Twenty- five Seven

The Bridge to Nowhere

March 19, 2016

In the middle of a busy intersection in the Southern part of Mumbai, is the ugliest skywalk ever made . It took almost four years to complete and at the end of it, the Municipality of Mumbai realised what they did wrong – It was too ugly and cumbersome, there were too many houses it actually looked into and the ultimate clincher – all the roads were still not connected so pedestrians still had to dodge the cars that now had to dodge the pillars, making the traffic even more chaotic than before. So now we have a huge ugly skywalk that is fed by four bridges that really lead to nowhere.

However, the Municipality also realised that most pedestrians were ordinary people and being the government of the people, decided to make an escalator so that the old and the infirm could use the bridge ( it was much higher than normal to allow the oversized Ganesh statues to pass during the 10 day Ganesh festival of Mumbai.

Unfortunately no one in the Municipality thought about climbing down the skywalk so there isn’t any escalator to climb down. Perhaps they secretly want people to jump off!

But they still didn’t make an escalator to climb down . So they did the next best thing – they never operated the escalator going up. And the bridge remains a monstrosity that no one uses.

The escalator that was never used

The hallmark of a democracy is that it is the government of the people, for the people and by the people. Obviously we are a stupid people to elect a stupid government to rule over us.
A perfect Wednesday morning #shopping

March 16, 2016

It is the middle of the week and I’m just recovering from a harrowing weekend which saw me hooked up to an IV drip on what should have been a perfect Sunday morning. But I’ll leave that to another post since I’m currently enjoying a perfect Wednesday morning.

Concern India is a unique NGO supporting and sponsoring several NGOs that take up various causes. One of their pet projects is to promote art whether it is an exhibition or auction to raise funds for their sponsorship activities or through craft fairs that encourage and promote traditional skills. With most government emporia closing down or stuck in a time warp, I look forward to such exhibitions that showcase crafts with a modern aesthetic. This morning I just came out of the Coomarswamy Hall with a smile on my face and a new bangle on my wrist. Pause for a Cause will be here for another two days so hurry if you are on the look out for linen or chanderi saris , costume jewellery , fancy mojris,block printed yardage and affordable chic from independent fashion designers.


The museum shop,I discovered is a great place to shop for knick knacks, giveaways and souvenirs. Local crafts,prints, story books , puzzles – in fact something for everyone



And when you’re done,enjoy a cup of coffee in the adjoining verandah and think back on the days when it was Samaovar, under the watchful glare of a stony faced Prince of Wales standing outside the museum.

So isn’t that reason enough for me to bill this as the perfect Wednesday morning?
Top tips for classy table decor #OutdoYourselfReadingChallenge

March 15, 2016

At the beginning of the year, I joined Corinne Rodrigues #Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge and pledged to read a modest 12 books a year which makes it just ONE book a month. Surely that is a target I can hope to achieve after all, a book a month is not much of a challenge is it? However, this year I’m finding it difficult to even read the newspaper or catch up with friends over the phone. Hence I feel this book can rightly count among the challenge even though it is a mere coffee table book .

In my usual bumbling way, my blog was disqualified from being part of the challenge, so even though this won’t be considered part of the #OYRC, I am putting up this review as part of my own personal goal of reading a book a month.

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For many people a meal is just a meal is just a meal. But honestly, a meal is more than just that: it is a time to relax, be with friends, exchange ideas and thoughts, tell stories and may be even sing songs!

For all those who want to be successful hosts, having an inviting table that is classy is important. But often, one is stuck. This beautifully illustrated book will give you step by step top tips on classy table decor that will have your guests sitting around it long after dinner is done.

Using seasonal flowers, fruit and even fabric, with accessories chosen specially for the occasion, a creative hostess can indeed dress up her table for every occasion be it breakfast, lunch, dinner or tea.

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My review on Goodreads.

Dinner Décor: A How-to Guide for Fabulous Centerpieces by Amita Sathe Bambawale
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This beautifully illustrated book with lavish place settings will help any housewife with setting the theme for a successful dinner party. Using flowers and accessories that are easily available, Amita Bambawale shows how easy it is to make table decorations. A must read book for all those who are serious hostesses and are looking for fresh ideas with which to dress up their tables.