Something that I experienced last sunday has just stayed with me. For some reason I havent been able to shake off the whole thought process and the feelings attached to it. We live in a strange world, where dichotomies have always existed but sometimes they become so stark and 'in your face', thats its difficult to not think about them!
I read about a music event happening on sunday at a place called 'Aurus', which you can call a resto pub, a hangout place or a happening weekend/ night spot! The event sounded ineteresting so I decided to call in and check the details. Asked a couple of friends and then finally my cuz decided to come along. We reached early only to realise that the main event would begin much later. An international artist who was to perform was to come in only after a couple of hours. We decided to hang around for a bit nonetheless. The place is lovely and by that I mean the setting, the fact that it overlooks the beach and the sea. In Bombay you cant have a better view than that! We actually sat there and witnessed the sunset and apparently these events that happen there occasionally are actually called 'sundown' events. They cudnt have found a more apt name! As the evening advanced the crowd bagan to pour in. It was a mix but more of it were either the happening lot of todays teenagers or then the more elite socialites, who are often referred to as the 'page 3' bandwagon!
From where we were seated it almost felt like we were watching a film. And it surely was entertaining to see all that transpired around us and the eclectic mix of people with their own style statements and trends. And just then it suddenly struck me as to how two very different worlds can exist in the same world. Just then there was this girl who made sure she stood in every different corner of the place, struck very different poses and got the photographer to capture all of it. So while she was at it, in one of the spots the background happened to have an attendant sweeping the floor and that obviously wasnt a background for the picture she wanted! So she quickly came and had him get out of there. (And she also tried to make this one particular guy get up from where he was seated but she met with little success. But what later stood out about that guy was the fact that he wore a badge which read " I HATE FAKE PEOPLE"! :) It somehow seemed like he sure wanted to highlight that right there and then!) That moment something dawned on me! If you had to look at that woman and then you saw the guy who was sweeping the floor, they obviously did belong to two very very different worlds! And the dichotomy was just so stark. The haves and the have nots! Then on, the evening just transformed , more in my head than anywhere else. It was almost like something sparked off in my brain and refused to relent! Post that I just cudnt help but notice the 'dichotomies' more and more as they just stood out all the time! We dint hang around too much longer because there came a point where we cudnt relate to the crowd or the music, the latter getting more and more techno! And it was way too loud or maybe we were way too out of sync with whats really hip and happening currently! So we decided to make our exit! One of the staff members at the door even offered us bands just incase we wanted to return and we politely declined! Must be strange for him to see people actually leave before the main event when there was a long line waiting to get in!
Just as we waited to hail a rickshaw for our next destination the crowd dint stop pouring in! We were literally made to move away couple times cos we were in the way of some of the elite alighting from their stylish and luxurious vehicles while handing them over to the valet. We finally got a rick and decided to head northward to dine at a place called 'Caravan Serai'. Once again, my head was on a roll as soon as I looked at the rickshaw driver! His clothes, the dishevelled look, the whole appearance which exuded the whole struggle of a day to day existence! And my mind raced back and forth from the visuals at Aurus to this and then to other such things that I noticed that enitire evening! It was a certain train of thought and it just refused to stop. Even when we got to the restaurant and then when I saw the waiters or the other staff there I thought about their lives. The people around who had come to eat were people we could relate to. They seemed like they belonged to a world similar to ours. We felt at home! We moved to a coffee place later and there again were these young boys who served us. People who probably had this as a second job so as to help them make some more money.
All of it made me wonder as to how and who decides as to who will be born with a silver spoon and get it all on a platter due to an affluent lineage and never really know what the words 'struggle' or 'survival' really mean! And then there will be others for whom life is a struggle and another name for 'survival of the fittest' from very early on. And then there will be the 'inbetweens', which most of us may fall into! Even as I say this there is no 'opinion'/'judgement' of any kind or a condonement of one section over a bias towards another! Its just an observation and a thinking aloud of what these dichotomies are and how they exist! A matter of 'wonder' to say the least! Just makes you think as to how in the one larger world , many many smaller different worlds can exist! And how they can be so disparate from each other. The contrast is just so overwhelming sometimes, and though almost on a daily basis you encounter it all around you, there are times when it all stands out much more and you just cant get your head around it! If even only for a day we just notice all the different people we meet or whose services we avail of in some way, a certain realisation sets in! There is so much that we are so used to that we just take a lot for granted without really being grateful for what we are blessed with!
What I felt that day was not something new or alien to me! Iv felt it before but that particular day it all just seeemed to stand out bigtime! I dont think words have been able to do justice to what I really felt within and those feelings still linger somewhere deep down! Sometimes like they say what you feel cannot really be expressed in words as the latter almost always fall short. Some things can only be felt and experienced or experienced and felt! A statement that Osho made comes to mind to sum it all up... Life is indeed a schizophrenic experience sometimes, or rather more often than not!
Friday, November 25, 2011
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Girls night out!
A girls night out is always fun! Had one after a long time and totally enjoyed myself. For one I was longing to go dancing since like ages. And that wish was fulfilled bigtime last night. I danced away and totally let go. Strangely the dance floor was full of girls and there were few guys. The reason being that stags are not allowed on the dance floor! Honestly I knew or rather thought that stags were not allowed in at all but once they were in, I wasnt aware of a rule where they were not allowed on the dance floor. The logic or rationale being that maybe they may get drunk and then try to act funny with women or somethig on those lines probably.
For once I felt bad for the guys. For all you know they may have been decent enough and have just come there like the rest of us to have a good time and so its quite unfair to not let them dance the night away and enjoy themselves just cos they dont have girls with them! From where my friends and me were dancing, we could see clusters of guys standing at various corners at the bar, grooving to the music. Then there were others who were standing just near the dance floor, dancing and still others who were indulging themselves at their own tables!
The venue was Firangi Paani at andheri and its quite a nice, spacious place with systems very much in place. There were bouncer kinda guys at both ends of the dance floor! The ambience and vibe of the place were perfect and the lighting and interiors set the right mood! We just chilled with drinks initially before we hit the dance floor and grooved away to the evergreen 80's/90's numbers! They never go out of vogue, do they!! Tarzan boy, Self control, Girls just wana have fun, Boney M and the list was endless! My request for the night was "Gime hope Joanna"! I just love dancing to that song for some reason! It really makes me want to jump and dance like there is no tomorrow!
The music then changed to trance which I can enjoy a bit but cant handle too much of and thats when we decided to feed our appetites and just chill at our table! After awhile the whole trance bit got too much and just when we were hoping that it should change, the DJ did the needful and started to play some great hindi numbers. No night out, especially when you go dancing, is complete without our very own desi beats! They just get out something else in you! The DJ started with Chhamak Chhalo and everyone went mad. (Atleast the songs did it for SRK, if not the film!) And then there were a mix of some old groovy numbers where we literally went all out and did some crazy stuff! We were so pooped that we could have dropped dead but the awesome music kept us going. The crazy, funky steps that you can do on our hindi songs, you just cant do even on some of the best english numbers! Atleast all of us in our group would vouch for that.
And since the night is usualy incomplete without the funny parts, here goes... When I looked at the menu and was deciding on which drink to order I glanced through a section that caught my eye because of the names of the drinks. I thought they were cocktails and the two between which I wanted to take my pick were, Screaming orgasm and Silk panties. I was very amused. The former blend seemed more exciting so when I had to place the order I strangely said 'Smoking orgasm'. The waiter dint get it and I gave him the benefit of doubt as the music was way too loud for anyone to hear anything unless the mouth of the one who spoke was literally stuck to the ear of the one who was supposed to listen :) So I repeated myself and he still dint get it and thats when my friend and me thought there was something wrong and looked at the menu again and then we both had the 'OH OK!!!' look on our faces and then I said 'Screaming orgasm' and we both burst out laughing along with the waiter ofcourse. I have no clue what made me change the 'screaming' to 'smoking'! The waiter then informed me that they were shooters which you finish at one go so I wasnt too pleased with that as I wanted to sip and enjoy my drink so then I asked about 'cocktails' and finally without wasting too much time settled for 'Sex on the beach'! :)
The other funny bit was when we were on the dance floor, there was this girl who was skimpily dressed and was dancing with a guy all along. Then suddenly out of nowhere she came and started to dance with one of us and was dancing too close for comfort and made some nasty moves. Initially we were amused but then she dint look like she was going to stop and my other friend went and started dancing alongside in a bid to help out. Then this babe was literally onto her and then she came to me and there was this point that I literally felt like she is going to smooch or kiss us. Thats how close she got! But thank God she then went onto someone else, specifically speaking a sardar who wasnt the guy with her and she merrily danced away, arm around his waist! Wonder where her guy and the sardar's girl were!!! :)
All in all a superb night which was totally dedicated to DANCING! And boy was I glad for that or what! Atleast for the time being I seem satiated. So a big thanks to Manj and Prats that we could work this out and there were no hiccups in the plan or the coordination bit. We decided and made it happen! Cheers to my girl pals for that!
And another heartening fact is that when you make sure you can organise things well and get things in order, you dont need the guys . I dont say that in a feminist way. I would love it equally if the men were around but its no longer like you cant go out and have a good time just cos you dont have guys with you. Another factor making a big contribution to it is that this is Mumbai city and overall, despite stray incidents happening, by and large we live in a safe city which will hopefully always be like that by the very nature and fabric of it! And to add to that the good places make sure they do the needful so as to make the women feel safe and the ratio of women to men yesterday was proof enough. Very reassuring!
To sum it all up, a great night dedicated to lovely friends, a perfect venue, good music and above all DANCE! :)
And looking forward to many more of such memorable nights out!!!!
For once I felt bad for the guys. For all you know they may have been decent enough and have just come there like the rest of us to have a good time and so its quite unfair to not let them dance the night away and enjoy themselves just cos they dont have girls with them! From where my friends and me were dancing, we could see clusters of guys standing at various corners at the bar, grooving to the music. Then there were others who were standing just near the dance floor, dancing and still others who were indulging themselves at their own tables!
The venue was Firangi Paani at andheri and its quite a nice, spacious place with systems very much in place. There were bouncer kinda guys at both ends of the dance floor! The ambience and vibe of the place were perfect and the lighting and interiors set the right mood! We just chilled with drinks initially before we hit the dance floor and grooved away to the evergreen 80's/90's numbers! They never go out of vogue, do they!! Tarzan boy, Self control, Girls just wana have fun, Boney M and the list was endless! My request for the night was "Gime hope Joanna"! I just love dancing to that song for some reason! It really makes me want to jump and dance like there is no tomorrow!
The music then changed to trance which I can enjoy a bit but cant handle too much of and thats when we decided to feed our appetites and just chill at our table! After awhile the whole trance bit got too much and just when we were hoping that it should change, the DJ did the needful and started to play some great hindi numbers. No night out, especially when you go dancing, is complete without our very own desi beats! They just get out something else in you! The DJ started with Chhamak Chhalo and everyone went mad. (Atleast the songs did it for SRK, if not the film!) And then there were a mix of some old groovy numbers where we literally went all out and did some crazy stuff! We were so pooped that we could have dropped dead but the awesome music kept us going. The crazy, funky steps that you can do on our hindi songs, you just cant do even on some of the best english numbers! Atleast all of us in our group would vouch for that.
And since the night is usualy incomplete without the funny parts, here goes... When I looked at the menu and was deciding on which drink to order I glanced through a section that caught my eye because of the names of the drinks. I thought they were cocktails and the two between which I wanted to take my pick were, Screaming orgasm and Silk panties. I was very amused. The former blend seemed more exciting so when I had to place the order I strangely said 'Smoking orgasm'. The waiter dint get it and I gave him the benefit of doubt as the music was way too loud for anyone to hear anything unless the mouth of the one who spoke was literally stuck to the ear of the one who was supposed to listen :) So I repeated myself and he still dint get it and thats when my friend and me thought there was something wrong and looked at the menu again and then we both had the 'OH OK!!!' look on our faces and then I said 'Screaming orgasm' and we both burst out laughing along with the waiter ofcourse. I have no clue what made me change the 'screaming' to 'smoking'! The waiter then informed me that they were shooters which you finish at one go so I wasnt too pleased with that as I wanted to sip and enjoy my drink so then I asked about 'cocktails' and finally without wasting too much time settled for 'Sex on the beach'! :)
The other funny bit was when we were on the dance floor, there was this girl who was skimpily dressed and was dancing with a guy all along. Then suddenly out of nowhere she came and started to dance with one of us and was dancing too close for comfort and made some nasty moves. Initially we were amused but then she dint look like she was going to stop and my other friend went and started dancing alongside in a bid to help out. Then this babe was literally onto her and then she came to me and there was this point that I literally felt like she is going to smooch or kiss us. Thats how close she got! But thank God she then went onto someone else, specifically speaking a sardar who wasnt the guy with her and she merrily danced away, arm around his waist! Wonder where her guy and the sardar's girl were!!! :)
All in all a superb night which was totally dedicated to DANCING! And boy was I glad for that or what! Atleast for the time being I seem satiated. So a big thanks to Manj and Prats that we could work this out and there were no hiccups in the plan or the coordination bit. We decided and made it happen! Cheers to my girl pals for that!
And another heartening fact is that when you make sure you can organise things well and get things in order, you dont need the guys . I dont say that in a feminist way. I would love it equally if the men were around but its no longer like you cant go out and have a good time just cos you dont have guys with you. Another factor making a big contribution to it is that this is Mumbai city and overall, despite stray incidents happening, by and large we live in a safe city which will hopefully always be like that by the very nature and fabric of it! And to add to that the good places make sure they do the needful so as to make the women feel safe and the ratio of women to men yesterday was proof enough. Very reassuring!
To sum it all up, a great night dedicated to lovely friends, a perfect venue, good music and above all DANCE! :)
And looking forward to many more of such memorable nights out!!!!
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