The Mumbai Python project

The year 2012 is going to be exciting. A lot of new experiences for me. But due to the inherent health problems I had right from the start of year, I have decided to do something more about my fitness. And try and have some fun, and build things. Which is why, this recumbent has caught my attention, and I want it bad. So here's the deal...

To everyone in my contacts, friends, friends of friends, acquaintances, everyone. I want to build this wicked recumbent, but don't know ass about welding or metallurgy (damn, I wish I had paid more attention to the metallurgy lectures at college than ogling and drooling at the young female lecturer). So, anyone who can help me build this, any help, I shall be eternally grateful to you.

http://www.python-lowracer.de/

Please let me know, if any you guys or your friends can help me. You know how to get in touch with me.




Edit: I think its a good idea to have the discussions and inferences here, so all the info is at one place. Like a journal, perhaps but on the same page.



10th Jan, 20112: Got carried away by the high end Shimano XTR Trail component systems. Damn sonuvabitch costs atleast $3,900 total. I suppose I shouldn't daydream so much.

10th Jan, 2012: Heh, got a clever streak. It seems the central theme of building a python, is to re-use and re-purpose old bicycles and their parts; and since the parts are easily available, the maintenance is less strenuous. But I didn't just want to use old sub-standard parts. Hence, I chose to gather info on the one of the better bicycles available in the Indian market. The Hero Cycles Genius 26T caught my attention some time back and I decided to check the local bicycle shop to ask the dealer about the spare parts prices. I figured I could source the parts that are tested by a branded company, works together in unison as a complete model and is somewhat easily available in the Indian market, then I save myself a lot of trouble trying to figure out feasibility. Why not use those parts for the drive-train, the pedals, the wheels, the gear system, the brakes, the crank and perhaps even the suspension! And it turns out, that spares indeed costs less than Rs. 15,000 approximately. Now that's a less bitter deal (I would have used the word sweet but shelling out Rs. 15,000 upwards on personal project ain't all that sweet. Now it would definitely be sweet if someone chose to fund me.)

13th Jan, 2012: I came across Surfin Dude's modifications and Dominic's wooden prototype and pondered why not invest time and efforts in simulations and prototypes first, than go all guns in blaze on the final model. Plus, I need real good suspension and all-terrain ride capabilities on the python, both features missing from the essential low"racer" design aspect. And, I liked the concept of riding in between big 26" wheels, but I'm a comparably short guy for the original 26" design to work, so will need to do a lot of re-calculations and re-factoring of measurements and alignments. Those things need to be tested first, so if I could just start toying and simulating the idea in an industrial design software, then work with slotted steel tubing (if its available and inexpensive), then I can work the final measurements, remove kinks, adjusting screws for different scenarios and test real road conditions with the prototype first. But I still need to go Metro Cycle for sound clarification on the price, availability and compatibility of parts. The best part of this prototype business is I can haz a working python model for a lot smaller hole in the pocket.

Durga Pujo - Mumbai, 2011

So, this was my first time enjoying and celebrating Durga Puja as a resident of Mumbai after shifting from Navi Mumbai. And it was undoubtedly different due to numerous reasons and had its share of excitements and disappointments. But in the end, it really was something I can remember for a long time.

To begin with, I was supposed to spend this year's Pujo in Kolkata with my family and my relatives. But due to last minute change in the plans, we decided to spend the Poju here in Mumbai itself, much to the delight of someone special (wink, wink, nudge, nudge ...). Since a lot of unplanned things were already happening in my life at this point, I decided to take it all in my stride and make the best of it.

So I decided to capture and document most of the Pujos in Mumbai and the near-by suburbs, and document it in the best way I can. Since my film SLR was busted and needed repairs, I opted for the phone camera on my trusty Nokia E52-1 and made sure I had it with me wherever I went, to capture the pictures of the different Pujos. All in all, the mixed feelings and reactions during the entire Pujo was overwhelming, if you consider a person in the new set of environment, with new people, new family, new place and a misplaced sense of belonging. So without further ado, I present to you the glimpses of Pujos in Mumbai.

Milantirtha, New Panvel

Pandel - Milantirtha,
New Panvel

Protima - Milantirtha,
New Panvel

I started with New Panvel Pujo, where I spent better part of my twenties as a young adult. Nothing like familiar faces and places, eh. The Milantirtha club has been organising Durga Pujo for the past 26 years (this one was the 27th). This time the Pandel was fashioned after the Victoria Memorial monument in Kolkata. Nice detailed work on the Shola in the interiors and on the Protima itself.

Jay Ambe Mata Charitable Trust, New Panvel

Jay Ambe Mata Charitable Trust,
New Panvel

Technically, though this particular Pujo is not related to Bengaolis, I thought I'd mention it due to the sheer ingenuity in design and great management. Every year, the Pandel's design theme and the decoration truly manages to impress me. In fact, I didn't have any plans to see this one, but I just couldn't resist stopping the car in the middle of the road, while driving by the lane, to admire the beauty of it up close.

Kallol Kali Bari, Goregaon West

Protima - Kallol Kali Bari,
Goregaon West

This Pujo is perhaps the closest to my place, if we kindly overlook the horrendous traffic and road conditions. Anyways, this was a nice, homely, quaint old Pujo (47th year this one) without lot of loud fanfare. The arrangements were adequate. Couldn't resist having a delicious Egg Chicken roll from the Hangla's stall (for all you non-bong friends who don't know what a roll is, it's also known as a "frankie"). I even had an interesting run-in with someone I didn't expect to meet at all. Looks like there will be a lot more running-in with this person in the coming years and I need to be prepared to deal with it.

Udayan, Malad West

Protima - Udayan, Malad West

No offense, perhaps it was just our ill luck, but I felt the Udayan Pujo was a very sad affair, since we arrived at 11 PM, like any good Bengaoli and found the place already powered down for the night (can you believe that? 11 PM? Bengaoli Pujo?) and caretakers sleeping in the Pujo Mondop and the Pandel itself. In fact, if you look closely at the bottom of the image, you can actually see one the guys blissfully sleeping. The decor was below average and the management was not upto the mark, considering the location and the tenure of the Pujo. I have been to smaller Pujos, but this was a disappointment.

Ram Krishna Mission, Khar

Protima - Ram Krishna Mission,
Khar

I visited this Pujo for the first time in my life and that too with my would-be in-laws, on Aoshtthomi. But sadly, the day was marred by few unfortunate incidents. This Pujo pulls a lot of crowd, especially on Aoshtthomi and the management failed to tackle the crowd, the traffic and the parking. Usually, I fast on the Aoshtthomi (The only day in the year I fast voluntarily, not even water till the Pushpanjoli. Infact, strictly no non-veg that day.) and I decided to break my fast here after offering the Pushpanjoli. But due the teeming number of people in the compound, I couldn't get to keep my sneakers in the Shoe Counter, and had to leave them lying near the seating area. Only to find them stolen from the premises after the Pushpanjoli! I mean who steals shoes during Durga Pujo, that too in the temple compound? Who? Well, don't answer that.

Anyways, I couldn't see the Aarti either due to the crowd, nor could I offer the Pushpanjoli properly the first time (The Bachchan clan's presence also contributed to the overall already messed up management). It did come to me as a shock to know that the Khar Pujo has only 2 verses in the Pushpanjoli as opposed to the standard 3 verses plus the Nomoskar verse that I have known for all my life. Strange!

The air ventilation inside was very poor, almost suffocating but I finally did get to offer the Pushpanjoli properly with my fiancée. The line for the Bhog was excruciatingly long and the Bhog itself was nothing special to write home about. Unfortunately, my car also got towed so you can imagine I had to walk the entire way from the premises, to the place where my car towed from, to the RTO office, all without any shoes. Talk about true test of human endurance, patience and faith!

My final verdict would be to avoid coming here the next time onwards; not because of the problems I had to face, but due to a sheer false and farce feeling of religious autocracy and gross mis-management and perhaps a little hint of hubris and hypocrisy. But hey, that's just me, and what I personally felt. I do not intend to offend anyone.

Aparajita Mahila Welfare Association, Gokul Dham, Goregaon East

Protima - Aparajita Mahila
Welfare Associtation,
Gokul Dham, Goregaon East

This was an interesting concept, a Pujo entirely organised and managed only by women. And how. I must say I was impressed by the arrangements and the fanfare, despite this being a newer and smaller Pujo compared to others I have seen. It had a very lively Bengaoli environment, with food and music in abundance. What more can a Bengaoli ask for? The Protima decorations here were also Shola based. This one is definitely on my next year's list.

Bengal Club, Shivaji Park, Dadar West

Protima - Bengal Club,
Shivaji Park, Dadar West

I have been a regular at this Pujo, as long as I can remember. Standard crowd, similar decor, usual traffic snarl and a familiar feeling. We had a nice open-air, moon-lit mini picnic with my family and would-be in-laws. But somehow, I personally felt the overall quality has seen a dip this year.

Notunpalli Sarbojonin Durgotsab, Bandra West

Protima - Notunpalli Sarbojonin
Durgotsab, Bandra West

Another one of my favourite Pujos I have been regularly coming to. Now this Pujo has all the right ingredients of an authentic Bengaoli Pujo. The place was still abuzz with people at midnight, and we had just arrived minutes before the Shandhi Pujo. But I had the most awful tea here. The Protima here was beautiful.

Pragati Sarbojanin Shree Shree Durga Puja, Andheri West

Protima - Pragati Sarbojanin
Shree Shree Durga Puja,
Andheri West

With all hands down, this is one of the best new Pujo I have been to, this year. Excellent management, awesome decorations, spacious and very well lit. The parking and the security were just managed right. The entire place had monstrous elephant tusks (obviously fake) protruding from the ground, with festoons hanging from the tips. The mood lighting, the environment, the open air, the vibe and the people. Everything felt right at this place. Will definitely come here next year onwards.

D. N. Nagar, Andheri West

Protima - D. N. Nagar,
Andheri West

This Pujo was also a new entry this year. Standard fare with the preparations and the management. Okay Pujo, I guess.

Lokhandwala

Protima - Lokhandwala

Another one of the regular Pujo I often come to. Abhijeet and his team make sure to leave no stone unturned in the Pujo preparations. Though the air was stuffy inside due to the smoke from the Shandhi Pujo, the place and the environment was electrifying. Beautiful Protima and a grand Pandel decoration.

Powai

Pandel - Powai

Protima - Powai

The Powai Pujo was also a new entry this year. Excellent decoration, great management, awesome bhog, and a beautiful towering Pandel, based on the Golden Temple of Sripuram.The Bhog was just awesome, hot piping Khichudi with Shobji, Paayesh, Roshogollaa and oblong cut Begoon Bhaajaa, all served on banana leaf. The Protima itself was extremely beautiful, with lovely decorations inside the Pandel as well.

Chembur

Pandel - Chembur

Protima - Chembur

The Chembur Pujo is another regular. This time, the Pandel was beautiful, made out of Jhuri and Kulas. The entire place had a very rustic, rural village environment, laid back yet energetic. The Protima also had a very rural appeal to it.

B. A. R. C. Colony, Anushakti Nagar

Protima - B. A. R. C. Colony,
Anushakti Nagar

Another regular Pujo we visit, is the one at the Bhabha Atomic Research Center's Residential Colony in Anushakti Nagar. Though it's open for genral public as well, but due to security at the Colony, not many people visit this Pujo. It's one of those nice small Pada Pujos like in Kolkata. But the fanfare and the entertainment programmes during this Pujo, is comparable to any other bigger Pujos around. It helps if you know someone who lives in the Colony, if you plan to visit.

New Bombay Bengali Association, Vashi, Navi Mumbai

Pandel - New Bombay Bengali
Association, Vashi

Protima - New Bombay Bengali
Association, Vashi

Eiffel Tower in Krishna
Nagar Lighting - New
Bombay Bengali
Association, Vashi

This Pujo has a lot of history, bitter and sweet. Once regarded as the biggest and the most expensive Pujo, in sheer number of people attending the Pujo, the budget, the entertainment programmes and the idol size and the Pandel decorations, now it is diminished in sheen, size and crowd due to numerous in-club conflicts resulting in 2 other separate Pujos. Nevertheless, this year the Pandel decoration was superb, along with the Krishna Nagar lighting everywhere.

Sarvajanik Vashi Durga Puja, Vashi, Navi Mumbai

Pandel - Sarvajanik Vashi
Durga Puja, Vashi

After already making a very strong foothold last year in the Navi Mumbai circles, bigger and better seems to be the theme this time, as the Protima kisses the 26 feet mark. Star-studded entertainment programmes along with delicious Bhog and great management by some of the earliest and most experienced Bengaolis in Vashi, this Pujo is certainly giving the others a run for their money.





The only other Pujo I visited but missed out mentioning here was the Santa Cruz Pujo by the Mukherjee family (Rani Mukherjee's family, in case you were wondering). My phone's battery was completely discharged by the time we reached there, so I couldn't take any pictures. But the place was amazingly decorated and the Protima was just gorgeous. As the standard principle, the Bhog area and the most the places including the Pandel were air-conditioned and the Bhog is always served at the table, by the Mukherjee family themselves.


That was the round-up for this year, but I do have learned a lot of valuable lessons that might come handy for the next year though.

• Not to wear expensive footwear when going to Pujo, or at least have someone watch over them.
• Always travel light, don't get the car,  and avoid the nightmare of time trying to find a parking spot.
• Instead, use public transportation like rickshaw or an AC bus, or use a motor bike.

That being said, I think this year's Pujo was an amazing experience, with so many new Pujos discovered and new relationships made. Like the saying goes, "Aashchhe bochhor aabaar hobey!"
Bolo bolo bolo, Durga mai ki, JAI!!!


P.S. - Yes, the article is generously sprinkled with Bangla words with corresponding spellings as per the pronunciations. If you don't get some of them, have an ever-helpful Bengaoli friend of yours to help you with the pronunciations and the meanings. Or just ask in the comments below.

P.P.S. - And yes, I know the pictures suck. There was very little I could in bad/low lighting with a phone camera. Bite me.

Missing in Action

So I've been an ass, haven't updated my blog in a very long time. Sue me.

Well .... That felt good, taking it off my chest. Although, eventually I thought I'd be nice and try change the pace a bit. The problem is I don't have too much to say these days or the time to say things.

And suddenly, like the cliched "jolt from the blue", I realized I could update with things far more useful than my constant nonchalant banter. I could share my recipes with all you guys, like or not. Anyways, it would at least serve the purpose of recording my experiments with cooking.

So, with no more further ado, I shall embark on this noble endeavor of enlightening and awakening the world to my awesome recipes. Raves and rants invited, although only a selected few may get the oppotunity to even taste them.

The Kalaghoda Festival, 2011

Me playing the flute on Vibha's challenge.

Vibha finally managed to get me to go visit the Kalaghoda festival this year. And we did, in an "Awesome" way. We went the entire length on my trusted "Sookie" (that's the name of my TVS Star City 110 ES motor bike, in case you didn't know) from Vashi to Rhythm House. It was actually a fun Sunday, with the Sun all high up in the sky, pleasant breeze blew all day long. And it was a nice field trip for my otherwise unused legs.

It was nice to see a lot of artwork around us but very few ever caught my complete attention. One of the most interesting series was the scrap metal "Spiderman" and the "Alien" inspired from the Jame Cameron movie Aliens. Some artworks were too over-conceptualized to be called as art rather than science projects. I know I sound like a hard-ass critic and I'm sure a lot of you are dying to say

"Oh yeah Mr. No-Art-Ass, what do you have to show? Did you even participate in the festival? No? So who gives you the right to judge others' perception of art?"

Well, like I said earlier, I know I sound harsh but I'm just saying what I felt like. And if the artist couldn't connect with me through his art, then I guess he definitely needs to work on his craft. Interestingly, we caught a glimpse of Mr. Chetan Bhagat (the author) who appearred quite clueless while browsing the stalls at the festival. No hard feelings Mr. Bhagat, eh? I actually met a guy who was a photography hobbyist just like me, and the guy gave a lot good info on Black and White photography techniques and film details. Thanks man, I owe you one.

After the nice chocolate binge we had at Glee Chocolates, we moved out for lunch at India restaurant. Nice fare for Grade II place. Food was delicious and the place was clean. Can't say a lot about the ambiance though, but hey. You can't get everything right. All in all, I had fun and wouldn't mind coming back for the next year too.

The gray hair

What I tried to deny real hard for some time has metamorphosed  to a very physical, biological reality. I'm getting old(er). Few days back, when I was at my cousin's wedding in West Bengal, I noticed an extra shiny hair standing out in amidst a tuft of my otherwise black hair. The shininess particularly did strike me odd, but I thought it must be the angle of the light. When the shininess remained constant even after gently combing in that general area, it dawned to me that something was not right. I leaned closer into the mirror to get a better look, and lo! There, right smack in the front was a single all-white (gray ?) strand of hair, snaking playfully between larger tufts of my dark brown hair.

At first, I was excited that time. At 28, it's not something to be proud or ashamed of, but it definitely meant that I have crossed the next level. Suddenly, another one of those shiny hair caught my attention. I guess that's when I started to lose the euphoric feeling of finding my gray hair. There I was, staring stupid into the mirror, thinking to myself. "Is this really happening? Has time finally caught up with me?" While I admit I sound a little melodramatic, but I can only hope the readers understand. Reality and mother nature slapped me silly in the face and I stood  there, numb and confused. I decided to look at the gray hair once I got back home.

So, the day before yesterday I finally remembered all about my gray hair and I mustered courage to find it once again. What surprised me again was that it didn't take me long to find it. It was just where I found it the first time. Only this time, I had more time and bearing to make sense of it. I guess I got my chance to accept the fact that my biological clock was always ticking. I was just pretending that it wasn't. This certainly means that there are a lot of things that are going to change in my life. For instance, now I finally have to sit down and start planning about the future, about savings, about buying myself a house, about marriage perhaps ...

So I'm growing older and I'm moving on.

Finally, got meself a Stratocaster

(To be sung to the tune "Waiting for a Girl like You" by Foreigner)

So long, I've been looking too hard, I've been waiting too long
Sometimes I don't know what I will find, I only know it's a matter of time
When you love someone, when you love someone
It feels so right, so warm and true, I need to know if you feel it too

Maybe I'm wrong, won't you tell me if I'm coming on too strong
This heart of mine has been hurt before, this time I wanna be sure

I've been waiting for a guitar like you to come into my life
I've been waiting for a guitar like you, your loving will survive
I've been waiting for someone new to make me feel alive
Yeah, waiting for a guitar like you to come into my life ...

Some Change, Some Dont

"Some change, some don't" is another screenplay intended to be finished earlier than Crimson. This play will help me exercise my film maker muscles before I venture into bigger grounds.

Crimson

Having been inspired by Rabindranath Tagore's "Rakta Karavi", I have started writing an adapted screenplay by the name of Crimson. Let's see if this project sees the light of day. Will post more information.

Red Black

Its been almost a year since I've posted anything at all.

So just wanted to note down that I have started on a pet project of mine. Something that I have wanted to do and always loved to do. So I have started a "Graphic Novel" by the name of "Red Black".

Hope I can post a lot after this.

BTW, the link is http://www.rohitbanerjee.com/redblack.html

Edit: After a lot of things turning upside down and inside out, I finally managed to get a separate website running for Red|Black at http://www.redblack-comics.com/

A start

Well, as the cliche goes "Every great journey begins with a tiny step." This is my very first post. Hope people are interested in reading them.