Happy Journey!

Came across this in one of the cabs I took the other day. Interesting!

A unique menu card :)

I spotted this place in Carter Road, Bandra. There is a sandwichwala there who makes awesome sandwiches. Add to it the warm smile he radiates every now and then. The picture that you see above is of his son holding the Menu.

What makes this menu card so special? The sandwichwala is deaf and dumb. So the best way for him to understand what you would want in your sandwich would be through that menu. Just put your finger on the drawing of the ingredients you would want - cucumber, tomato, butter, cheese, sauce, chutney etc. The drawing is very basic but where communication is concerned it scores 10/10.

Design Disaster :(

I recently came across this on a train, on my journey back home . A young girl was playing snakes and ladders with her dad. What really caught my attention and why i have included this picture in my blog is the token or the 'goti' had swastik embossed on it.

what makes me upset is when designers ignore the significance of elements and randomly use it. Why keep it to the Swastik, why not have Lakshmi's feet instead.

The Bengali touch

Christmas or Diwali?

Taken during Diwali, definitely gives a feeling of christmas!

The male/female divide just got thinner :)

Saw my colleague (male) with this today...

Today quite a things have gotten uni. But this was the last thing i expected to see. I used to see my mom and my aunts carry these. Probably next time I meet them, they would be carrying Manchester United key chains, who knows :)

An enterprising mind! :)

Spotted this guy last thursday (Oct 1), outside andheri station. This is the first time I have seen someone sell tea-cups this way. If you see the area which has been circled in red, you will understand. This guy has actually fitted a tubelight to his cart so that people don't have a problem seeing his products (at night, ofcourse!)

The way to a paan lover's heart is through a heart-shaped paan :)

On saturday, I had paan at this particular place opposite churchgate, where the paanwala actually cuts the betel leaf in the shape of a heart. He shapes the paan with the help of this customised heart shaped marble. Interesting!

Durga Pujo 2009 :(

I visited the Lokhandwala Durga Pujo Pandal. I was so excited. So what If I wasn't in Kolkata. Nothing in the world could dampen my spirit. With cities becoming so cosmopolitan, every festival is celebrated with equal fervour.

But what was so amiss amongst all the decoration, people dressed up, prasad and aarti. It missed the Bengali touch. There are times when I feel it is so important for things not to get global but to always be local. Nothing beats that...

Ten on ten :)

I vaguely remember having a conversation with my professor from UK on recycling and I clearly remember him laughing at how Indians were known for recycling. I still can't figure out whether it was a scornful laugh or a laugh that had genuine admiration for us Indians ( chances of the former being greater).

I like the way we recycle things especially when it is used to spread awareness. Otherwise too. It always makes me smile to see things being put to good use and if it is in any form of art, nothing like that.

Below are a few installation art I spotted at the Bandra Fest this year. A few made out of waste plastic bottles, spoilt loudspeakers and exhaust fans etc.)

The Indian touch :)

What a zebra crossing :)

And then you talk about security? :(

I came across this in the Times of India, dated September 23, 2009 : "A day after TOI first reported news of a specific intelligence alert on a threat to Mumbai from the sea, security agencies have assigned around 65 fishing trawlers with officials on board, disguised as fishermen, to monitor the high seas day and night."

Have these people gone out of their minds? Do they have any sense of responsibility towards the safety of 'us' people. Isn't some information supposed to be confidential ? Why don't they go ahead and also disclose other information? Why limit it to just this bit?

A similar incident happened on the night of 26/11. Not only were the news channels giving out second by second information about the postitioning of the commandos, etc but they also had the audacity to call up the people stuck there, fighting a losing battle.

Come On! Grow up please! This is serious stuff. Don't treat it as sensational or we-are-the-first-ones-to-let-you news.