Memories.......

I was at the local kirana store and a pack of Poppins caught my eye.There it was lying still in the glass enclosure staring back at me.Flashback to the good old school days when I used to pick these from my brother's store at will.All of us,my sisters and I ,loved to eat these multi-coloured tiny golis.When we shared them we had our own colour choices and I always picked red or pink.I remember how we suckled on them noisily like ruminating cows and took in all its flavours.


So,as I was saying,I saw the poppins and bought three of them.It was surprising that I got 3 for just rupees five. I opened the packet with a feeling of deja vu and related to my daughter how we ate these as little kids.I put it inside my mouth hoping to get the same long-lost taste of dear old poppins and was completely let down.The taste was nothing like the REAL poppins that I had had as a little girl.What I tasted now was just another coloured peppermint.In fact it tasted like a medicine.It did not even look the same inside , though the company had tried its best to retain the look of the cover pack .How I missed the taste of that poppins!


This is not how it tasted then.....I stated sadly.It was so much better when we were kids.My daughter was surprised that I made such a thing of such a minor issue.It tastes different now.......so what!Don't like it,don't eat it.If this is not like it tasted earlier try something else.There are so many new options now.......so many of them.


Change is inevitable,I know.


But there are times when I long for a taste of the things as they were before.......like the taste of the rose and white coloured spearmints,the chana jor garam at the park near my mom's house,the ghanne ka juice we had at Prabhadevi ,the khaja and the halwa at the local fair,the pani-puri and bhel at the beach............I could go on.


Days,months and years go by...........only memories remain!

Exam Fever!

It is that time of the year again!Board exam fever strikes gain!Parents,teachers and students go all out to make the most of this race for marks.Anxiety grips the household and it is not the student alone who is facing the stress and strain.Prayers,visits to temples,poojas and pothi paaths,good luck charms,taveez and udhi ........all these make their presence felt.Good wishes come pouring from all nooks and corners through smses,mails,phone-calls and house visits.

It is that time of the year when the student sitting for the exam is equivalent to a soldier going to the battle field..There is a mad frenzy to make the most of the last few hours for last minute revision.The coaching classes too gear up for the big day.The HSC exams are already in progress and the ICSC boards began today.The SSC board students have, but a few days to go.Already the helplines are buzzing with queries and distress calls from students and parents alike.

All the very best to all those appearing for their exams.

I hope all the parents,teachers and students realize that this is just one of the many examinations they will be facing.Hope too much is not expected of these exams as when expectations are not met then it leads to drastic steps being taken.Your life does not depend on this one examination alone.Just do your best and leave the rest.

Life is much more than just examinations.

What An Eyesore!

 I see them everywhere.Those huge,ugly and lifeless hoardings.There are all over the city.They block the view of the pedestrians and motorists.They are the cause of many accidents.They are there for every occasion.You see them before elections to plead before the voters,they are there after elections to boast that they have won,they are there to wish their party leaders on their birthdays,party leaders use them to wish their wards during festivals,they are put up to showcase their 'good' work, they inform us about religious discourses by holy souls, marathons,discounts and sales............and the list goes on.

These hoardings are mostly illegal as they are put up without the necessary permissions.They come up overnight.Once they are there be sure that they will remain there for long..............until another one comes up there to take it's place.They are an eyesore and make the city look like an advertisement brochure.We are already having a hard time with the vehicles , population, slums, highrises etc to have these hoardings too asking a share in the space available.

To make matters worse these hoardings are mostly made of flex which is non-biodegradable and will last for years harming the environment which is already deteriorating.From where do you think they get the money to put these hoardings up??Just imagine, if they had to use the money spent on these very hoarding to do something for the city, they could have done so much!Sheer waste of money I say!

Isn't there supposed to be some time limit for the display of these hoardings?Even in the month of February I can see New Year wishes,Diwali greetings from a party leader,wishes for birthdays..........and believe it or not I have also seen a flex congratulating two pet dogs of a political leader on their birthdays!When I saw it at first I thought it was some kind of a joke.

The joke is actually on us.We have to live with these horrendous hoardings.The government has started taking some steps to remove these hoardings.Until they do their job and remove the hoardings, we have to bear with the pictures of the smiling politicians and their dogs staring at us from them.