I miss this

An average Mumbaikar can quickly recognise this all familiar pic from the Malabar Hill. Overlooking Girgaum Chowpatty beach, it's a perfect picture postcard shot.

It's been over eight months since I set foot in Chennai to make it my `home'. It's a place I have felt close to even when away. After all, I was born here. I like the rides to Besant Nagar beach, the fact that unlike earlier when `beach' meant an hour's maddening traffic away, this one is a 10 minutes' hop skip and jump by a bike. I have in a sense, grown to accept the saree clad, sans make-up crowd out here, though I must admit Chennai's changing.

One look at the city I left behind haunts me still, never mind the fact that it takes just a night's train journey to reach my parents in Bangalore now. Nostalgia, madness, whatever you call it. I miss Mumbai. Madly at that.

Teachers are `powerful'

A well-behaved three year old returns to school after falling ill for a few days.

Since his digestion abilities took a beating over the sick days, the boy prompts his teacher exactly at 11 am, that he needs to use the toilet. So what's the big deal about a toddler alerting his teacher about this? The deal is: a school help or ayah must accompany the kid to the toilet and do the needful.

The teacher is irked. She summons the father and demands an explanation for the child's `outrageous demands'.
Her grouse: ``We hardly have a few toilets in the school. We cannot let your child alone use it everyday. Please ask him not to use the toilet here during class hours!''

The child's father is astounded at these ridiculous allegations against his three year old bundle of joy. After all, he had paid a hefty fee for these very things - clean toilets, good grooming, sufficient attention to the child! He gulps his anger and sends his wife over for a chat with the teacher. This is an elite school in Chennai, something everyone around assumes, is a passport to great life, education at its best and blah blah.

His wife fumes at the teacher's behaviour, but makes it the next day to school, for a similar lecture.

The child is told not to go `number two' in school back home. And he understands.

The next time his aunt asks him if he likes his school, pat comes his reply. ``No Number two in school.''

Teachers, are powerful! Three year olds have no right to keep using their school toilets! They `better' control their bowels.

Uh Oh!

After about a month of being on sick leave, nothing excites as much as the day you're returning to work.
That feel of being...normal, is so relieving!
What if the day wills otherwise, and throws you back into the spiral of ...problems! First, you set out of the house, and have to rush back because there is this gnawing dermatitis. You discover it has spread on parts of body you least expected it to.
After suffering a day, you want to revert to your dermatologist. She insists on seeing you again. But when you land at the hospital, she's not around. The nurse informs that the doctor fell ill. ``Could you please try tomorrow?''
The next day, you realise that the doctor, has been hospitalised. Whoa!
 I want to get back to work. And after four weeks of becoming bed-bound, and home-bound, the last thing I want is this.
But yeah, I wish the doc a speedy recovery, irrespective of my skin troubles.

Mahi shows way, bye the bye

It's been over a week since Mahi Way, the Yash Raj sitcom ended.

And for once, I loved the way a weekly soap ended! So unlike Jassi who was abused with a disappointing makeover, so unlike the ocean of serials we get bombarded with - shaadi, dulhann, jewellery, glycerine, phamily...joint family...

That clincher of its one liners! ``Khud se milke khushi huyi...'' (happy to meet myself/inner self whatever)

Thank God it did not quite end in the `happily ever after' (read married) style. Cleverly packaged old story. But a story narrated well. And so unlike Yashraj known for its chiffon clad heroines against snowy mountains! So unlike a banner that prided itself on doe-eyed beauties instead of real thinking women! Waiting for more from the banner.Chak De and Rocket Singh spelt hope...and so did Mahi...

Pic courtesy: Sony Entertainment Television