Showing posts with label Hyderabad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hyderabad. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 04, 2012

Colours in my garden on a overcast day


It is raining almost all over the country. Yesterday was wettest in Hyderabad, I think. It was pouring throughout, the dampness is all-pervading., it is dark, even in the day time. Toady is little better, but still the sun-god has not appeared. I have been coughing since days, the weather not helping at all.

Today I feel a little better , and  am awake by 5 a.m. It is pitch dark outside. By 6.a.m. it is still dark, clouds hanging over the sky. I am eager to see my plants in the aftermath of leeching by incessant rains. I tip toe to the terrace, with a cup of coffee..

The sky is gray, but the plants .. I gasp. They are bathed in rain drops, but the colors.. my.. worth writing a blog about.. Please  enlarge and view the Pyramid :-)


 My Pyramid!
















My Tomjal



 My calcutta paan





The Seethaphals are the major attractions for the birds, and the Kabhootars.

Hey forgot to show off my new nursery plants.. all from Vanastri.. More on the in the next post. Happy gardening.

Friends, the Indiblogger is refusing to accept my original post from here . Therefore I had to re-post for my friends from Indiblogger. Apologies.

For clearer picture Updates, please view here

Monday, February 20, 2012

Road rage-neighbour


Road rage is the in thing nowadays. I know to call it in-thing is not right. But,I see it all over the roads. In Hyderabad, the traffic is world famous, with no regard for red lights, or safety of other users. Jiske jee me aya vaise chalayenghe. Sab chalta hai. Poor traffic police guys, they do try to challan, for helmets, for light jumping, but how much they can do?

The more the cars, the more the cab drivers, the more the upstart owners of flashy cars, the more “marad” label on the sleeves-guys , show–offs who wants to show who the boss is ,( only on the road,) who are always wanting to be first ( go ahead first ), the more the headache for law abiding road users.

This is not limited to roads alone. The show-off driving can be taken to any extreme. While driving a scooter , guys will press accelerator, and whatever else to show they can speed, they can whrrrrroooom and they are the boss! Imagine them own a car:Itt is headache-time for all around.

Why? I do not understand, God, they have to show off to others, at others’ peril?

This page was in draft for the last two days, as I wanted my reaction to settle down before publishing.

We live in a cul-de sac, with only 4 bungalows on the road. The other side is a big wall. It is a serene road, and a pleasant one. Sadly, for the past year or so, we have a neighbour, who is not, simply , not, for this neighbourhood. He is loud in everyway, his wife will be screaming at her kid, the kid will be screaming at the maids,his co-players , his mother,all on the calm road .

The guys’s car will blare music even when it is parked, and worst of all , his use of horn is hysterical. When he makes a U turn into our lane ( all quiet lanes) his horn will announce his arrival minutes before. He needs to announce his homecoming in whatever style, at whatever time of the day/night, however late, thus disturbing the people who might be asleep.

To top it all, he takes the car in reverse every day with a maximum speed , without horn! He does not care who is in front of him. He will reverse, and he hit one of our workers, mixing cement on the road side , sending him running for his life, and throwing his tools in the air. We were all stunned to speak, he simply accelerated and was out of our colony in a jiffy.
What was appalling, he did not wait to see , whether the worker was hurt, whether he needs to apologise to us( his close neighbours). We were almost boiling with anger and wanted to seek redressal. When he showed up on the road next morning, my husband had to confront him , and all he said was a gruff” Ok, Sorry”. That‘s all.

Needless to say, he continues, honking and reversing in high speed.


Last evening, once again, he did that , and in the bargain, he simply bull-dozed our scooter parked, near our gate, away from the road. Eye witness say, he simply sped away, and after thought came back to keep the scooter back on the stand, and sped away again.

The eye witnesses called my husband, who was shocked to see the scooter damaged! As usual a lot of time went in calming ourselves down, and getting our BP normal, after which I went ahead and called his wife. She was apologetic, “ I will tell him” that is all she said. Does she not know her husband drives like a maniac? He does it always!

So far the maniac driver has not appeared to apologise. Why would he, he does it as a matter of routine, so he wouldn’t be sorry!
What we did to deserve such idiotic human being, educated, rich, uncouth , person in a decent neighbourhood?. Why is he like that?

I am peeved, I prayed to God to give me peace from this guy.






Tuesday, February 07, 2012

Pet Peeve of the day (1)

Some days , life flows smoothly. the milkman arrives on time, the domestic helper is smiling, the paper is on the doorstep by 7 a.m. , husband is all smiling, great news from children ,no irritating sales persons, no unnecessary door bells, and husband is not at home throughout out the day! Hey, all 8 hours of freedom to do what one wants. It can not get more ideal than this for a blissful time in the silent house.

But, during the first week, it is nightmare time. Living in an independent house , suburban area and having a big dog has is own advantages and many disadvantages. The privacy is fine, the unnecessary visitors are cordoned off, and dog barks at the drop of a bell/coconut/horn. The Garbage collector will come anytime during first week, since he needs to collect his monthly charges form 200 odd houses. The cable guy will also ring the bell/ scream for attention, during anytime of the day. The paper man, the laundryman, and others, keep one busy in the first week.





The stressing visit is from the Meter reading person form our dear APCPCDCL. The system of visiting each house and rolling the bill out of his machine is an event for the first week.

Here are the must do's:

1.We need to keep the compound gate opened, and access to the meter possible. Having a dog is nightmare at that time.

2.In case , the gate is not opened, he will simply ditch your house.

3. If he ditches yours , next month your bill will be double, Consequently , your reading may enhance to the next slab and bill will be exorbitant.

4.It is not that every month the same person comes. Hahaha.. Our department is too smart for that.

They send dept. personnel once, and the next month , another private company person comes for reading your meter.(alternate)

5.The consumers do not know when he will be pleased to visit the colony. There has never been a fixed day for this highly important activity.

6.Any day between first and tenth, and anytime during the day.

7.In case the owners are all working people, they had it. Every time, the neighbors have to be bothered.

8.If you are not able to be around, and get to know that the reading activity is finished for your areas, you need to go to the office and inform.

9.It takes a while for the office guy to even notice you- then they assure that by tenth someone will come for the billing.

10.Once again, you wait, for the arrival of the billing personnel.

This gives a lot of tension to the house owner. But who cares?

Why can't the Department announce the date son which this exercise is undertaken so that the consumers are aware of the date and time?

Or I can shift to an Apartment and forget about independent house/dog/ trees/garden! Or I need to make lots of money to post a Durwan outside my small house.( he may go for smoke /Chai/paan with the neighborly domestic workers ).

Thinking....

Hope to solve this pet peeve soon.


Friday, January 27, 2012

Oscar season 2012


Oscar season has started, and movie lovers are watching it with expectations,and ,some with indifference.

English movies have been part of our movie going experience since the time we were teenagers. The first English movie I remember watching was Benhur , in English , escorted by our School teacher , who was so kind to make us all appreciate good cinema. We were enthralled , watching a colour movie, did not follow any dialogue, except "yes /no", but loved the hero, cried with the crucifixion, heavenly downpour, the river of blood, acts of kindness etc etc.


Courtesy Google



Hyderabad had a movie loving crowd. May be to make up for lack of any other outlet for time-pass, except Tank bund and Public Gardens. We used to have theatres all over the place and movies used to run packed houses, even dubba movies, sometimes. English movies were "happening " time-pass. Not that all the movie goers were elites/English knowing persons. The lower stalls used to be filled with guys mostly from all walks of life , just wanted to enjoy the movie , either action, (James Bond!)/ romance( pretty ladies and other interesting scenes).The advance booking system was not around then.

Therefore Saturday and Sunday matinee time was the best ,to get to see a movie and "sight seeing", due to long Q's in front of the ticket counters in scorching sun. All the good looking ladies with their families, friends were on view. The full glare of the sun, the crowds in the Q and the cars coming gracefully and dropping memsahibs for getting into the theatre -the guys had a great time. All innocent fun.

In the first week , the publicity was mostly by word of mouth. After the first week Saturday matinee, people would ask the crowd getting out, about the movie. During one such adventure, while my husband was looking at the posters of the movie he went to watch, heard someone say in Hyderabadi language " Bah, Yeh Bomma hai tho movie dekna hi nahi, Kuch Samaj mey nahi aathi( If this Statue is there,it is not worth watching. We cant follow anything).


Courtesy Google




There are thousands of blog posts on Oscar Awards from all over the world. Hundreds from India, and a few from Hyderabad. But , here is one blog written about the Oscars, which is superb.

In case you would like .. Please read ..Seeti Maar- Diary of a Movie Lover

http://seetimaar.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!