Delhi Diary 12 - The Rape Capital

Delhi continues to guard its coveted award of Rape Capital. It has left all the others far far behind.
So what could be the reason for such astounding consistency? Are the Delhi men born this way or does Delhi do something to them?
Why do people avoid committing crimes?
Because they are afraid of the repercussions.
In Delhi, they are not afraid. They know they will not be harmed. A few months in jail is no big deal of them anyway.
So why are the so called lawmakers not looking at this dastardly act a little more severely?
Because they feel it is not a crime that deserves all that seriousness?
Women are told to take care of their clothes, watch where they are going, when they are going and with whom they are spending time.
But what about those who prey upon them? For a little fun?
Don't they have anything to learn at all? Or do we club all of them as perverts and depraved?

Movies from Hollywood

Saw some of the latest releases from Hollywood.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: Our home grown directors should learn from this movie. It is not necessary that strapping young men and nubile lasses can give you a box office hit or a good movie. This one was certainly about the path less travelled. Elderly couples seek some diversion, peace and companionship in Rajasthan in a dilapidated hotel. Were they able to find it? You simply must see this one to find out!

Hope Springs: Meryl Streep (my favourite) and Tommy Lee Jones together!! What more would the movie lover require? Does a marriage stay a marriage in the true sense of the term after thirty or forty years? Can we improve it? Watch this...

Life of Pi: I was amazed when I heard that a film was being made on this book. I thought it really could not be broken down into shots and scenes, and what about the plot? Well, Ang Lee proved that it could be done and has done it superbly. The ocean, the tiger and the boy create magic and it is difficult to stay out of its web. A must watch.

Movies

Saw three of the latest Bollywood releases.
OMG - Oh My God: Well, surprisingly, a good movie. Deals with all those questions any thinking person might have about the existence of God and the relevance of the God concept in today's society.
Jab Tak Hai Jaan: An all out Shah Rukh Khan starrer but loved Anushka's character and the ease with which she did it. Katrina needs many many lessons in acting and then I don't know if it will help.
Talaash: Very disappointed with this one. Never thought an Aamir Khan starrer would let me down.The first half was good but the second half could not hold my attention at all what with spirits of kids and young women making their presence felt in the most innocuous ways!! Rani was the only saving grace.

Diwali - the Festival of Lights

As I sit to key in these words, the world around me is submerged in sound. Sound that is unpalatable, that is scary, that is earth shattering. This is no less than a battle field. When I look out, I see the sky being intermittently lit up by fireworks followed by its companion, the sound. The atmosphere is hazy, a pall of smoke hangs all over and I smell the acrid burning chemicals. This is our great festival Diwali or Deepawali which began once upon a time, a long long time ago as a mark of celebration of King Ram's victory over King Ravan's forces when houses were decorated and diyas were lit. Today, less diyas and less candles are seen. There is an enormous amount of electricity being consumed as people compete with each other to decorate their homes with the maximum number of fairy lights in various colours. Three days prior to Diwali, the roads are jammed with traffic at all hours as relatives and friends and employees race against time to meet and present gifts. On Diwali you wear new clothes, perform rituals to appease the Goddess Lakshmi who takes care of your wealth. This is followed by a sumptuous dinner and then the game of cards follows till the wee hours of the morning.
What a festival! Like the animals on the streets and in homes, I try to search of a quiet corner for myself and hope for this to end soon.

Tughlaq

I was mesmerized with Tughlaq - the character and the play. It is an immortal piece of work because it speaks of human folly that repeats itself again and again. The ambience of the play at the Ferozshah Kotla was magnetic. It simply drew me in and it was as if I was seeing the past events of Delhi unfold right there in front of my eyes as if it were today. I became one of Tughlaq's subjects. Yashpal Sharma wearing the mantle of Tughlaq was just right. His mannerisms, his talk and his pathos pulled at the heart strings. I felt helpless along with Tughlaq at the collapsing situation around him. His lonliness at the end engulfs me too. That is the magic of good theatre!! Thank you Girish Karnad, for recreating this imperfect ruler so perfectly. The production crew with the perfect lighting, music and costumes was spot on. Bhanu Bharti, you deserve the accolades!

Importance of Theatre

What could be more difficult than sitting on judgment on 41 school plays? I had a tough time trying to mark children on their acting skills. It was evident that they were doing their best. If anyone told them your acting was not up to par, they would have been astounded. And it isn't their fault. They were not guided better. Simply standing there on stage, facing an auditorium full of audience, scrutinizing your every move and these faces you don't see, can be very scary. But every child actor did that and spouted dialogues. I wish each school had a designated drama teacher who could have helped the actors go up one step. They are just waiting to be shown the way.
That is why it was tough to mark them. But I did, and felt bad about it as did the two other judges. Why isn't theatre taken seriously in schools? Why is it not an integral part of the curriculum?
Theatre has all the ingredients required for today's child. It builds Team spirit, teaches Correct posture, Voice modulation and a lot of Confidence. Aren't these what constitute some part of a developing personality?

Archaeology and Archaeologists

I am a lover of History, Ancient History which is mostly shrouded in mystery. Indus valley, Egypt, China, Mesopotamia --- the ancient civilizations that grew around these regions have a strange hold over me. I could be a romantic, but fantasizing about life then is my greatest past time. How much do we really know? How much is left to be uncovered or dug out?
So when my daughter decided to take up Archaeology as her masters subject, I was really, really happy. I would learn from her. Unfortunately senior archaeologists do not have a very encouraging attitude towards students stepping into this world. First and foremost that say quite categorically, There is no money to be earned from this profession. Next they say, Beware of destroying your health. They are being truthful they say so that the newcomers know what they are in for!! Hey! Give the lover of old things a break. Let her try to unravel bits of history without worrying about practicalities! If such selfless passion went missing, much creative and interesting work would have died a sure death.
But, is it true? Does an archaeologist stay forever penniless?

Sampling Delhi Food at Chandni Chowk

This one was a really satisfactory walk! At six in the evening at Chandni Chowk on a Sunday (when it is a little less chaotic) I get to taste some finger licking Delhi food!

I was a part of a group and a total of six of us participated in this journey of sorts. We began at Haldiram's with the Raj Kachori (puffed bread made of semolina and flour, deep fried, stuffed with boiled chick peas, potato, lentils, topped with spicy mint & coriander chutney, sweet & sour tamarind chutney, sweet yogurt, sprinkled with salt and red chilli powder). We broke the flour shell and let the mixture run out and then tucked in huge helpings. Too delicious to describe!!! YUMMMM!!!

Next, Gol Gappa were served, more to inform our foreign friends what this was all about. So you make a hole on top of a puffed bread, similar to raj kachori, only smaller, stuffed in some potatoes and chack peas and then immersed it into a bowl of spicy green chutney diluted and without wasting a moment, pop it into our mouths.

Onion Kachori came next which is deep fried thick puffed bread filled with onions and some spicy masalas and we had the Matar Samosas, only these were stuffed with green peas and not potatoes (as is usually the case). Prabhat, our leader, made sure we did not have more than a couple of bites of any of the delicacies (what a waste of good food L).

We then moved on to our next destination, Natraj's, where we had Dahi Bhalla (soft non-flavoured doughnuts immersed in sweet yogurt spiced up with both sweet and sour chutneys) followed by Aaloo Tikki, or you could call it potato cutlet, the taste of which I assure you, cannot be captured at home.

Now we moved onwards towards Parathe wali gali or the Indian bread lane. All the food joints here sell various kinds of stuffed parathas which are rolled out circles of dough stuffed with whatever filling you can imagine and deep fried in clarified butter. At  Baburam Devi Dayal, we tasted parathas stuffed with Okhra (Lady’s finger), Green chillies (I avoided this one!), Bananas and Mava (dried fruits and nuts). These were accompanied with banana and sweet tamarind chutney, mashed pumpkin vegetable and spicy potato vegetable.

To cool the almost smoking tongue we had Jalebis at Old and Famous Jalebiwala. These are yummy sweets made out of a flour paste which is pushed through a thin funnel into a smoking vessel full of oil, and round squiggles are made quickly. The pattern hardens to a lovely orange colour and is picked up in a strainer and put into another vessel full of sugar syrup. These are sweets to die for!

Next a rickshaw ride towards the Town Hall and close to this we have a very old eating place (will not degrade it by calling it a restaurant) called  Asharam Foods, earlier known as Nirmal restaurant. We had the best Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) paratha here with a dollop of butter and a refreshing cup of cardamom flavoured tea.

You would think we were done, but no! We marched on like soldiers towards Jama Masjid and took our positions at another well known eating joint, Al-Jawahar. The starters were Mutton Sheek Kababs (skewered mutton prepared by mixing with herbs and spices and barbequed) followed by the most amazingly huge and soft Rotis (rolled out dough and cooked in a tandoor) with Palak Paneer (ground spinach with Indian cottage cheese cubes), Mutton Korma (mutton cooked in spicy Indian curry) and Changezi Chicken (a spicy chicken with gravy) made up the main course. The dessert comprised the delicious Phirni (ground rice cooked in sweetened and thickened milk).

Then, we decided to call it a day J

Satyamev Jayate

It was a joy of sorts to watch the television show hosted by Aamir Khan on Sunday last, called Satyamev Jayate. Joy in the sense of someone doing something meaningful in this increasingly meaningless world.
The subject - female foeticide- was anything but joyous. Women who have been subjected to multiple abortions simply because they were carrying a female foetus, women who gave birth to girls and underwent terrible torture in the hands of their husbands and in-laws- these stories show how well educated and well-to-do families stoop to subhuman levels to have a male in their house. For what? For lineage, they say... What lineage? A lineage of murderers???  A lineage of men who attack their wives or turn away their parents in their old age? Who has made this silly rule that men will be responsible for lineage and women will not be?
By the way, it was time TV viewers were told categorically that the sex of the unborn child is determined by the sperm and not by the egg. So men, go blame yourselves, and in-laws blame your son, your brother, your whoever...
The show also looked at various aspects of the issue. There is a skewed ratio of sexes in Punjab and Haryana. A huge gathering of men complained to Aamir that they were of marriageable age but there are no girls to get married to!
Well, it is now up to us, the people of India (those of sane minds), to take up cudgels and fight for justice and prevent further murders. If it takes a celebrity to wake us up from our ennui, then so be it.
Wake up India because Truth alone shall prevail!!!

Movies: To see or not to see???

The Help:
 A heart wrenching and a heart warming tale of the 'coloured' help in the 1960s in Southern America (here, Jackson) and their fight for dignity. Viola Davis is amazingly convincing. Definitely a must watch.

Extremely Loud Incredibly Close:
Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks - Could it have gotten any better? Yes, we can put in Thomas Horn who plays their 'special' child and you have a winner. The story revolves around the boy's search for a connection with his father who is a victim of the 9/11 disaster. The boy reminded me so much of Christopher in the book, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon, who is also out on a mission. This movie is also a definite watch.
There is link between the two movies -  The Help and ELIC, and that is Viola Davis.

Chandigarh

At Chandigarh -                                                          Two Similar Birds -                                                        The difference:                                                             one at the Rock Garden,                                                       the other at Lake Sukhna!!!

♪ Smile - Charlie Chaplin

Movies: To see or not to see?? (2)

My Week with Marilyn is definitely worth watching. Especially so if you are a Monroe fan. If you are not such a fan, the movie will anyway pull you right in and force you to take sides with this Hollywood phenomenon. Michelle Williams has done a commendable job and has picked up Monroe mannerisms to the tee, especially her dancing style. However, for those who have spent hours looking at her movies and pictures, there is a sense of disappointment since she had a unique face and it was not William's. Sir Laurence Olivier played by Kenneth Branagh, was wonderful with his impatience and anger at Marilyn and admiration for her too. But the cake was taken by Colin Clark played by Eddie Redmayne, the third assistant director who wants to make a mark in the film industry and falls deeply in love with Marilyn.
The movie makes quite an impact as all real stories tend to.

Movies - To see or not to see ....???

The Iron Lady: As usual, Meryl Streep comes out with flying colours. I am a BIG fan and she did not disappoint. Her mannerisms as the old Margaret Thatcher suffering from dementia were so authentic. How does she do it, I wonder? Definitely, a must see.

The Newlyweds: Ed Burns directs and acts with complete competence in this movie which has some documentary elements to it. The story line is simple and real. And the message is clear - Don't think you have the perfect marriage!!! Definitely, a must see.

The Artist: Jean Dujardin plays the Artist and has excelled. The film recalls the years of the black and white silent era. Director Michel Hazanavicius has the courage to risk going back to bring out this wonderful creation. Everything worked and I enjoyed the last scene which finally allows sound to creep in. The dog was great coz the film was silent! Don't miss this one!

Emeralds in the Sea - Andamans

The Five -Day Trip to the Andamans was an absolute enchantment. More so when you are surrounded by loved ones and ever embracing Nature. At Andamans, the dominating colours are Blue (Sea) and Green (Vegetation). The main mode of transport is by Sea, so be ready to rock and roll long after you've left the boat! Must share some pics of the places I visited.....

You can see: the Church at Ross Island; the Hanging cell at Viper Island; Corbin's Cove; Light and Sound show at the Cellular Jail, Port Blair; Symphony Palms at Havelock Island

Kubang Hill - in graphics

A glimpse of what we enjoyed: The Backwaters; Our Guides, Boatmen and Boats; the Fantastic Proboscis Monkey; the Riot of Colours in the Sky at Sunset

More of Indonesia's Kalimanthan

The trek to Lubok Baji took its toll on the muscles. Climbing the stairs to my hotel room was a painful ordeal. The falls I had taken and the walk on the slippery earth had strained the muscles badly. We turned in early as we had quite a day ahead at Kubang Hill.
Early next morning we drove to Teluk Melano, loaded ourselves with provisions for lunch at the market. Two speedboats were arranged and we sped off on the river, Matan. The river bank was lined with tall buildings with tiny square openings on them. When asked, we were amazed to know that these buildings were a part of the 4 billion dollar industry. Swiflets would make nests inside and these nests were exported to be a part of the bird’s nest soup, a delicacy of the orient.
In 45 minutes we were at Batu Barat where we shifted to boats and had boatmen and guides to row us through the jungle stream – the backwaters with mangroves growing densely on both sides. This boat ride was completed in absolute silence, only broken by bird calls and animal sounds. Occasionally the boatmen would excitedly point towards colourful butterflies, flowers, monkeys and snakes. Suddenly, our boat hit a huge tree which had fallen across the channel. The men immediately got to work with machetes. They chopped a way out. The water was a queer reddish colour. Then, from nowhere, the stillness was broken by a motorboat coming right behind us. All of us were rudely jarred out of our trance. A forest official was on tour in the smoky motorboat! All the birds disappeared in a jiffy and the magic of the moment was broken.
We finally climbed on to a tiny jetty jumping out of the boat trying to avoid the water. Got myself a sturdy walking stick, procured in an instant from the forest.
We walked into the dense mangrove where there was a semblance of a path overrun by roots and trailing branches and the soil was quite slushy. So we slipped and swayed and barely had the opportunity to look up. Our guides would point out Orangutan nests, Durian trees and beautiful birds and butterflies. After an hour’s trail we had to stop to catch our breath. I felt stinging pain on my feet and removed the sandals to investigate and was horrified to find two fat leeches sucking away my blood. Our guide expertly pulled both off. I discovered more in between the toes as did the others. It seems we were lucky, the mangroves are generally submerged in ankle deep water and then the leeches simply climb all over!!! After a short rest which included snacking, decided to turn back. This time all of us were alert to all insects trying to climb on us, and this included some pretty dangerous looking ants, and hoped it wouldn’t rain. Before we boarded the boat we had a sparse meal of steamed rice and boiled vegetables.
Our ride back was quite exciting. Since it was close to sundown, the forest came alive. Birds began their return to roost, butterflies disappeared, snakes were seen hanging from boughs. What had us mesmerized were the Proboscis monkeys. Around a dozen of them decided to give us an exclusive show of their antics. We hung around enjoying ourselves.
As we returned to Batu Barat the boatmen insisted we alight and come into their village. A few huts were lined up in a row a little away from the river. All was peace and quiet. Our motorboats then took off at high speed towards Sukadana. The sun was setting and we were witness to a glorious riot of colours in the sky. I doubt there was any colour that we missed. These are moments when life seems worth living.

Trekking through an Indonesian Rainforest

The massive trees, the waterfalls, orangutan nests and the log house - all these and more turned the trip into a magical journey.

Come with me to Indonesia's jungles

My visit to Indonesia, more specifically West Kalimanthan and Jogjakarta, was nothing short of marvelous. Five of us began with our flight from Delhi to Kuala Lumpur through the night and landed in the wee hours of morning. Waited in the airport (no visa for Malaysia) and left for Jakarta after a couple of hours. Landed and again took a flight to Pontianak, the equator city - the imaginary line passes through here. We left Pontianak the next day for Ketapang which is a six-hour motorboat ride.
We managed seats outside the captain’s cabin in the open and suffered severe burns because of the exposure – that’s the Equator for you!!
From the Ketapang wharf an SUV took us to Sukadana, a bone rattling two hour drive in the dark. Early the next morning, along with our Indonesian guide, Darr, we purchased provisions for food for four meals in the jungle and set off. Thankfully, Harry, the native boy, loaded our eatables on his back and was off in a jiffy. We crossed a moat with a very narrow cemented path with a rope above us acting as the railing and then we were engulfed by the green world. There is no well-defined path in this jungle and Darr had a machete to slash his way through. Only red ribbons tied on some branches told us we were on track.
It was an upward climb all the way and we stopped frequently to catch our breath and wipe the sweat of from our faces and in my case, my glasses were getting fogged (the humidity was that high). Fast flowing streams intersected our path and we crossed them stepping on slippery stones all the while hanging on to ropes (not very sturdy) above our heads tied between trees. We did slip though! The dark forest canopy was like a cocoon and the shrill sounds of insects and birds kept us company. Strange millipedes, centipedes, insects, frogs and beautiful butterflies and dragonflies met us. We reached finally after four exhausting hours climbing all the way but quite satisfied. Our log hut on top of the hill was a welcome sight. After lunch and crashing out, we trekked around the area before the sun set by 6pm. No electricity. So we had a dinner cooked on fire (ancient method) and washed the utensils in the stream nearby. A tiny wooden shack next to the log house served as the washroom. (It was very clean). It began to rain, and in the rainforest it rains torrentially. It rained through the night and the constant drumming on the tin roof lulled us to sleep. Early morning, awoke to noises made by gibbons and orangutans. Set off on another trail and this time got a glimpse of the forest spread in the Gunung palung area stretching away for miles. The red leaf monkeys and gibbons played hide and seek with us on the way. We left after a quick and frugal lunch and this time the journey downhill was even more treacherous. The overnight rain had made the path covered with leaves more slippery. So we held on to dear life and the ropes hanging above or on the sides and coaxed our feet to land at the right spot, failing miserably many a times. The rain began again when we were somewhere in the middle of our trek. By the time we reached the car, we were soaking wet. Every muscle seemed to be awake and aching. But there was to be no respite. The next day we set off for Kubang hill, another part of the national park for some more fun!