Mumbai- a city that soaks all your energy

Once I was traveling late night on Mumbai local trains after seeing a recent Hindi movie, I was tired so were many people in the train. I boarded a Dombivili bound local at about 10:35 p.m from Thane station. I could see the tired faces of people after a day’s hard work only to find yourself in a crowded local train trying to find a seat to sit in order to rest your badly aching legs. As far as I know, most of them would have been thinking about their family and money problems.

Let me give you a quick overlook of Dombivili railway station. It has five platforms out of which platform no.1 serves all local trains which have to go beyond Dombivili. Normally the trains which terminate at Dombivili arrive at platform no.2. Trains arriving at platform no.1 have a good facility that you can get down at Dombivili from both sides of the train. You can compare it with the platforms at C.S.T station where you can get down at both sides of platform. Most suburban stations have facility to get down on a platform only on one side. I hope you would have understood it.

Well as Dombivili terminating train arrives only on platform no.2, it is the same platform where you can get down only on one side of the train that is the left side of train. As the train approached the station I could see people flocking on the both sides of train unaware that there is no platform on your right side. Still I could see the crowd growing more on the right side. So much tired were the people that they were unaware that this local train arrives only at platform no.2. Finally as the train approached the station the crowd of people realized their mistake and unknowingly admitted their foolishness.

I thought that this is the extend at which a big city like Mumbai can make you tired!!!!!!!!

Engineering in Mumbai

            This post is all about my experience of doing engineering in Mumbai for past one and a half years. I hope this post will be helpful for all those who are staying in Mumbai and are eager to get admission in engineering colleges in Mumbai.

            I can say only one thing to all 12^th standard pass outs; remember keep Mumbai engineering colleges in your last option. First try the IIT’s and NIT’s, and then try Mumbai. The main reason for this is that traveling can really punishing and it can waste your lot of time preventing you from doing other activities such as taking part in many inter college competitions and doing research related work. The main reason for avoiding all this is that you really get tired and by the time you think of doing all these things, the time has ticked so fast that it keeps you wondering. Though there are some of my colleagues who do all these activities and still get time to do study.

            For all those students who live outside Mumbai do a complete analysis of college. For example check which colleges have hostel facilities. Most of the colleges don’t have it and trying to obtain a room can be troublesome for new comers in this city. Also the first semester goes in adjusting and all other stuff.

            Second thing I would like to say all those who travel a huge distance of about 20 to 30 kilometers to reach college take care that you take all the necessary things to the college. Never forget to take the assignments that you have completed with you always as the professor can ask assignment any time and if you don’t have it you are in big trouble as some professors don’t take late assignments and keep you in air for the whole semester. I have seen it happen with many of my friends. Also take care from all those who have bad temper, always keep some distance from them and try not to do any kind of mischief in their lectures. They keep a record of those students and harass them in practical exams and at the time of submissions.

            The time of submissions is one of the difficult periods in the semester as you have to keep your cool as you receive lot of assignments and you have to submit it on time or it keeps your fate hanging as sometimes you don’t get the professor. Also try to keep your attendance at least 50% and try to attend college as it will be helpful. Also going for private tuitions and wasting money is not a good option. You have to be independent.

            At last time management is important. It plays an important role in your success. This all I can say friends, rest all is in your hands. BEST OF LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mumbai terror attacks

Finally I got the time to express my anger over the MUMBAI Terror attacks that took place on 26^th of November. The last week was frustrating for me as I couldn’t study with full focus for my university exams due to the ongoing happenings nor could I switch on my laptop to express my feelings for the fear of my family shouting at me for doing time-pass in exam period.

            Well what happened for the three days was just tragic and I felt as someone has stabbed me with a knife every time I went to sleep on those three days. Were the security agencies sleeping that they lacked the co-ordination between them? Would so many casualties have been avoided if we were more vigilant in doing our job? Is the Indian central government weak enough that they are going soft on extremists? No tough laws in India, is that the only reason for terrorists frequently targeting India? The politicians have become just sort of dumb statues who are using the people of India for their benefit and also profit. Still there are many questions that are popping up in my mind like that of millions of Indians.

            Look at Israel who recently attacked a neighboring country for just a reason that a militant organization had kidnapped their soldiers. The result…continuous bombing of that country till that militant organization admits their role in the plot. Though I am not in favour of war, some steps have to be taken or such attacks will take place and India will no longer be a safe country to live in.

            We should take concrete steps to prevent it or India will always remain a soft target for terrorists. As a young Indian I respect for all those who were killed in that attack and I pray that their soul rests in peace.

National Geographic magazines

I remember the day when I had first seen the National Geographic magazines. The occasion was way back in 2001, when I had given a competitive exam and a question was asked that as follows: On mars the rocks and craters are named after which of the following nouns?  The options were as follows:

1.      Astronomers

2.      Greek Gods

3.      Cartoon characters

4.      Historians

Seeing this question I was dumb. The answer to this question was found in a national geographic magazine which was of year 1999 which one of my friend possessed (Actually at that time internet penetration in India was very low with few homes having only dialed up connection. Now things have changed a lot) the correct answer for this is cartoon characters like Scooby doo, Mickey mouse, Dexter etc. This was the first time I saw this magazines and from that day I am engrossed in reading them.

      What I like the most about these magazines is that they cover all about our surrounding earth, people and places and let us get acquainted with all the beautiful and exotic places on earth. Moreover they have beautifully pictured photographs of birds, animals, nature and people living on earth. They include a wide variety of articles ranging from history, science, nature, wildlife and about various places on earth. Sometimes the photographs represent the harsh truth on earth.

      The topics that I liked the most from the issues I have at present are current topics like ‘Healing the Heart’, ‘Growing fuel crisis’, ‘Journey into Sahel, Africa’, ‘Memory-Why we remember why we forget’, ‘India’s shadow city-Dharavi’, ‘The big thaw’, ‘Amazon forest to a farm’ and case study based topics like ‘Human-animal trade diseases’, ‘Light pollution’ and history based topics like ‘Ancient Iran’, ‘The rise and fall of Maya culture’, ‘Afghanistan’s lost treasure’ and many more.

      I really admit that the pain taken by the authors and photographers should be appreciated for them who represent such a beautiful article. Though I am a member of society and I receive magazines on regular basis I take some extra efforts to go to Flora fountain, Mumbai to buy some old magazines at a cheap rate. At the start of month I eagerly await for the post man to deliver the magazine. Reading them gives me immense pleasure to know about the world.

      Hats off to all members of the society for giving such a beautiful presentation of earth.

 

My Camping Days

Whenever I remember the days when I had camped for two days near Vangani, a small village nearly 30 minutes from Kalyan by train, I recollect the happy days of my school life. Yes, I had camped with all my friends at that small village at a small farmhouse owned by a very kind man. The occasion for camping first time in school life was due to compulsory camping made by the Maharashtra cadet cops (M.C.C) in one academic year in eight and ninth standard. We were lucky as our school had implemented it and we all friends got a chance to know each other.

The schedule for camp to be held is normally in the chilly winter months of December and January. In eighth standard the camp was scheduled in the last week of December. Groups of 25 students were formed with each group headed by a Group leader. Discussions about financing things to be brought for cooking at the camp were held at our complex garden premises and accordingly funds were collected by the group leader and shopping was done. All had tough time arguing with each other what to buy and what not and all had tough time bargaining with the shopkeepers who tried to extract money from us by overcharging items but we were successful in dodging them. With all preparations over we slept a peaceful night the day before.

Finally the day arrived. My mom helped me to pack my bags and take necessary things to protect from the chilly winter and some medicines. We left our school at 8.00 a.m sharp and took a relatively less crowded local train to Vangani. The train was a bit joyful as we were travelling TICKETLESS and that also in FIRST class compartment. It took 30 minutes to reach Vangani and from there it was a small walk to reach small farmhouse. We unpacked our brought things and went to report to our head. A small parade took place which was just nominal. We ate our lunches we had bought as we had to cook on that night and the day after. Next on afternoon we had some instructors who had brought rope climbing gears and a gun to train us. We had a good time doing monkey climbing and rope climbing but the biggest embarrassment for me was that i misfired while loading the gun and I lost the chance to shoot again.

The night came quickly and we had to cook that night. It was going to be a pleasant job for boys and a nightmare for girls…OOOPs did I say the reverse… Well on that night the same thing happened as we excelled in that department. Our group had cooked ‘gajar ka halva’ (a sweet dish) and ‘pulav’ for dinner. The sweet dish was the sweetest thing of that night as I still remember the taste of it cooked on traditional ‘chullah’.The night was followed by some cultural events and the owner of the farm house played for us all the flutes he had collected before he had retired from his work. On that night we slept at 1.00 a.m. in the chilly night with just normal covering in that cold.

Unluckily we were woken up at 5.00 a.m to get ready for morning parade. We did the mandatory formal parade and some running around the village. Then we prepared tea in the cold bitter morning with a fight for getting filter as only one group had bought filter to get tea. As time passed we told to do the toughest job that is to prepare lunch. We jostled to get the ingredients from our bag and started to prepare our lunch under the guidance of our teachers. One thing that I would  like you to tell us that teachers were helping us as they had to eat the food we had cooked and they had to help us!! Finally lunch was over and we tasted our potato mixed ‘bhajji’ OH NO it was still uncooked and the raw taste of potato. As time had run out of time and who takes pain to cook another vegetable curry we decided to serve it as it is to our teachers. We ate food from other groups and when our group leader went to report to our teacher he noticed that with our group our teachers had not eaten the uncooked vegetables of other groups. So everyone was unsuccessful in cooking part of the camp. Evening came quickly and we had to go to Kalyan. We took a train from the station.

In this way camping was a great experience for me and to know each other which made us to develop confidence in each other.

              

Poverty in India

                                    POVERTY IN INDIA

 

                    While traveling from my home to my college in Navi Mumbai, I have to walk down from my home to station every morning and here is a one experience I would like to share. Outside my housing complex, we have a garbage bin where the local people living outside our housing complex throw their garbage. Every morning I have to pass through that strong foul smell of garbage which the municipal corporation cleans it rarely. Once just walking on a chilly December morning, I came across two girl rag pickers sorting garbage from that pile. Suddenly one girl exclaimed in joy-look I have found toothpaste in the Colgate pack. I looked at her curiously and I found her holding that flattened toothpaste pack trying desperately to remove the remaining paste and cleaning her teeth with a sense of satisfaction. I felt very sorry for that girl who instead of going to school was taking care of this dirty job.   

                    Actually the situation of poverty in India is very grim and worse where I see every day many people who don’t even are able to manage two time meal for their family. Is that shining and vibrant India? In this country where lakhs of rupees are spend by people on lavish weddings and many times I have seen food being thrown away by people instead of giving it to the poor. Here we eat peacefully at home and outside on footpath I see many people sleeping with no food in stomach. Yes the Linkin park’s video “what have I done?” correctly depicts a young woman measuring her waist and at the other end you see a man starving with his waist size naturally reduced. This video clearly depicts the two sides of a coin, the rich at one side and the poor at the other.

                   The problem in India is graver with small children being forced into begging by their families in order to support their large families. It is a common scene in Mumbai outside a railway station where you find woman holding a small child and begging in hope of small change when we try to get coins with the auto rickshaw driver. I hate them because instead of getting self employed by doing work like housemaids who are in demand in Mumbai, they carry their small children in the scorching tropical sun of India.  

                   The Govt. of India should try to reduce poverty without which India can never become a developed country. Even NGO’s should be given more power to care of street children and poor. I hope some or the other day I will see poverty in India completely reduced

Why Indian democracy hurts me?

Why Indian democracy hurts me?

Recently, the UPA govt. underwent a no-confidence motion. This was a classic example of how politicians elected by people fall prey to loads of money in front of them. Millions of money is spend by political parties to help their leaders get elected. But what for? Solving people’s problem!!!Nahhh!! But for eating money and enjoying privileges of being a people’s representative.
It’s a common experience of all Indian people that politicians come only to their constituency only for elections begging for votes. And for five years, they do not show their face to d common Indian people. There are very few politicians who show their face. Also a common thing that mostly happens in rural areas that to win votes is distribution of money and that also at night so that no one catches them red-handed. This situation is grimmer in poorer states of India like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Recently, Bihar was hit by massive floods. The havoc causing river, Kosi has drifted 120 k.m from it’s original path. Instead of rushing to help people, the two major political parties in Bihar had time of accusing each other. Millions of Rupees of property and domestic animals would have been lost but Indian Govt. has taken no efforts for starting two to three days. The Indian Govt. should have sent IAF helicopters to drop heavy sand bags to block the broken part of dam in Nepal if Nepal Govt. does have power to stop water. This could have helped to ease the flow of gushing water. It makes me feel sorry for state of Indian Bureaucracy which lacks planning and co-ordination. Bihar, which is one of the poorer states in India has become more poorer due to politicians and bureaucracy who just sit and enjoy watching the poor people’s living being washed by floods.
Even prosperous states in India like Maharashtra where I live, is entangled in the mess of politicians. The recent example is the Chinkara hunting case involving a cabinet minister of Maharashtra . On being sent to judicial custody, that politician goes to hospital complaining chest pain where he will enjoy comfort.
Are common man allowed this type of luxury???
There r many such incidences which happen everyday in India. Even if I see the bright developing face of India, such images tarnish the image of our country in the world. Is this what we expect the world’s largest democracy to perform? I hope to live to see this problems solved and help India to become a super-power.