Year: 2001

Someone Like You

June 15, 2001 / Mumbai / Leave a Comment

Amitabh, Shyam and myself finally managed to see “Someone Like You” at Sterling. I arrived a bit early, at 10PM, and the show began at 10:45PM. The wait was well worth it, because it seemed to me that the who’s who of Mumbai fashion were parading about the theatre. Not that I recognised anybody, but then, not that I would recognise anybody anyway. We got corner seats, unfortunately, with the AC directly above us. The three of us sat huddled in the corner, trying to warm ourselves. Fortunately, the movie proved a hilarious piece.

Dinner at Food Inn

June 15, 2001 / Mumbai / Leave a Comment

After having been stood up on a dinner engagement, Amitabh and I walked from Regal to Food Inn, which looked fine from outside. We decided to have dinner in the AC section upstairs. I didn’t notice anything, until Amitabh wondered: “Anand, why is it that there’s no one in this whole place except us?”

Well, there were, actually. 4 waiters, all standing with their backs to the same wall, with a tray in the hands, equidistant from each other. Looked like those thugs in movies who’d move away from the wall at the villain’s orders, and say, “Yes Boss!” Our hypothesis was that the place was run by the Mumbai mafia, and was the meeting point for the shady deals in the city.

It struck me as a fabulous idea, and I started writing it down. Only to notice a waiter peering at me. And then another. And yet another. To the innocent, it may appear that they gathered to take our order (which, incidentally, they did). Neither Amitabh nor I could be considered ‘innocent’ in any sense of the word, though. We quickly ordered (Amitabh mustering enough courage to crib that the dishes were being served too fast), and left, before the mafia arrived.

Nothing much to comment on the cuisine. The standard North Indian menu.

Pizzeria

June 11, 2001 / Mumbai / Leave a Comment

Dikshit and I had a 12″ Spectacular Spinach ‘Over The Edge’ pizza (Over The Edge means that the pizza is thin and the topping is thick right till the edge. The pizza has spinach, mushrooms and jalapeno peppers) and a fettucini with pesto sauce at the Pizzeria. Fettucini is the flat pasta, as opposed to macaroni (which looks like sliced tyres) or spaghetti (noodles). I had pesto sauce at London a couple of times, and loved the taste. At Rs. 400, the bill was a little high. But we had a beautiful view, sitting at the Pizzeria, of Marine Drive. It started raining as we were there, which at Marine Drive is a sight to watch as well.

I help a guy in Texas propose to his love in Hindi

June 10, 2001 / Chat transcripts / 1 Comment

I help a guy in Texas propose to his love in Hindi. (I’m root_node)

cody_bam_bam: Any Patels here?
cody_bam_bam: Any Patels here…from Texas?
cody_bam_bam: Anyone know what the name Geeta, comes from?
root_node: Geeta comes from the Sanskrit word for song (gaay), I think.
root_node: Doesn’t ‘Geeta’ mean song, in the firat place, cody?
cody_bam_bam: I dont know…
mahindersingh_mayank: hi any good &truthly friend
cody_bam_bam: i tohguht it was a name of soome teachings?
cody_bam_bam: Well i live in Texas
cody_bam_bam: And im in lov with this girl her shes Indian
root_node: “Bhagavad Geeta” is what you’re probably referring to. That literally translates to “God’s Song”.
crush0508: hello cute
root_node: That’s interesting! Where’s your girlfriend from in India?
cody_bam_bam: her last name is Patel, she says its a pretty popoular name in India
root_node: Oh yes, fairly popular

(At this point, we shift to personal messages)

cody_bam_bam: a/s/l
root_node: M 26 Mumbai
root_node: And yours?
cody_bam_bam: She says its by the ocean…eastern part of India, what ocean is that?
root_node: Must be the Arabian sea.
cody_bam_bam: yea thast it
cody_bam_bam: Man this girl is great
cody_bam_bam: her name is Geeta
cody_bam_bam: Geeta Ramanbaja
root_node: Where did you meet her? Online?
cody_bam_bam: Noo!!
cody_bam_bam: she lives here
cody_bam_bam: in Texas
cody_bam_bam: her family ons some hotels here
root_node: Oh good. Does she know? (that you’re in love with her)
cody_bam_bam: what means respect in India…??..
root_node: You want to translate ‘respect’? Well… ‘maryaada’ would probably be close.
cody_bam_bam: No she dosnt know, i dont think?
cody_bam_bam: What bout, Baha..Baja?
cody_bam_bam: soemtihng like that?
root_node: I have no idea what Baja means, actually.
cody_bam_bam: ok, thanks man
root_node: Welcome. And best of luck!
cody_bam_bam: So what could i say to her to steal her heart man?
cody_bam_bam: Sometihn from yalls cultur, u know?
root_node: Dunno, cody… it takes much more time in India than at Texas, I guess… how long have you known her?
cody_bam_bam: 2 years
root_node: Hey, that’s pretty good! And you STILL haven’t told her?
cody_bam_bam: i just need some help , i eman i want to sy soemtihng to her that would steal her heart man, sometihng that would surprize her.
root_node: I could tell you a few phrases, but I suggest you go a little slow, and start giving her hints. OK, first thing you need to do is figure out her mother tongue. It may not be Hindi. If she’s a Patel, she might speak Gujrati. If so, it’s best to say it in Gujrati.
cody_bam_bam: Well shes Hindu
root_node: I’m sure she is. But the language she speaks at home may not be Hindi (as opposed to Hindu — which is a religion)
cody_bam_bam: she prays to Shieva..i belive?
cody_bam_bam: yea i undersatand
root_node: OK, if you want to say, “You look pretty”, try “aap sundhar ho”. (The ‘sun’ in “sundhar” is a short version of “soon”, and not to be pronounced ‘sun’)
cody_bam_bam: thats geart man
cody_bam_bam: what bout…Im deeply in love with you
cody_bam_bam: cause man
cody_bam_bam: i fall and fall for her the more i talk to her
root_node: It’s going to be awfully tough for you to pronounce just by reading what I say. You really should meet with an Indian or a Pakistani and ask them to teach you Hindi phrases. But for what its worth, here’s how I’d transliterate it: “Mei(n) thumse pyaar karthaa hoo(n)”
root_node: The (n) means you don’t say ‘n’, but end it nasally.
cody_bam_bam: Man , thats geart
cody_bam_bam: so whats the offical lang in India
cody_bam_bam: Its not English , is it?
root_node: No, but its fairly commonly used. Hindi is the official language.
cody_bam_bam: So u now many Patels?
root_node: A few, here and there. It’s an extremely common surname.
cody_bam_bam: 18 m txas
cody_bam_bam: sorry wrong person
cody_bam_bam: Man this girl is beautiful man
root_node: I imagine so. Does she study with you?
cody_bam_bam: Yea
root_node: And where’s that? What do you study, that is?
cody_bam_bam: She graduated this year
cody_bam_bam: just school man
root_node: And where are you two planning to go for college?
cody_bam_bam: Shes gongi to UT, Unversty of Texas
root_node: The one at Austin?
cody_bam_bam: I plan to go next year after i graduate
cody_bam_bam: YES!
cody_bam_bam: Shes very smart
root_node: Quite a few of my friends study there. Heard its a nice place. IBM has a huge plant there, too. (I used to work at IBM)
cody_bam_bam: Very Nice
cody_bam_bam: Man i wish i knew where she was from in India
root_node: Very smart AND very beautiful. Hmm.. that’s always a good combination
cody_bam_bam: I agree
cody_bam_bam: Well i know some of her family was injured when the tornado came through…
cody_bam_bam: was that by the Arabian Sea?
root_node: OK, they’re from Gujarat, then. There was an earthquake in the cities of Bhuj and Ahmedabad. The latter is a pretty big city, and she’s likely to be from there.
root_node: Which means, she speaks Gujrati.
root_node: Pity, I don’t know any Gujrati, but it should be easy enough — just ask around among the Indians you know if there’s any. Or, of course, go to the Gujarat chat room.
cody_bam_bam: Alright
cody_bam_bam: Man thanks a milliom
root_node: Anyway, if I can be of any help, let me know (root_node@yahoo.com). Bye, then!
cody_bam_bam: May i ask …u may have answered alrady but Geeta
cody_bam_bam: Whats Geeta?
root_node: Geeta means song.
cody_bam_bam: Song
cody_bam_bam: Alright
cody_bam_bam: Her farthers name is Raman
root_node: Yeah. There’s a famous religious script by that name, too — called the “Bhagavadh Geeta”. It means “God’s Song”. Quite often, the name Geeta means “Bhagavadh Geeta”
root_node: Or at least, that’s the connotation.
cody_bam_bam: i know this is stupid but…ive been intersted in the Hindu culture for, well as long as i can remeber, how hard is it to be accepted there?…to transfer to Hindu?
root_node: Not as hard as I’d think, but probably tougher than you would. Don’t worry about it — as everywhere else, it’s her decision that finally counts. Just get her to like you, and everything’ll be fine!

cody_bam_bam: Man im trying..
cody_bam_bam: shes a vegetarion also!
cody_bam_bam: no meats!!
root_node: Oh, yes. Me, too, incidentally. You’ll find plenty of them.
cody_bam_bam: For real..
root_node: It’s interesting, actually. I was in Japan (which is a country in which the concept of vegetarianism is almost alien), and…
root_node: when I explained I was vegeratian, don’t eat fish/meat/poultry, the guy thought for a while, and asked, “Please, you eat only plants!?”
root_node: Which is true, come to think of it…
cody_bam_bam: hahaha how common are christians there
root_node: Not very. About 5-10% I’d say. It’s like 75-80% Hindus.
cody_bam_bam: Whats Karma?..
root_node: That’s like “What’s the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything!” Anyway, let me explain what little I know. The theory goes like this: there’s a soul, and there’s a body. The soul is immortal, and the body is mortal. So when we die, the soul is reborn in as a new body. Fine so far?
cody_bam_bam: I see.. . ……..
root_node: Now, as long as the soul exists, we feel happiness and sadness, because we’re reborn. The soul is reborn (the theory goes) because of ‘vaasanas’ or residual tendencies.
cody_bam_bam: Understand…..
root_node: If we do good, we accumulate the benefits of being good. If we do bad, then we accumulate the benefits of being bad. And as long as these ‘benefits’ or ‘residual tendencies’ (or vaasanas, as we call them) exist, the soul will keep getting reborn.
cody_bam_bam: Sorry for being blunt but…Cow…reborn as a cow?
root_node: What happens to us in each life, is a result of these vaasanas. That is, if we did good in some life, some good will accrue to us in this or future lives. Likewise for bad.
root_node: A soul can get reborn in any body. If cows do good (though I have the least idea what’s good in the cow sense), they can become, perhaps, deer, which might be higher up the scale.
root_node: Humans are supposed to be at the apex. This whole concept of rebirth, vaasanaas, etc. is the concept of Karma.
root_node: The short version is, what happens to you is a result of what you did in your past births — and that’s the result of your ‘karma’
root_node: Literally translated, ‘karma’ means action
cody_bam_bam: Man ua re great,
cody_bam_bam: thanks lot
cody_bam_bam: How old are you again?
root_node: 26. Ancient, by your standards, I guess?
cody_bam_bam: Nah not at all.
cody_bam_bam: Shes great at soccer too man.
root_node: Well, I sure felt being 26 would be terrible when I was 18.
root_node: Sheesh, you’ve struck gold, man! Go for her!!
cody_bam_bam: Man im trying.
cody_bam_bam: If you only knew
cody_bam_bam: So did the tornados occur near the Arabian Sea?
root_node: Wasn’t tornadoes. It was an earthquake.
cody_bam_bam: Thast right
cody_bam_bam: Man i feel dumb now!!!
cody_bam_bam: Sorry
cody_bam_bam: well was those enar tha sae?
cody_bam_bam: near
root_node: Relax, no problem. Yeah, that was near the sea.
root_node: Not at the sea coast, though.
root_node: The place that was hit worst was Bhuj — the epicentre of the earthquake.
cody_bam_bam: Man that was bad
cody_bam_bam: Yus houlda seen her at our Prom Dance
cody_bam_bam: She had her grandmothe send her an Indian dress from India
root_node: Hey Cody, I’ve got to talk to someone else now. See you later, then!
cody_bam_bam: She looked great man!!
cody_bam_bam: Aight!, Thanks for everytihng man.
root_node: Quite welcome. Bye!

Vittal

June 10, 2001 / Mumbai / Leave a Comment

Saurabh and I had Pav Bhaji and Bhel Puri at Vittal. The place was a pretty small outfit, like the Kamaths or the Sagars. But the dishes were among the best that I’ve ever had. Not expensive — we finished at Rs. 75 between us, including an extra pav bun.

Then we watched Miss Congeniality at New Excelsior. The theatre didn’t have a balcony, which is pretty surprising, but it appeared larger than Regal. The movie was produced by and stars Sandra Bullock as an FBI agent in a beauty pageant. Extremely funny, and without any message, thankfully.

Regal

June 9, 2001 / Mumbai / Leave a Comment

Having spent several hours at office, Amitabh and I walked down to the Regal Cinema Hall to watch “The Emperor’s New Groove”. Given that it was a saturday afternoon, and a Disney movie, we were expecting only to see a family crowd, and weren’t disappointed. Tickets, as always in Mumbai, were a bit more expensive than we were used to. Rs. 60 and Rs. 80. We took the Rs. 60, and discovered that there was no difference between the two. Well, there was, but not much.

Regal is pretty spacious, with comfortable (and new) red chairs. And as Amitabh always checks out the quality of a place by the men’s room, I accompanied him to hear his verdict first hand. “This is not bad, for a cinema hall,” he declared. Regal is hence eminently visitable.

The movie is hilarious. Just 75 minutes of pure fun, completely devoid of any moral lessons or take-aways, and a first person narration. It’s about this punk emperor (aged 18) who lays off his minister (or ministress?), who poisons him, and he becomes a llama, and the guy whose house he wanted to destroy to build a summer palace saves him, and they live happily ever after. No, I haven’t spoilt any of the suspense for you, and its still worth a watch.

Dosa Diner

June 9, 2001 / Mumbai / Leave a Comment

Sumit & I had dinner at Dosa Diner. I was fairly absorbed in a discussion relating entropy, evolution and free will, hence did not pay much attention to the place or the menu. But what remains fresh in my mind is the long green tunnel you walk through to get to the place. It used to be a discotheque earlier, and the tunnel had been painted black completely. At least its brighter now, but green is almost as discotheque as black if you ask me. But then, at least I don’t wear black nailpolish (as opposed to green 😉

The place was spacious and well lit. Considering that they served only south Indian, the variety was surprisingly good. We tried idiappam, a rava dosa with ‘mushroom masala’, and sheera. Tasted quite good, and came out to around Rs. 300.

Movie tickets

June 9, 2001 / Mumbai / Leave a Comment

I missed seeing Someone Like You at Sterling. The show was to start at 10:45PM. At 10:30PM, four of us were deciding on a go/no-go for Rs.200 in black. We figured, having come all this way, may as well go for it, and hunted for the chap. Not to be found. In the meantime, there’s another offer for Rs. 250. We spend a while over it. Finally, yes, it’s probably worth it. We go hunt for him again. The guy says wait, and wanders around trying to buy tickets. That’s crazy! But we waited. By which time it was 10:45, and the market rates rose to Rs. 300, and only two tickets were available.

Xavier told me that the Titanic once sold for Rs. 500 a ticket. I would’ve thought there was something seriously wrong here, except that I’m the kind of guy that would probably pay something like that for a movie. Anyway, we walked back to Just Around The Corner, discussing why the theatres weren’t taking the margins of the black-ticket sellers, decided it was a governance issue (as the manager was probably taking a cut anyway), got drenched in the rain, and still couldn’t figure out who the blonde poster at Just Around The Corner was.