Things that I do and Catch 22

Finally my bike is home after being through hell. It looks all shiny-shoo, it also feels good to touch. But the best part is that it actually moves now.

After refusing to budge an inch, I deposited my bike with the mechanic during these holidays. The holidays came as a curse as well as a blessing meaning I was stuck at home for a week while my bike got a makeover.

I was a model of laziness this week. I lolled around the bed all the days, watched movies all the nights and fell in love with Catch-22.

Curiously, on previous occasions when I had attempted to read the book, I couldn't get past the first 4 chapters. And all the time not a word would penetrate my thick skull. Those occasions would amount to nearly 10-12 times. This time I was determined. I had to read it after being subjected to such rave reviews by an assorted number of friends and one going so far ahead as to even offering to narrate the story. (The friend did manage to tell me the plot and what exactly is Catch-22). The book didn't appeal to me previously and I found it to be sitting on the pinnacle of ennui.

Now I find myself eating my words. The book is singularly the most brilliant book I've come across in a long time and I happily hooked. And I also wish I knew a real Yosserian. He's cute.

The real Yosserian would detest the word cute.

Sariska Tigers set up bar. Serve Cold Beer.

Well well what do you know the things tigers in Sariska Reserve are up to now-a-days? Why they obviously lead a jolly good 'ol life and their preferred drink to lead a jolly good 'ol life is of course cold beer.

Three cheers to that. Seems like some people out there are

a) getting broad-minded about serving hard drinks to tigers

or

b) conducting some 'tiger-gone' crazy experiments on the tigers

I think what they are doing is hiding cold beer in secret and mysterious locations, hoping that their wives will not find out that they are drinking on the sly. But the willy tiger is outfoxing them. The smart tiger finds the cold beer and sets of on a jolly good roller-coaster ride.

"The Tiger prefers to hunt large deer specially sambar, chital, nilgai and omnivore COLD BEER."

Check the poster.

Link

little BOY BEGGAR

Begging is to request a donation in a supplicating manner. Beggars are commonly found in public places such as street corners or public transport, where they request money, most commonly in the form of spare change.

This particular beggar that I encountered was a 7 year old, filthily attired in torn clothes, unkempt hair...the usual normal child beggar we spot everywhere. A small 4 year old child clutched his hand and kept up a continuous wail. He was obviously his brother. I had just halted at the Pulgate Signal due to the red signal. As more and more vehicles accumulated at the signal, the elder beggar child jumped into action. He half-dragged, half-pulled his brother towards the vehicles.

They hurried off to a Toyota Innova. The two men sitting inside recoiled at the sight of them. The beggars pounded on the door and window of the car, they tried to open the door and both set up a shrill cry. The man in the car unrolled the window, at least one part of the battle was won by the beggars.

The man then surreptitiously removed a coin from nowhere and fingered it in his fingers. The beggars hadn't seen this and had by that time increased the volume of their shrill. It was pounding my ears though I was with my helmet on. The man handed oven the coin to the boy and within a flash rolled over his window again.

The beggar thankfully received his coin and then stared at it for a very long time and then the scream that emanated from him surpassed all the previous screams. He now banged at the door of the car with an infuriating shriek that his kid brother was startled into silence. And then I realised the meaning of the scream. The coin which the man had handed over was a 50 paisa coin. All the boy's labour, was in the worth just 50 paisa. His tiny fists pummeled the window but the men inside did not relent. The little buy clutched the coin tightly in his hand, then opened his fist to look at it one last time and making sure that the men were looking at him he held it up and then with bitterness in his eyes he threw the coin down and then departed. The signal now turned green.

I can't yet figure out where my disgust should lie. With the men or with the beggar.