Life as a pedestrian in Hyderabad
Having lived as a pedestrian in Delhi, Bangalore, Madras, Baroda, and Lucknow, I consider myself to be adept at crossing the roads. However, Hyderabad has defeated me. The city does not believe that pedestrians exist. The vehicles are driven by maniacs who believe that they are driving their vehicle in Formula One. The net result is that there are no zebra crossings, no lights, no footpaths, and no one stops for those idiots who want to cross the road. I have been just barely surviving these past couple of days. Of necessity- to get photograph for temporary ID and for mailing recommendation letter for a student, I have been forced to walk on the road just outside CCMB. Yesterday, I ran across the road as a bus driver determined to mow me down in increased the speed as soon as he espied me. In fact, whenever the drivers see someone on the road they increase the speed. Having just returned back from Charlottesville where the drivers stop to let a pedestrian cross, it is taking me time to adjust back to the realities. In Delhi I usually can stop the traffic by holding up my hand but here in Hyderabad it does not work.
The roads are full of potholes. For a city that prides itself on being Cyberabad, the roads are just pitiful. Even Bangalore and Chennai have better roads than this. It would be helpful if the politicians instead of stoking the fires of Telangana paid attention to the basic civic amenities of the city.
I am again working on the bench and it is a moment to savour for I will not get many opportunities to do so. In my own lab no one likes to see me on the bench and it gets tedious when the students treat me with kid gloves, trying to do it themselves when all I want to know is where the enzymes are kept.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Kolangal is ending
My mother loves serials. And Kolangal has been a staple in her diet ever since it started about 7 years back. Kolangal means rangoli, the decoration that is put in front of the house. After watching or rather hearing, for my mother has the volume turned up, I termed the serial Alakolangal, which means rubbish. This is the only time I put my limited knowledge of Tamil into good use.
This serial, like many others, centers around women. The language was foul and good bit of theme centered around violence and atrocities committed against women. I suppose the director/producer/writer wanted to show how women were able to come up in spite of all the atrocities committed on them. At least a friend of mine said that he admired the serial because it showed women becoming independent. All I can say is rubbish. Of course there is violence against women, there are atrocities committed, but do you have to depict it in a crude manner? And do you have to depict women as dumb and dimwitted?
My father was betting on the serial running till at least the heroine became a grandmother in real life (she became a mother of two kids in real life and the serial was accordingly adapted to accommodate her maternity leave). So my parents are very upset that the serial is ending- one because her favorite serial is ending and the other because his prediction is not fulfilled.
On the other hand, I am happy. At least this time my ears will not be assaulted by this one particular serials. Though, I guess my celebration is premature. For I am sure something equally foul is lined up.
I am not going to pretend that I do not have my favorite serials. No, none of them are on Indian television, though in the old days when only DD was running, Fauji starring SRK was my favorite. Most of my current favorites are on American television. The serials, or what they call as soap operas, run everyday in the afternoon and are mostly rubbish. But in the evening, they have a line up which is aired only once a week. Law and Order was one of my favorite. It is still running. What I liked about this serial was the tight editing, good acting, and topical issues. Oh of course many of the issues get sensationalized but the serial never balked from taking on controversial issues. This time around they featured episodes on the morality of the Iraq war as well as abortion issues.
The new serial that I liked was The Good Wife. Part of it is based on the spate of resignations of Governors due to their affairs. So in this particular serial, the state attorney of Chicago has to resign over his sexual affairs. As it was paid by the State funding, he is imprisoned. His wife is left with two children and no money. As she is a lawyer, she joins a law firm and the serial deals with how she balances her life. The core of each episode is a law case that she fights. This is integrated with her personal life. Without restoring to melodrama.
Something the Indian directors/producers should learn.
This serial, like many others, centers around women. The language was foul and good bit of theme centered around violence and atrocities committed against women. I suppose the director/producer/writer wanted to show how women were able to come up in spite of all the atrocities committed on them. At least a friend of mine said that he admired the serial because it showed women becoming independent. All I can say is rubbish. Of course there is violence against women, there are atrocities committed, but do you have to depict it in a crude manner? And do you have to depict women as dumb and dimwitted?
My father was betting on the serial running till at least the heroine became a grandmother in real life (she became a mother of two kids in real life and the serial was accordingly adapted to accommodate her maternity leave). So my parents are very upset that the serial is ending- one because her favorite serial is ending and the other because his prediction is not fulfilled.
On the other hand, I am happy. At least this time my ears will not be assaulted by this one particular serials. Though, I guess my celebration is premature. For I am sure something equally foul is lined up.
I am not going to pretend that I do not have my favorite serials. No, none of them are on Indian television, though in the old days when only DD was running, Fauji starring SRK was my favorite. Most of my current favorites are on American television. The serials, or what they call as soap operas, run everyday in the afternoon and are mostly rubbish. But in the evening, they have a line up which is aired only once a week. Law and Order was one of my favorite. It is still running. What I liked about this serial was the tight editing, good acting, and topical issues. Oh of course many of the issues get sensationalized but the serial never balked from taking on controversial issues. This time around they featured episodes on the morality of the Iraq war as well as abortion issues.
The new serial that I liked was The Good Wife. Part of it is based on the spate of resignations of Governors due to their affairs. So in this particular serial, the state attorney of Chicago has to resign over his sexual affairs. As it was paid by the State funding, he is imprisoned. His wife is left with two children and no money. As she is a lawyer, she joins a law firm and the serial deals with how she balances her life. The core of each episode is a law case that she fights. This is integrated with her personal life. Without restoring to melodrama.
Something the Indian directors/producers should learn.
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