Deepa's Jottings

It was a beautiful sight to behold the flag fluttering amongst the peepal leaves. Dedicated to all the "peepal" of India!

The sight of these posters, stuck all over one surface (and indeed, stuck all over all kinds of surfaces throughout our city) brought home to me that there are many people who live in circumstances very different from home or apartment owners or tenants. The usual demographic of someone who looks for, and lives in, a Paying Guest accommodation is usually someone young, and who has probably landed the first job in this city. The emoluments look very attractive in the small town where that young person may live; but arrival in Bangalore brings them face to face with the…

I do not know which agency thinks that adding concrete structures to every small patch of greenery we have, is "developing" the park. This is in the Mini Forest, in J P Nagar 3rd Phase. The section of the park was looking perfectly all right, when the path was dug up, these concrete platforms getting added, and some kind of construction coming up. Why can we not leave even the tiniest of green patches alone? And where can concerned citizens complain about such unilateral decisions on "development"?

A greatly endangered species: the urban pedestrian. I just crossed Bannerghatta Road at great peril to my life. I waited about 10 mins for the traffic to ease, and still had to weave through vehicles which showed not the slightest sign of wanting to slow down for me, or the (even more) elderly lady I was leading by the hand. If I, in generally good health, find it so dangerous and unnerving, how can the blind, the lame, and the old cross our city roads? I also find it amazing that everywhere (not just in our country), it's the motorized…

We went on a nature/birding walk to Kalena Agrahara on 15th July, 2017, and skirted the lake at IDBI Bank Layout. I was amazed to see several Nano cars parked, and rusting in the monsoon weather. There must have been about sixty of the cars, parked all around. At a conservative estimate of Rs.2 lakhs per car, that's Rs. 80 lakhs just wasting away. I finally found this banner, saying that these cars apparently belong to this rental initiative: The problem in our country seems to be, not lack of good initiatives, but keeping up with them. I have tried…

...Mostly, without any courtesy, is my sad answer. I do not own a car, and use public transportation (read buses...the Metro is yet to be within useful reach for me). I know that senior citizens are entitled to a 25% discount on all BMTC fares, except on Vayu Vajra (presumably, the assumption is that if I can afford to take a flight or even visit the airport, I can pay the full fare!). I also know that there are two seats reserved each for women and men senior citizens. However, over the two-plus years that I have been using the…

Every now and then, a glimpse into lives very different from our own, brings us up sharply against alternate realities. I am used to the notion of auto drivers as rough, rude people who will generally not co-operate with passengers. This preconception got a jolt when I noticed this man driving his autorickshaw in the traffic.   It cannot be an easy life when your own mobility depends on a pair of crutches. I realized that this man, and many others like him, battle many disadvantages to earn their living. I have learnt to try and remove my prejudices, and…

The problems of caring for oneself in one's old age are not just limited to finding a good old age home and settling in there. Senior living is probably the most pleasant part of one's "golden" years; when one is in good health, when one can afford to invest in a senior home or facility, and can still manage one's finances. With old age, however, comes illness which is often chronic. When repeated illness strikes, one may need geriatric nursing care. When physical illness escalates, or when mental illness supervenes, one may reach a point when one can no longer…

I went to watch Kriyative Theatre’s presentation of “Where The Shadow Ends” after having read the theatre group’s introduction to it, with an open mind...and that open mind was truly filled with sights, sounds, concepts both abstract and concrete, in the one hour and twenty minutes that the play lasted. The narrative, as the group says, is surreal;  the play travels through myths and history that are common across cultures. The play (mainly in English, but with touches of Kannada and Sanskrit here and there)   uses contemporary movement and text to explore the space between reality and shadows of the…

When I read that "The Cut" had been shortlisted for The Hindu Playwright award in 2016, I was keen on watching it; so off I went to watch the play, staged by Theatre Nisha, a Chennai-based group, on Saturday, 27th May 2017. I'd read two reviews of the play, by Karan Pillai for The New Indian Express, on Jan 27, 2017  by Parshathy J Nath for The Hindu, on 30 Jan, 2017   I was expecting the sepia tones referred to in one, and the brilliant performances mentioned in the other (see photo below, from an earlier performance.)   The…