Thursday, March 31, 2016

'यह दिल तो पागल है! -(with apologies to late Yash Chopra)'- by K.J.S.Chatrath

 There were times when a young lover could be expected to say to his lady love, 'मैँ तुम्हारे लिये सात समुंदर पार कर के, दुनिया की सभी दीवारें फांद कर आ जाऊँ गा.  And what is happening now a days? Here is a 72+ old man climbing atop a wall. यह क्या हो रहा है?


Yes, a serious explanation is in order. I have been working on inscriptions on christian graves for quite some time. I have a website- www.gravematter.in, and have published an illustrated book 'The Last Post: Inscriptions on French graves in india'.

Whenever I go to any new town, in India or abroad, I make it a point to visit the old cemetery and take photos.

Last month a went to a town and stayed there for 3-4 days. I had placed a visit to the local christian cemetery on my last day's programme. It was a Sunday and I had hoped that the cemetery would be open. I took a taxi and after some difficulty reached the cemetery. I was greeted by  a ground with high walls around and a well locked gate.

I peeked in and saw about a dozen youngsters inside the premises. 'I want to come and visit the cemetery. How did you get in', I asked the boys innocently. दिवार फांद के' replied one of the boys. 'मैं अंदर कैसे आ सकता हूँ, I persisted. I got the same reply: दिवार फांद के'.

Hmmm, I thought, having come this far to climb up or not to climb up was this Hamlet's dilemma. What the hell, I said to myself, go, man go! And I climbed up the wall. My old brittle bones respected my adventurous act and I was soon inside the cemetery premises, with all my bones intact.
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'Le Corbusier forced a Christian superstition on Chandigarh- a secular city'- by K.J.S.Chatrath

 I have a new issue to find fault with Le Corbusier. He did not plan any Sector 13 in Chandigarh. Considering number 13 as inauspicious is a Christian belief. Why force this belief on a newly planned secular city?

Mr. Le Corbusier you erred!.


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Wednesday, March 30, 2016

"Pak semen for Pb cows, buffaloes"- news.... यह, यह क्या होने जा रहा है जी !

"Pak semen for Pb cows, buffaloes" news in  the Times of India, March 31, 2016

यह, यह क्या होने जा रहा है जी !

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'Finally I am in love' - by K.J.S.Chatrath



Finally I am in love. At my age (72+) it does take a while. Yes it has taken me a long 13 years since I shifted to Panchkula. But I can say it now- frankly, happily and with pride. I am finally in love. Yes I am in love with Panchkula, the city where I live.  I go for a walk in a park in Sector 5 and notice the gradual changes of seasons reflected in the flowers and trees. 

Initially I used to feel a little over awed by Chandigarh with the admirers of Le Corbusier over-epousing his genius (?). Not any more. Move over Chandigarh, Panchkula has arrived. Slowly I have discovered the beauty and charm of Panchkula. But more on that later.

This is a Tecoma tree in bloom in this park these days. Tecoma is a genus of 14 species of shrubs or small trees in the trumpet vine family, Bignoniaceae. Twelve species are from the Americas, while the other two species are African.It is also called yellow trumpetbush, yellow bells and ginger Thomas. One finds these plants on both sides of Jan Marg in Chandigarh and also in the Rose Garden.

Panchkula has a wonderful cactus garden too. But of that in a subsequent write-up.  


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'Eyes too lie' - by K.J.S.Chatrath

I got up this morning and half asleep got hold of today's newspaper and made my self comfortable in my favourite chair. Soon a cuppa arrived. I opened the news paper, then folded it for a better grip. A few quick sips of tea but I was still half asleep. And then I saw this photo:

What the hell! यह क्या हो रहा है। I asked myself. The Hon'ble Chief Minsiter of Haryana being physically gagged! Or was he being force-fed? I never knew law and order was so bad, I told myself. मेरी नींद एकदम गायब हो गयी. My hands started trembling and I put the tea cup down.

Let me read it carefully, I decided. When I opened the fold of the paper the mystery got solved atonce.

The full, unfolded picture showed a hand holding a plate full of laddoos. Now the truth dawned. मान्यवर मुख्य मंत्री जी का मुंह मीठा करवाया जा रहा था.

मेरी जान में जान आई. में आराम से कुर्सी पर टांगें फैला कर चाय की चुस्कों भरने लगा और बाकि की ख़बरें पढ़ने लगा. ....

Yes, sometimes the eyes too lie.


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"Dog lover? Who, me?" - by K.J.S.Chatrath



I am not a dog lover. In fact to be absolutely honest, I dislike dogs. But when I saw these puppies in the park in Panchkula where I go for a walk in the evenings, they completely stole my heart away. Well, let me say momentarily, till I recovered. Take a look... ...

 Dog lover? Who, me?

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Tuesday, March 29, 2016

'Mr. Mr. Ayurveda Nature Foods' - by K.J.S.Chatrath

A new company called 'Mr. Mr. Ayurveda Nature Foods' has entered the market after Baba (?) Ram Dev's products....

Healthy days are here again... ...

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'There was a time ....' by K.J.S.Chatrath



There was a time when Ashish Nehra was young and Virat Kohli was a kid... ... ...

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Monday, March 28, 2016

'Blue Steak? Wow of Boaah!' - by K.J.S.Chatrath


In a good number of  'developed' countries some people prefer to take Blue Steak....this is what is looks like AFTER cooking. To me it looks like almost raw and under cooked meat.

Tell me, am I wrong in saying that Indian cuisine is the best in the world!

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'Innovative 3-D Zebra Crossing by Indian young ladies' - by K.J.S.Chatrath




Two girls, Saumya Pandya Thakkar and Shakuntala Pandya, from Gujarat have designed a very innovative idea of painting Zebra crossing in 3D. It gives illusion and alerts speeding car drivers to slow down as it appears like Road Blocks at first sight.

This idea is being used near many Gujarati schools for the safety of children.


Bravo young ladies!

Thank you for sharing Lalit K.Joshi.

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Sunday, March 27, 2016

American Airlines Pilot Arrested In Front Of Passengers After Failing Breathalyzer Test- news

American Airlines Pilot Arrested In Front Of Passengers After Failing Breathalyzer Test- news.

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Friday, March 25, 2016

American Outpost on Mars? - news

Photo of Mars by ISRO's Mangalyan

American Outpost on Mars? - news

Would Mars become the 51st state of the U.S.A.?

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'Kapil, Kiku Sharda & Ali Asgar on Tv - cheap, vulgar & totally tasteless' - by K.J.S.Chatrath

I find the antics of Kapil, Kiku Sharda and Ali Asgar on Tv to be cheap, vulgar and totally tasteless.
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'Waste of money by Art of Living Organisation' - by K.J.S.Chatrath

No, I am not talking about the World Culture Festival-2016  organised on the banks of Yamuna. Quite a bit has already been said about that extravaganza.

I have just seen a full page advertisement in the Times of India dated 20th March 2016. The ad says 'Thank You World' and goes on to reproduce 8 congratulatory messages (out of which  7 from the USA and one from Guatenmala- that's the World for you!).

Dont you think Mr. (Sri Sri ?) Ravi Shankar that at least the amount spent on this ad could have been better utilised in educating a few needy children?

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Thursday, March 24, 2016

'Alfred Hitchcock's cameo appearances' - by K.J.S.Chatrath


Alfred Hitchcock - the master of suspense films

I am a longstanding fan of Alfred Hitchcock's films. But this piece is about his cameo appearances in his films. Yes, it is nothing original, but I thought some friends might like it.
 

English film director Alfred Hitchcock is well known for his suspense films. Interestingly, he also made cameo appearances in 39 of his 52 surviving major films (his second film, The Mountain Eagle, is lost). For the films in which he appeared, he would be seen for a brief moment boarding a bus, crossing in front of a building, standing in an apartment across the courtyard, or even appearing in a newspaper photograph (as seen in the film Lifeboat, which otherwise provided no other opportunity for him to appear).


 
In To Catch a Thief (1955), Hitchcock appears as the bus passenger on the right alongside Cary Grant.

                                                                                                       (With inputs from the internet) 
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