350 crore statue by the sea: Hail Shivaji!

Mumbai, 10-Sept-09:

It's been in the news for the last few recent months now. News about our local politicians being keen, very keen, mighty keen on building a 350 crore rupee statue by the sea off Mumbai. This staue of "Shivaji" (A famed Maratha king of the old days) is to follow the basic idea and pose, maybe poise of the renowned Statue of Liberty off the sea of New York City.

Don't our politicians and "leaders" think before acting? While India as a whole is still a developing country, needless to say, even major cities of the country like Mumbai lack basic good support systems & infrastructure to make life, on the whole, decent. Crowded trains. Over stuffed buses. Government staff on strike. Badly shaped taxis. Crimes. Pollution. Pot-holed and collapsing roads. Don't these "problems" need attention by our politician? No, but, they'd rather use public taxes (that includes some of my money too) to build a statue. And not just any other statue. A state of the art one. In fact, a statue that has a museum around it, library and restaurants too. All for 350 crore. Are they kidding?
It's always been known that our politicians, since the start, have wanted to match Mumbai city to international standards, however, what these unthinking people don't understand is that: matching Mumbai to an international standard and making it a "world class" city, would be an aim not so far-off if they only opened their eyes and targeted "REAL" issues.
Our sea: is dirty. It's filthy and grey.
Our trains, look like they'd fall apart anytime.
Our taxis and taxi drivers don't know the meaning of being a taxi driver that drives a taxi.
The city is over-crowded.
The buses need more routes.
The roads need better building.
The routes need to be re-developed.
There isn't any place to live. People live on the street.
The buildings here seem to collapse just suddenly.
The corruption level, rises every minute.
There's too much black money doing the rounds and no real work being done anywhere.
Yet, we want to build a statue in memory of someone who would would probably hate the present Mumbai in Maharashtra had he been alive.
Aren't there other ways to pay tribute to someone? Rather, couldn't our "leaders" fix the real problems Mumbai city residents face and then think of raising a statue?

It's simply unbelievable how our leaders seem to budget and think. It's remarkable how life just moves in this country with no real decent level of living or breathing. It's too large a problem to just slide by. But, when the people who seem to be at the top don't think, it's the rest of the masses that not only suffer, they live,barely living.

Vishal Dadlani, a well-known music composer started a petition against this idea of the statue. How much could it help though? Would anyone really listen?

Mumbai's "leaders" will go on doing what clearly benefits no real citizen. And why?

The Clutch

Fashion, news on fashion, latest trends, latest fashion accessories are what majority of the world lives by. Although i am officially part of the world, i don't think i'm a slave to this majority. I'm a banker, i tend to disect and look for things, with "value". With good "material". I must say, i do have a good fashion sense & this piece of prose by me is my first write-up on anything fashion-oriented. I just decided to traverse into an aspect of ponderings that iv'e never written about.
At 23 years and 10 months, fashion plays an important but not exclusive role in my life. I do not strictly follow trends, i mix & match what i like and what would look good and then i decide to wear or carry forward an attire. Simply said.
One of this years "latest trends" was the innocent "CLUTCH" bag. Bag? Well, ideally, it's an accessory formed to help one carry knick knacks in. So, it classifies as a bag for sure. It's called a "CLUTCH" simply because one can only carry it by "clutching" it. You may have seen us women carrying this CLUTCH around these past months. It looks like a rectangular shaped envelope type thing with a zip or clasp at the top. It comes in various colors and sizes. It was pictured in the hands of almost every young actress / wana be actress / retired actress this year, at least once.
I told you, i don't necessarily "follow" fashion's trends. I never intentionally went out and bought myself a Clutch bag. I happened to be given this accessory, as a gift. Good idea for a gift. But bad idea of a bag is what and how i'd sum up the Clutch. As in, a bag was meant to hold your belongings together, right? Well, no clutch seems to be able to or want to do that. They prefer just hanging around in their bearers palms, looking glossy and shiny in their specially made and coordinated color & shine. That's all. It could pass off as "a good looking" accessory to your outfit, it could pass of as a "pretty little bag" if needed. But, if you really had to step out for a party (formal or wild night out, either one), i don't believe for one single second that it would or could hold in all that you would need to carry with you. Let's get to the basics, women could'nt step out for a soiree empty handed. They have their basic needs and carry ons. These needs mostly include: 1) Own cell phone 2) Keys (car and,or house) 3) some basic make-up items 4)Tissue paper (maybe, maybe not)5)Money/Wallet/Card. Depending on individual minds, these needs could diversify, or simplify.
However, the Clutch, clutches not much of these items, it could perhaps hold you keys and phone whilst you find other interesting ways to carry the rest of your things with you. So, what was the point of the clutch again? Ah, yes, it's the new in fashion trends of course.
I took my newly gifted Clutch out with me the other night. It was a nice yellowish shiny piece of bag. Before leaving, i tried to pack in all that i'd need for the night out. I managed to stuff in my already miniature sized black wallet. My phone did'nt fit (the clasp of the clutch would'nt close if the phone was in, never mind. I decided to hold onto the phone in my other hand. Ideally, that was'nt necessarily a good idea. Holding onto a clutch in one hand and your phone in the other whilst trying to dance & enjoy yourself at a pub, is plain silly. Anyway, my eye pencil managed to fit into little miss yellow and so did some tissue. Keys... if i pushed and closed the clasp fast enough, then yes, it fit. Aaa, there. All done. All set, i stepped out, trying to flaunt the uncomfortable clutch. Not a good idea. Everytime i opened it (to remove or use anything), it would take a considerable amount of effort (and time)to get it to close again. That's cause, ideally, all that should have been put inside should have been some money, 1 key and that's all. No good.
This CLUTCH concept clearly, only works as an accessory. Most accessories are anyway silly and mindless jamble. So, it doesnt surprise me that there is nothing intelligent about a Clutch. Of course, people do fan their clutches. They collect them, pamper them, color coordinate them, maybe even make families of them. Or football teams. Love for anything in the world, be it fashion, cinema, music is lovely really.
The clutch, to me, is nothing. I would'nt use one again unless all my other real bags broke. I would'nt buy one. But if i got another one gifted to me, i'd keep it. In the corner, to look at and laugh it.