1.Starting from the Netaji Subhas Intenational Airport (which looks like an 80s Soviet airport)…when flight touchdown on runway at 10.20 pm means the shuttle bus will arrive at 10.45 pm…you know you are in West Bengal.
2.When people still carry aristocrat suitcases with military green covering (read Kau-Bho-Reeng)… you know you are in West Bengal.
3.When easily a 100 people are standing in line for a pre paid taxi and no one calls up a Meru or an EasyCab…you know you are in West Bengal.
4.When the only time people are a little active (no offence meant but a lot of rice tends to slow down mere humans) is when they have to catch a local (read Low-Caal) train… you know you are in West Bengal.
5.When phonetics goes for a toss and a ‘shirt’ becomes ‘shaart’, ‘wipro’ becomes ‘bheepro’, ‘santoor’ becomes ‘shontuur’… you know you are in West Bengal.
6.When in a compartment full of people a lady saunters in with a cup of tea in her hand and by her own mistake, brushes against you and spills her cup – Gives the shrillest shriek you’d have ever heard and the entire compartment is ready to take you down, unless you say sorry for something you haven’t done… you know you are in West Bengal. (These people literally FEAR their women!)
7.When you see opulence on one side (Tollygunge, Salt Lake) and abject poverty on the other side (Howrah Station Underpass, Burdwan Station) (And I have seen enough poor people but this is the point where human life ceases to carry the dignity of being human)…sadly… you know you are in West Bengal. (I sincerely want to ask the CPM govt. what it has done in 32 years of its unchecked reign.)
8.When moms interfere in cricket matches , snatching cricket bats and balls when their dear son (read shona-muuni!) gets out and they think that is was wrong… you know you are in West Bengal.
9.When at the slightest wind blowing, people tend to cover their ears and put a muffler around their necks (the same can be seen at beaches)… you know you are in West Bengal.
10.When rice is a staple food atleast once a day and if you take away that, the ‘Bangali Bhoot’ threatens to start a ‘Chakka Jaam’…you know you are in West Bengal.
I’m no one to comment whether a state is good or bad but what I write is purely my personal bias for or against anything. I may not like West Bengal but that doesn’t mean that it’s a bad place to stay, perhaps a different kind of place to stay.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
10 Things which let you know you are in Small town India!
1.When there are very few or hardly one shopping mall and a number of SOPPING COMPLAX…you know you are in small town India.
2.When each and every wall is plastered/painted with slogans like – “dilli chalo! ABVP ka andolan hai!!” , “ Neem Hakim Baba Bengali se ilaaj karwayei..khoyi mardana takat wapas paayein” or “Learn English – join AMARICAN Institute”… you know you are in small town India.
3.When the local newspaper carries news like – “do bacchon ki maa chaar bacchon k baap sang bhaagi” , “ladki chedne k virodh mei do guto mei pathraav” , “Bhains ki current lagne se maut”… you know you are in small town India.
4.When electricity cuts and the subsequent public beating of the Junior Engineer or the lineman (“ o jee, sunte ho…fir bijli chali gai…zara Hydel k JE ko tight kare aao”) are a regular feature… you know you are in small town India. (And interestingly, people consider power theft as their birthright and then claim there’s a shortage of power)
5.When you hear words like “Bahut Rangbaaj bane firte ho” (Western UP), “Hum tumhe pel denge” (Jhansi), “Miyaan bhokaali ho rahe ho” (Lucknow) and not to forget “L*** fenk k maarunga, khaandaan C*** jaega” (Gwalior)… you know you are in small town India.
6.When the roads have more cows and dogs on them than cars…you know you are in small town India.
7.When the local administration declares a holiday for almost anything…be it rains, summers, winters and even university examinations…you know you are in small town India.
8. When the best place to hang out in the city happens to be a big garden maintained by the army cantt or a newly built maall…you know you are in small town India.
9.When people may not be able to commend on someone's job as a consultant in McKinsey or as a Bond Trader at Darashaw, but know what it is to be a Sales Exec for HUL and WCCLG…you know you are in small town India.
10.When the favorite pastime of people (read neighbours) is to poke your parents for your marriage (and you are only 24 and have just about start a job)…you know you are in small town India.
I come from this mofussil part of India which has probably been left out in the fast paced world of IT, SEZ, ICT, TechParks but maintains its own charm and has witnessed widespread exodus by young children to larger cities in search of the elusive “Great Indian Dream”. But look, sitting next to you in crisp clothes, toting a Blackberry and spewing flawless English is a person hailing from “Small Town India”. Cheerios :)
2.When each and every wall is plastered/painted with slogans like – “dilli chalo! ABVP ka andolan hai!!” , “ Neem Hakim Baba Bengali se ilaaj karwayei..khoyi mardana takat wapas paayein” or “Learn English – join AMARICAN Institute”… you know you are in small town India.
3.When the local newspaper carries news like – “do bacchon ki maa chaar bacchon k baap sang bhaagi” , “ladki chedne k virodh mei do guto mei pathraav” , “Bhains ki current lagne se maut”… you know you are in small town India.
4.When electricity cuts and the subsequent public beating of the Junior Engineer or the lineman (“ o jee, sunte ho…fir bijli chali gai…zara Hydel k JE ko tight kare aao”) are a regular feature… you know you are in small town India. (And interestingly, people consider power theft as their birthright and then claim there’s a shortage of power)
5.When you hear words like “Bahut Rangbaaj bane firte ho” (Western UP), “Hum tumhe pel denge” (Jhansi), “Miyaan bhokaali ho rahe ho” (Lucknow) and not to forget “L*** fenk k maarunga, khaandaan C*** jaega” (Gwalior)… you know you are in small town India.
6.When the roads have more cows and dogs on them than cars…you know you are in small town India.
7.When the local administration declares a holiday for almost anything…be it rains, summers, winters and even university examinations…you know you are in small town India.
8. When the best place to hang out in the city happens to be a big garden maintained by the army cantt or a newly built maall…you know you are in small town India.
9.When people may not be able to commend on someone's job as a consultant in McKinsey or as a Bond Trader at Darashaw, but know what it is to be a Sales Exec for HUL and WCCLG…you know you are in small town India.
10.When the favorite pastime of people (read neighbours) is to poke your parents for your marriage (and you are only 24 and have just about start a job)…you know you are in small town India.
I come from this mofussil part of India which has probably been left out in the fast paced world of IT, SEZ, ICT, TechParks but maintains its own charm and has witnessed widespread exodus by young children to larger cities in search of the elusive “Great Indian Dream”. But look, sitting next to you in crisp clothes, toting a Blackberry and spewing flawless English is a person hailing from “Small Town India”. Cheerios :)
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