Smile Please?

I love to smile.

Or as Susie would put it, I could be Colgate's brand ambassador. Several times the uncle who takes my passport size photos has told me to smile less.

Being the smiling type, I end up smiling at people everywhere. Aunties with cute babies, people at the office where I'm auditing or even people on the train. But what I've always noticed is that, more often that not, people never smile back. They just stare back blankly as if they've never seen any one smile. They could be laughing hysterically with a bunch of friends two minutes back but the moment a stranger smiles at them, they become all cold and seemingly emotionless.

I think this is something that's every peculiar to Delhi (I'm going to refrain saying India, cause I haven't really travelled that much). Every time I've travelled out side the country,I've had every smile reciprocated. Every person whether walking on the road, in the bus or even in the washroom, would always smile back.

What is it with us?

Are we a much unhappier lot?

It cannot be the busy or hectic life. I've been to New York and I didn't get a single blank stare.

Its like we're afraid to smile.

Or has the city made us distrust even some one who's smiling at us.

Maybe its just not natural instinct and I'm not sure its a quality one can imbibe.

So I'm going to have to just learn to live with the stern/worried/morose looking faces I see in the train every Sunday.

Of Delhi Winters And Related Adventures

This one's been in the making ever since I read Siddharth's post on Delhi (http://siddharthkrishnamoorthy.blogspot.com/2009/12/ode-to-theedelhi.html).

The last couple of days have got me thinking of the city even more. It all started with my early morning Metro ride. I have class at seven every other day. The fog that descended last Tuesaday made it impossible for me to drive. I had to get to class and the only option was to take the Metro.

So I took the train at quarter to seven, discovering in the process how early morning rides are a perfect opportunity to let the mind wander. The train was enveloped in a blanket of white till Akshardham. Thats when I started thinking of Delhi. I've spent twenty years in staying here ( and I don't care if you don't consider Noida a part of Delhi, I always will). Even though I like to proclaim myself to be a Kashmiri, I'm a complete Delhite.

There's something about this place thats completely unique. Its not just the myriad of people or the potent mix of culture. Its not just the long drawn traffic jams or the Blue lines. Most importantly for me, it is our ability to always be interesting.

You can never get bored in Delhi.

Never ever.

Delhi has to be one of the perfect places to spend time alone. My walk from the Metro station to class made me aware of just that. There's always so much happening around. Even if its 7:15 a.m

I walk and travel alone from class to office. There's hasn't been one day where something interesting hasn't happened. I've seen a pick pocket being caught, an uncle lecture the Metro on the "DTC culture" and a rickshaw wala who was intent on turning a two minute ride into a roller coaster nightmare. All in one day.

I still crib about the traffic, the lack of courtesy, the rash driving and more. But every Sunday as I walk from Pragati Maidan to ITO, I fall in love with the city and realise that it is here that I belong.

An Ode To Worldspace

I haven't written a word for close to two months.

I don't want to blame it on the padai or the office. I just haven't had anything to say. Though two months is a really long time to not have anything to say.

And this post is not just because I have to write something. Its just that now, I finally have something to write about.

So coming to what this post is all about,

Two Saturdays back, after I came back home from class,

Guess What??

Huh??

They're shutting down Worldspace!

WHAT???!!!! HOW??!!! WHY??!!!

I saw it in the paper in the morning

But..what are we going to do!!!!!!!

We can't do anything

Our life is over!


And that single conversation almost brought me to tears. We've had the Worldspace Radio for more than three years. I've studied to it, eaten dinner with it and read my favourite books with it in the background. My Dad would tell all and sundry how we had to be the most loyal customers. It was kept on the entire day, even when Ma and I took our afternoon naps.

But most importantly, Worldspace helped me discover my type of music. I was one of those who'd listen to just about everything and before I got Worldspace the only musician I really followed was Norah Jones.

And then I found Channel No. 197 Up Country. So totally my kind of music. I love country music and most of what I know and hear of it was because of Worldspace.

So the news of Worldspace was more than just disastrous. It was the end to endless hours of Up Country. I can't go back to normal radio. Too many ads and irrigating RJs and never/hardly any country music.

The last couple of days before it shut down, I heard a little bit of every channel. Mumma says dinner time doesn't seem the same anymore. We're trying to find a replacement in the millions of CDs we own. But I've gone over most of them already and our options are sort of running out.

So here's to Worldspace and the wonderful years we had with it.

You are missed :)

Sorely.