again from 5-7 in the evenings.

Now things wouldn’t be so bad if Peddar Road actually had legitimate zebra crossings.

This sign indicating a pedestrian crossing is no where in sight of the sign, let alone within the vision of the speeding motorist. The one pedestrian crossing that functions is near a school . Luckily it works between school opening and closing hours. That is a brief period of 1/2 hour in the morning and 1/2 hour in the afternoon at 3. For the rest of the time, pedestrians have to time their quick dashes between murderous trucks and buses that somehow get energised on seeing a pedestrian, cars that continue regardless and equally dangerous motorcylists who bear down on you with the zeal of a marauding mosquito.

Manually operated pedestrian signal that has been vandalised beyond repair

The simple answer would be to put in place a manually operated pedestrian switch but what do you do when the switch itself is destroyed beyond repair?

The truth about Peddar Road that Google doesn’t know

I am more than convinced that Google Maps has no idea of the roads it covers on GPS especially in a city like Mumbai. To begin with, all the roads that it mentions are not the names that they are known by. And new comers to the city don’t know the old names. So someone who looks for G.Deshmukh Marg won’t know it is the same as Peddar Road.

Moreover isn’t a satellite too far removed from ground realities. The truth is Peddar Road is a death trap for motorists and pedestrians alike. It is a very busy thoroughfare that never really rests.
- The uneven sidewalks are a whole foot higher than the road. This makes it impossible for people to have a smooth walk. Rather than go up and down, they would rather walk on the road. Thus they are sitting ducks for drivers in the left lane.
- The access ways from the buildings off the main road are at an incline. They are also constructed with faulty, uneven, wibbly-wobbly paver blocks. Pedestrians have to walk with both feet at an incline and one foot 6″ higher than the other.
- There are only three pedestrian crossings on Peddar Road, each at least 150 m apart. Even though they have video cameras, I wonder if they really work. The occasional policeman who mans these signals invite the cars to come half way up the crossing. This means that pedestrian as no choice but to make the quick dash between cars. This is particularly true during traffic hours when Traffic Wardens arbitrarily direct traffic often over ruling the traffic lights.
- And there’s another dark secret that Google doesn’t know . Late into the night, Peddar Road becomes the race track for motorbikes that roar past with ear splitting speeds.
Change the tagline!

I know Google maps are for motorists. Yet, it ironic that the tag line reads #LookBeforeYouLeave for the only people who read it are the pedestrians. It would make more sense for them to “LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP”
A recent holiday memory

July 12, 2017

I’ve just returned from a holiday in New Jersey and have lots of pleasant memories to share. Could it be the day I spent with friends and family at the New York Botanical Gardens where we went specially to see the Chihuly exhibit?

Now isn’t that a stunning display of blown glass? It was a lovely day – slightly overcast but not wet. The slight drizzle only added to the lazy, unhurried afternoon we spent in verdant splendour, amid the blooming peonies and exquisite glass sculptures.

This exhibition is on till October so you can still catch it. And if you are flying from Mumbai, there’s nothing like an Emirate’s experience that will take you to JFK.