Benazir Says "She's Not Scared"

If that's true, why stop attending those political meetings where she is supposed to praise her candidates to the skies.

Aerial Slums

Ah pretty Bombay... oh wait!

Wadali Brothers Dumadum Mast Kalandar

Good ol Sindhi song :)

Eid Qawwali concert

Who would've thought that a Westernized urban girl like me would come to love Hindustani classical music and Urdu poetry. I am glad to learn this about myself. It makes me realize I have struck my roots and respect my heritage.

I really enjoyed the Eid concert that the Times organized the day before the Lead India campaign at the same venue, Bandra Fort. The first group was from Pakistan (Munawwar Masoom) and I loved the Qawwali style of poetry mixed in with music, that goes back centuries.

Lead India campaign

I have to thank the Times for conceiving of this campaign to get better leaders for India. And I am glad Rahul Bose is running so I can vote for him. He seems like a sensitive, articulate, and progressive Bombayite, besides being a talented actor.

I watched a debate at the beautiful venue of Bandra Fort yesterday, which, prior to this past weekend, didn't know existed. The stage is at the waterfront with the sea framing the background with palm trees. And at the top of Bandra Fort, you get a great view of Bandra Reclamation.

After the debate, Shubha Mudgal performed some great patriotic songs. The one I liked the best was written by a 'kothawali' (a singer who performs for men, considered by 'decent' people to have loose morals) who responded to Gandhi's call at a Kothawali convention in Benaras to sing protest songs. It went something like: "India is like a garden. You can strip her of flowers but not of her pride. We will be free soon, the age has come."

The nicest old man in Bandra

This is a house right next to Shahrukh Khans on Bandstand. It's owned by Keku Gandhi, a wonderfully kind man. They sure don't make them like they used to.

He gave me a tour of his house that is full of history, that of Parsee culture and art. I was also lucky enough to get a lesson about some of Bandra's history. He himself is an art restorer and owner of the Chemould art gallery in town.

He also took me to the Parsee sanatorium next door which has a facade like the Buckingham Palace! Who knew? I got a sneak peek at the beautiful gardens and library inside as well.

Not ready for public vending machines in Bombay train stations

I was thrilled to see that someone installed two automatic ticket vending machines at Dadar station in Bombay. They had touch screen displays of Bombay's rail lines with different zone areas. People stood around looking at them with curiosity and hope. I could see them thinking maybe someday soon we wouldn't have to wait in long queues to buy commuter tickets twice a day.

So I ask the constable at his desk next to the machines, what was up with them? He says they've been there for weeks but don't work and aren't likely to work since he heard the private company that installed them is out of business!!

Typical...