Hibernation

This blog is on a break. As was painfully obvious, posting had dropped. Neither thoughts nor words are constrained but time is. As R.E.M. said "Oh, life is bigger."

See you soon.

In the words of The Gubernator, I'll be baak.

Happy Holidays

A term that I couldn't get when I first heard it. "Happy Holidays"? What's the deal with "Happy Holidays"? Sure I got that people go home for Diwali and stuff. And for me going home meant staying in Bombay itself. But "Happy Holidays"?

I mean I haven't seen anyone take more than two days off for Diwali. But since Diwali is on two separate days, more often than not it becomes a long weekend. You know, leave for home on Tuesday night, Weds is off (i.e. public holiday for Lakshmi Pooja), take Thursday off and since Friday would also be chutti (public hol #2 for Diwali), you land up taking almost the whole week off. Fresh back to work on Monday morning. That's the holidays that I know here.

But to think of going home from say, 23rd (Dec) night all the way to 1st (Jan)..that's 10 days. Man, that is a lot of leave. Yet, each time I see people greet each other, or signboards and ads everywhere (all this of course when I'm watching a an American serial) which go "Happy Holidays", I can't help but wonder, what would happen if I tell someone "Hey, Happy Diwali and Happy Holidays". Yeah, yeah, I know that look.

And since you're waiting for the point of this post, it is in fact - Happy Holidays. At least to me, because this blog is now off for..um..holidays. I will see you on the other side of the New Year 2008. Oh ok, I now I've been lax in my posting. And yes, I know that posts should logically have increased since I'm on break. But well, it's not happened and I'm sorry. I am because I know I want to post more. And I won't BS by saying "My New Year resolution is to post more", because that lies next to the "I will lose 20kgs this year". I mean if you believe that you'd believe that it's gonna be Ron Paul v/s John Edwards next year in the USA. Oh I kid the Americans (talking of which, does anyone know when Bill Maher's new season begins?)

Finally, wrapping up 2007.

1. My movies of the year are The Bourne Ultimatum (English), Chak De India and I'm now adding Khoya Khoya Chand.

2. On DVD, I can't recall one single movie that I went ga-ga over, because this, for me, was the year of TV series on DVD. And therefore, my DVD of the year would have to be "The Sopranos".

3. My song of the year is Vaari Vaari (Hindi). English song would have to be Speed of Sound (I know it's not from 2007, but I heard it so many times this year that it just eclipses anything else I heard).

4. Since I didn't read any book this year, I don't have a book of the year like I did last year. But I can point you to NYT's list of The 10 Best Books of 2007 and Books of the Year 2007 at The Guardian. What a fine line-up of books. Maybe I'll even read one of them next year.

So, what were your fav movies, music and books for the 2007? Love to know.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and yes, Happy Holidays.

Two

A few days back, this blog turned two. Yay.

The first year – as I wrote here – was about seeing my words in cyberspace. The second year has widened the experience in more ways than one. Getting things off my chest has never been more fun. While I’ve always liked to write, it doesn’t come naturally to me. Blogging made me realize the rigour and discipline required for good writing. I realized it while writing and I realized it while reading other blogs.

Most of the time, my posts come out like my thoughts. A bundle of chaos, with some unpardonable trespasses and compromise on the English language. For e.g., it took me some time to realize that the “?” comes without a space. Ew, gross. Still, it’s a thoroughly enjoyable experience that I intend to keep doing till I can.

Over the last two years while I’ve cut down my regular reading list to a handful of bloggers, thanks to this job (which I enjoy more than any paid job) I’m subscribed to hazaar feeds, that I skim every once in a while on my feedreader. And believe me, there’s nothing more satisfying than unexpectedly bumping on to a good post. In these last two years, reading what I’ve read on blogs, I can safely say that for reading pleasure, blogging beats mainstream media.

Before I wrap, these are my top three posts from Year #2 of blogging.

1. Don’t you articulate me: I think this post got the best quality of comments. I never expected it, and if I can repeat it, I’d consider it an achievement.

2. The one about Delhi: Oh what fun. The trip was fun, writing about it was enjoyable and the comments were a party. I learnt more about Delhi on that trip and that post than I have in my life-time.

3. Scenes from a city: I’ve always wanted to write it. It’s the first in a series, which originated from Sailu – the original scene from this city. (Next in the series were More scenes and One September Sky)

In the early days, I used to stress over traffic and rankings. You know, all those tips about how to draw traffic, what to write, leave comments on other blogs, etc. Over time I decided to junk all of that and just write for the fun of it. I’m just lucky I get the comments I get. That’s what keeps me going. And this is the part where I thank my readers.

You.

This is my home and I invite you to it. Thanks for coming here. Thanks for spending time, time that is valuable to you. Thanks for leaving your comment and your thoughts. Those who have blogrolled me, it’s a huge honor and I hope I can live up to it. For your visit, your link and your comment, I’m a better blogger.

Mishti's musings

After being gracious enough to guest on my blog here and here, the kind Mishti has - finally - started his own blog.

Ladies and gents, head over to Mishti Musings and do read his wonderful post on how a Bombayite changed to a Mumbaikar.

Chutti

...for about 10 days, after which regular posting shall resume. See you soon.

Come on over

..to Blogbharti, the new aggregator for desi blogs. The good folks over there have been kind enough to include me in their super team.

So, come on over, have a look, give us your feedback and tip us off if you find something good.

On turning one

A few days back, 19th October to be precise, this blog turned one. So, um, happy - and belated birthday - to me.

It all started here. That post eventually led to this blog (which will also turn one soon), which I've not done the kinda justice I want to. But then, this one's also not quite my masterpiece.

I started blogging with the "who's gonna read this stuff anyways" thing - not like many do now also! - but then it became something else. I guess it's the whole "getting things off my chest" thing. The opportunity to see my words out there. In print, in cyberspace.

Sometimes they've evoked discussion - like the one on Go 92.5FM going Hindi, which generated all of..er..21 comments (excluding my own), which was a pleasant surprise for me. Sometimes they've been good fun, like ranting on the Nokiaind fraud. Sometimes a trip down Chor Bazaar and Bandra Fort.

To me, my most satisfying post would have to be this one on Sailu. Typed on one of those Friday afternoons at work, it was about one of those definitive (and quite personal) experiences that I'm sure everyone's had in this city.

For those who've wondered why "Bombay Addict" do read that classic Bombay v/s Delhi face-off, courtesy the vibrant Dhoomk2. That post eventually prompted me to do the Bombay's diaries series. It was great to see the kinda experiences - again definitive and personal - that bloggers have had in this city.

To sum it up, obviously I love blogging and obviously I want to blog more and obviously work and other commitments cuts down time for blogging. The usual reasons. The kinda stuff I'm sure almost all of us bloggers face, and which also almost closed down Desipundit.

Before I end this completely self-indulgent bilge, here's my THANKS to all those kind bloggers out there who have blogrolled me. It's an honour for me that you give me space on your property. Thank you.

Finally, to all those kind-hearted, patient and tolerant souls who frequent this addict's cyber home - a huge thank you. Your comments and visits mean a lot to me. In your own way, you keep me going.

Ending with this extract from U2's brilliant Walk on.

Walk on, walk on
What you've got they can't deny it
Can’t sell it, can’t buy it
Walk on, walk on
Stay safe tonight

And I know it aches
And your heart it breaks
And you can only take so much
Walk on, walk on

Home… hard to know what it is if you’ve never had one
Home… I can’t say where it is but I know I'm going home
That's where the hurt is

I know it aches
How your heart it breaks
And you can only take so much
Walk on, walk on

Leave it behind
You've got to leave it behind
All that you fashion
All that you make
All that you build
All that you break
All that you measure
All that you steal
All this you can leave behind
All that you reason
All that you sense
All that you speak
All you dress up
All that you scheme…

Presenting - the Desipundit Blogathon

Update - they're back. Some changes, but they're back. Read this. Kinda makes the below obits redundant, but what the heck..


As promised here, today is the Desipundit Blogathon.

Hey Pat and team over at DP - if you can hear me - it might not be much, but this one's for you. All of you.

Shruthi: Goodbye, Desipundit and thank you: I was introduced to a host of interesting blogs - and after that, there was no stopping me. Endless topics, endless discussions - it was a whole new world out there! I became a serious blog-hopper, and very soon, started my own blog. It was thanks to Desipundit, too, that I got my initial readers. They were kind enough to link to a number of my posts regularly - and readership grew - pretty soon, I had my own blogger community, and I was, and am revelling in it. [Link]

Vijayendra: Exit Desipundit: For nearly two years now, Desipundit has been a daily read. I put my cup of tea on the daily newspaper and scanned Desipundit before starting work everyday. No more. Desipundit is closing down. I could rant and complain but I understand the people in charge will most likely be more pained than I am. I see the bright side. The idea made waves. It will remain. And in time, a new avatar...[Link]

Arzan: Desipundit: Au Revoir: It galvanised a whole bunch of Indian bloggers in India and the diaspora spread around the world into a loose knit community. It did wonders for my blog ratings, and more importantly fostered new friendships, which otherwise would have never existed. That I think is for me the most important thing, I take away from DP. The human link….the cameraderie over email…with people who I have never ever met, is more important than all the blog hits, and the adsense revenue and what not. Thank you DP. [Link]

Dilip D'Souza: DP into the sunset: I can understand that it has become a chore for its founders to keep doing this, especially given the pressures of grad school USA. Maybe it had to come to an end. But as always with such things, the taste will linger. [Link]

From posts earlier by these bloggers -

Shivam Vij: Desipundit no more - "Anyone remember blog melas? Go read some old ones to know how Desipundit changed the blogosphere. I do hope Pat is doing this knowing what Desipundit meant to so many of us, how we logged on every day, how issues like IIPM simply could not have been as big if it were not for Desipundit.[Link]

The girl from ipanema: Desipundit bids farewell - "So I'm sitting here, staring at the the bright yellow sun on the page. Furiously going through the archives...bookmarking each and every post i find interesting, funny, or informative. Lapping it all up, trying to file away as much as I can. Going about, leaving my last comments that say "Came here from desipundit" because, when will I do that again?"[Link]

Nilu: Why people blog: "Why do people read it? No reason. They just do. Sometimes, because they are bored and most other times, for the same reason that they do so many other pointless things. One could also argue, readers read it because it is the one-stop shop for the best of the Indian blogosphere." [Link]

Bad English Contest - Winners

Those are the prizes, this was the contest, these were the entries and now its time for the winners.

Everyone sure as hell made it a tough job for me to choose the winners. At the risk of sounding like a Miss Universe aspirant - bloggers, you are all winners.

But getting on to the task at hand, the winners that I have chosen are

Shruthi - Hilarious stuff. I still can't get over "..to be exposing my English". Here's her price winning entry once again in its entirety.

"Thanking you lot many times for good opportunity to be exposing my English. When myself am in the duty in my the office and I write the mails, all the peoples laughs on myself for my English. I telled them my English good but they still laughing. Only good peoples like you understanding and giving price for us. Ones myself starting blog and rude peoples coming and doing flame in my blog. If there is problem, peoples should be telling correct words, know? In staid they are uttering bad words. I was very much sad, and I was very much feared also. But I know, all are not the bad peoples. Some peoples good, like your kind self. Please to give me price. As return, I will be rolling my blog on you."

Kaushik Gopalan - No, not because he tried thrice. But because this entry was prize-winning trash. Whacky comparisons, unadulerated bakwaas and B-grade at its best. Here it is again -

"It was a dark and stormy night and raw unbridled lust filled the air like agarbatti smoke. She was the typical Hollywood type, switching between marriage and divorce with a frequency that was the envy of the supercomputer industry. He was stuck in a bad marriage that offered as much happiness as a Weight watchers 1 1/2 point cereal bar. Their relationship was like one between an Egyptian plover and a crocodile, perfectly symbiotic. As they stepped towards each other with the measured steps of wresters who are ready for a bout, he realized that something was not right. That the situation was not as perfect as it had seemed when he was eyeing her heaving bosom like Vandana Luthra eyes an overweight person. He realized that he was incomplete, like Saqlain without his doosra. He realized that he had forgotten the Viagra."

Harish Suryanarayana - I cannot imagine Morphus as "so sofsticated and poise and panache", but yes, Neo did look lost in front of Morphus in the first part of the trilogy. Here's Harish's revew again -

"The Matrix - A Revew

This movie it be one of my favorite.It has action like my hero Dharmendhar who also fly and escape any bullet which come my way.They have very cool name like Neo , Morphus and Trinty. . Morphus has deep voice and also speak very good dialoges by himself.My favourite dialogue is him saying do you eat red pill or will swallow blue pill to Neo. Morphus is so sofsticated and poise and panache but Neo look like he dont know what happening . Sometime I feel like getting up and kicking his mud head into sense. The movie I dont understood but action good ,so I see movie many many time.Agent Smith who is secret agent like James Bond but have no cool number like 007.I highly recomends movie for action liking peoples because action be made in Amrica studio and is very good."

So winners - please mail me at bombayaddict[at]gmail[dot]com with your postal addresses to receive your respective prizes. Well done and congratulations.

PS - The girl from Ipanema - Please do forgive me.

The Bad English Contest entries

A big thanks to everyone for participating in my contest. Here are the participants along with their entry/entries -

Sunshine: No one is not taking ur chalengge so myself thinks I can be able to give it try. I going to talking about the city I am. It called as Chennai. It have beach and it is both of hot and sultry. I wish it is more cleaner and the roads more better. Its raining for one week everyday now. I surprise the rain because normaly do not rain this month. Last year heavy rains flooded and roads are under water. I wish it don't rain like that current year. Myself not write Eglish not that better but I hope there are many worser then me. Please apologise.

Shruthi: Thanking you lot many times for good opportunity to be exposing my English. When myself am in the duty in my the office and I write the mails, all the peoples laughs on myself for my English. I telled them my English good but they still laughing. Only good peoples like you understanding and giving price for us. Ones myself starting blog and rude peoples coming and doing flame in my blog. If there is problem, peoples should be telling correct words, know? In staid they are uttering bad words. I was very much sad, and I was very much feared also. But I know, all are not the bad peoples. Some peoples good, like your kind self. Please to give me price. As return, I will be rolling my blog on you.

HP: I dont need to make a special post for this. My regular posts are more than enough for such competitions :-)

Kishor Cariappa: Sachin is the my favright batsmen. I love his phulls, kover derives and hucks. I shure he will going to complete maximum runs in one days and test krickets. I no like Sachin in advertizements. His phace is ok, but voice is too much of childishness of baby it it. There is reports of terrorist treat to him and hence the police of india are very strict with all the peoples of the country, including greg chappal. I have told my sones to phollow the sachin's idols.

Deepak Shenoy:
Entry 1 - U people R giving bad name with ur idiot contest for bad english...you have cut our nose I say. Our English has many local annotations because we are like that only otherwise how would we be. Whether we choose to write better, for what? For many Indians you know that black letter is like a buffalo, meaning is better in Hindi though in English its looking so foolish. But you know also no? It is not so much the reading, it is the comprehension. If you are comprehending the riting how difference it is from english of queen? You are knowing what I mean no? I am not seeing you but I know you are shaking your head up and down.

Entry 2 - Those britishers went off and left us with sorry and thank you. Their language is anyway not great, and even their football team steps on peoples private parts in public television. It is so painful and then we have to watch with our half-wife (ardhangani) who is not very happy that they are doing replay upon replay upon replay. But Indian women are not playing with us. They are not exposing to games like cricket at very young age, that is why they are exposing when they become older, like that rakhi sawant. Chee. In fact you should ask her to write in your contest, tho i think you will look only at her entry. Stop it. You all have become very mischivious.

M Rajshekhar: (Combining both) It was true. she did not love him. she never had. the very thought enraged him. as enraged as an alligator that lost its prey. and so, the alligator lost its targeted prey, a wildebeest as juicy as a lightly-braised tenderloin that had been marinated to perfection in a fine sauce of white wine, shallots, cloves, and then served with a helping of chateau merlot 1965, a year when the wines were drier than normal, to another alligator. the very thought drove it mad with anger.

Kaushik Gopalan:
Entry 1 - From seeing yore contest, I am thinking,thinking,thinking wether to be a competitioner or not to be. Like Shakespear has told, that is the question. On a hand, you might see fit to misunderestimate my completed knowledge of English if I take a part, on other hand I am wishing to win prize and feed more knowledge to my mind [1]. At one time I wonder of making participation despite of the risk involved, at other time my afraidness makes me shiver like I am in Artic sea. Since I am still thinking,thinking, thinking, I will appraise you of the situation after my decidation is finalled. [1] Like many historical people have told, books does to mind what rasmalais does to stomach, broaden it.

Entry 2 - It was a dark and stormy night and raw unbridled lust filled the air like agarbatti smoke. She was the typical Hollywood type, switching between marriage and divorce with a frequency that was the envy of the supercomputer industry. He was stuck in a bad marriage that offered as much happiness as a Weight watchers 1 1/2 point cereal bar. Their relationship was like one between an Egyptian plover and a crocodile, perfectly symbiotic. As they stepped towards each other with the measured steps of wresters who are ready for a bout, he realized that something was not right. That the situation was not as perfect as it had seemed when he was eyeing her heaving bosom like Vandana Luthra eyes an overweight person. He realized that he was incomplete, like Saqlain without his doosra. He realized that he had forgotten the Viagra.

Entry 3: Life is beautiful, like the wrath of a woman scorned. Life is like cud in a cow's mouth, it keeps going up and down, back and forth till it dissolves into nothingness. Life is like a round of golf, the journey is what matters, and the destination is just a hole in the ground. Life is like a really old TV, full of black and white and shades of grey. Life is a set of social mores, where more is less and less is more. Sometimes, life is like a queue in a public toilet, really long and full of crap. But mostly, life is beautiful. Protect your life, wear a helmet.

The Girl from Ipanema (all three seemed linked, so I'm posting as one entry)

You didn't told us what the gift will be for the winner. Coming from my side I think this is the funny idea. But certain peoples are getting their underwear into knotted structures about it. Like telling that it is snobbish and elliptist and all. People cannot keep serious in one side and joke in another. Each and everybody wants to say againast what another person has said and then wants to say that he only is intilgent. And to this they call debate febate. I think they are all mad only. But from compteesan side this is bit unbalanced. Because you know why, everybody can read other peoples answers before making theres. Your welcome thankyou. It is my sincere request to you respectedly to hand over prize here.

And my another complant being that certain peoples are breaking answer into many half half pieces and putting. I feel it so bad. That so much chitting is happening. I will not do same bad thing that others do. And Bombay addict sir, I think that you must make rules more strictly. Then only peoples will stand properly in line and wait. And tell only one thing one time. And keep quite. Otherwise you know, how peoples are these days. Howrats only.

And sorry first i didnt saw. you did tell about prize. i read half only and came fast fast to put my answer. it is my humble suggeshan only that you could prematurely and maturely close contest now. and hand over prize. because peoples will write all nonsense otherwise. that doesnt make any sense. and your only headache will start paining reading alls answers. afterwards dont tell.

Super Invisible Girl: This is a wonderous opportunity I'm getting to showcase my talent at english wordings which is not being my mother's tongue. I am being very good at romantic loving prose. There was this pleasant boy who I told to I'm loving so much he is causing my heart to gushing with blood. So I'm proposing to boy of my mother's and father's dreams but boy not accepting :-( In vengeance I'm Killing his cows and burning his hut He is now in hospital and I am hiding from police. :-) thanking you. please sir give me crossword voucher, jail is having no books to read.

Subbu: I am a plant eater. No mens or womens in my family are eating he-cows and she-cows. They are very scared. So we eating only trees and plants. But when I coming to usa all cows disappeared here. Many greens are there but no one eat them. All eating out places giving only animals and some leaves. But who can eat plain leaves without cooking ? I feeling sad. And more saddest news is dal price also increasing. We all must be going back home. Dal calls us. I coming soon.

Deepa: Bad English, I say is oxymoron..not moron, that is you when you believe politicians promises and put vote. But this oxymoron is two things which means same. I say English itself bad. So why to put English behind Bad? why write two times one meaning? I realise this from first, but leaders realise it now only like Buddha got idea suddenly. Realising, they change all English cities to Indian cities, like for example bombay, chennai etc etc. But India is still same. Why? Bharat makes nice sound, no? India is English for India. English earlier maybe very poor with saying our languages names, so, maybe said India. But now when they eat curry, I think they can say India name in India language. But maybe this is Americas conspiracy, they already spend money putting india in all papers to do deals...so they may not like typing all the papers new, saying bharat everywhere they say India. English bad, America more bad.

Shiv: Here is one, my school teacher used to say that "I have two daughters both are girls".

Kingsley: I am just founding this on my vebsite Putvote.com and I am feling very very very ashamed. You all are writing much much worst English than I be after trying for more than one month. Much shame is coming. Now I wills go avay and putting vote for this post. Please to be contacting me at kingsleyj@gmail.com. Wanting to talk vith you yabout something.

Sudha: Dear Mr. Bombay Addict. Thousand greetings. i sawing ur competition and within a minute seeing danger for next day. i will like to give u my thinking. i know u not wanting it but please to take it. writing in english will be good if topic of writing is good. same also for bad topic. so for prize in bad writing, peoples will write all bad topics that i cannot think of on days that i not have clean bath and not do prayer to god. also peoples writing bad topics will be buying books on bad topics with prize money u giving them. even crosswords having some very bad books that i not see without knowing. i take second bath that day and do second prayer that day. so please close competition before u not feeling bad about starting. i cannot tell to not read bad writing to u, but please respect our tradition and take bath and do prayer. then only read my writing. i only write good topic and good english. Your good thinking friend.

Chaitali Shah: I am the world more bestest the English writer. Such the competitions are the must for the inspiring the newcomings the writers. Topic: I, Me, Myself and mine. I am the borned in the Bombay in the year 1979s. I am the only the second daughter of both my mother and father. Now the Bombay I had once borned in is now the Mumbai. I had the eschool in the Bombay. I had big ben with to the eschool. I had many the friends. I had fewest the more bestest friends. I also had the ecollege in the Mumbai. I loved most the Bombay and not the Mumbai. But always its ok. I and my big ben loved horseback riding in eschool after on Sunday. My mother and father take me and my big ben to horseback riding and now no. Now I and my big ben are big girls. I love my families.

~*Sim*~: (Imagined response by a man to a shaadi.com posting.) Hellow sweet Ms. Preeti, Myself called as Raju, my pleasher to meet u. I am reading ur ad on the shaadi.com and getting very exited. U are matching all my martial needs. Also many other sweet pretty girls are not answering the my mails so I am having high hopes in your situation as I am only wanting girls of good background and pure culture only. Also on top of that ur good looks are very sweet and beautiful. Ur the wheatish complection is very nice nad sweet. I am now wanting to make the frandship with u and soon after be making u my first and only wife as per proper Hindu customs and good Indian culture, and also I am hoping to be having many children soon soon. Myself MBA pass, having good features and decent family, vegetarian 54 170 carrier oriented. And nowadays so many girls are wanting such boys of more better quality no? I sure u will like me.

So following that please to be reverting at ur earliest convenience Preeti. My esteemed fly will be waiting impatiently to meet u. My email id is shahrukh_lower_420@hotmail.com. Please Preeti u are my last hope u must write back or I will suicide maa kasam I'm telling u now only for once and all I cant sleep in the night I am spending very much time in deep sadeness and wanting good wife and good life. So please respond. Regards Raju

Sid: First of the all, myself the garma dharam(hoping that you gets joke. Pitashri priesting in temple so quoting me his dharm). I coming from the UP but lots peoples aksing " You the Bihar???" I feels at the 4 chambers of hearts. Lalu and the Bihar many kilometres different from me. Me like havafull rajdhani. He like Patna-Delhi passenger.I the emanated professor in biology. Walking, Talking the English, abling to entering this contest. He the farting in tabela variety. But me the detouring. Mr Bombay Dick, I telling my lady interest ki I entering your context. She asking if I winning, I take her foreign? Myself thinking of good chance so compochin this the bestest. I believing this to be my masterpeace. You should accepting my mastering peace and giving gud considering. You to be remebering my lady interest-ing and I to becoming your trusted. If not working then things turning to dangerous. So to be taking good care. --Emanated Professor in Biology seeking Lady interest.

Harish S.: The Matrix - A Revew. This movie it be one of my favorite.It has action like my hero Dharmendhar who also fly and escape any bullet which come my way.They have very cool name like Neo , Morphus and Trinty. . Morphus has deep voice and also speak very good dialoges by himself.My favourite dialogue is him saying do you eat red pill or will swallow blue pill to Neo. Morphus is so sofsticated and poise and panache but Neo look like he dont know what happening . Sometime I feel like getting up and kicking his mud head into sense. The movie I dont understood but action good ,so I see movie many many time.Agent Smith who is secret agent like James Bond but have no cool number like 007.I highly recomends movie for action liking peoples because action be made in Amrica studio and is very good.

Beachbong: This kid wants to get a shelf for his bedroom. My class in school has nice rack. I go to class tomorrow where I say towards madam, "You have nice rack. Can I put my book in rack. Also, me want to buy that rack and keep it next to bed. Thanku"

V. Prabhu: Do you know whay the English left India? Probably because Indians started speaking English!

Iyer Education (late, but still..): Dear Whomsoever It May Concern. I is going to talk about my late in putting this entry. Myself read this post on a Desipundit websight only on the Monday which is coming after 6 days of your posting date. Myself know that I not in voucher race but I like the invention so much that I give one try immediately. You know they say “Late came… correct came”. I got stuck up in submerging water and like they say “Water spread on all done and did”, the water rinsed away my chances of awarding this voucher. But I am happy to just contribution to this list and expect nothing. Like they say “Do the good and throw in the well”. Thanks you for this wonderfull opportunities. Yours Fatefully, Iyer Education

Thanks once again to all the participants. Also do read the comments on desipundit regarding this contest. I'll repeat what I've said there, i.e. - this was not an attempt to mock those who can't write English and definitely not an attempt to flaunt "superior education". If I gave that impression, I'm sorry.

Winners to be announced tomorrow.

The Bad English Contest

After reading some really sad English I’ve decided to see how bad we can get.

Well, what’s I means is that I am intending to start a contest for my blogger fraands. You’se sees, I has a problems about this many peoples seducing English and not meanings what they be wanting to say.

Damn ! I can’t write bad English intentionally. But, can you ?

So, here’s the deal

Write 100-150 words of the most atrocious and horrendous English text that you can think of. Choose your topic and type away.

Remember – it has to be on ONE topic so please don’t write 10 lines of random bad English.

Spin a story and use the worst English you can think of. Stuff that’d make you cringe and/or laugh in derision if you read it, etc.

What’s allowed – typos and grammar mutilation, as long as there is a correct English equivalent. Avoid as far as possible, local variants of English words like bherry for very, bhai for by, fraands for friends, etc.

For hints – you can check out HT Tabloid (in particular, the now legendary Wild and Wetty one - thank you Gawker for making it permanent) and Indiatimes Quickies – they’d win hands down here. It also shows that bad English is not necessarily spelling and grammar mistakes, but can be just plain crappy writing.

So, you don't necessarily have to restrict yourself to bad english. Try out bad (and sad) puns, whacky comparisons, repetition, hyperbole, etc, etc. Essentially - just freak out and use your imagination. (also read update below).

What’s not allowed – Copying.

Condition – you should be a blogger and you have to leave your reply by way of a comment. So, no anonymous replies. Employees of HT and Times of India are automatically disqualified. Hehehe.

Deadline – Sunday (6th August 2006) midnight.

And aakhir mein finally,

The prize – 3 winners will get Crossword vouchers of Rs500/- each (Sorry but contest is open only to Indian bloggers).

Winners will be announced on this blog next Tuesday 8th August 2006. They will then provide me (over e-mail of course) their postal address, to which I will despatch the Crosswords voucher by courier.

The judge – Me, because I’m too lazy to either ask others to judge or do a poll. Don’t object. I’m paying for the vouchers, so the least I’m entitled to is to choose the 3 winners.

Disclaimer - Hosting a contest like this does not make me a God in English. I'm not. This is just a fun thing to see how worst (sic) our English can get and to see how easy or difficult it is to write crap.

Request - No flaming, trolling, etc. etc. Let's play this in a good and healthy spirit.

Type away, blogger bandhu, type away.

UPDATE -
1. May I encourage participants to also try out their hand at plain pathetic prose ? Venture into bad stories. OD in the lurid turdy wordy. Bathe in the absolute, sheer, vast, total, complete, unending, infinity that can be plain, horrendous, disastrous, pathetic, abhorrent, shitty, crappy, bad English. Test confusing contradictory juxtaposition.

May I repeat - bad english for the purpose of this contest is not just limited to typos and breaking Wren and Martin rules with gay abandon.

The only limits I've imposed are - it has to be ONE topic, and not random rambling and it should be within the 100-150 words band. Rest all (yuck!) I leave to your imagination.

2. Multiple entries are neither disallowed nor actively encouraged. What I'm saying is - put in how many ever entries you want, but please (and this is an earnest request), please avoid flooding and repetition.

The Hafta Magazine - now live

My 50^th post in the blogosphere (*applause*) coincides with the launch of The Hafta Magazine, which has gone live today (*more applause*).

A steaming espresso crossed with Bambaiya cutting chai, this brand new online magazine is a collective effort of some of the finest writing talent you will find in the desi blogosphere. From views to reviews, the serious to the hilarious, the nice to the naughty (enough clichés please !), you are ensured a stimulating read week after week.

Sample the debut issue – the future of our energy supply rubs shoulders with Arctic Monkeys. As does Aamir Khan with the Genome Project, and the sex change of Victoria Terminus with the India-West Indies ODI.

Yours truly is part of the Metropolis Team at the Hafta Mag, and my 50^th post is also a call out to all those bloggers who are fans, fanatics, freaks – and even frustrated – of this great City. Bombay, Mumbai, Bambai Nagariya. Call it what you want. We all know our city has its own identity, its own DNA, its lovers and haters. A city, as Suketu-bhai put it, in heat. But then you already knew that.

So, if you have something to say about this city, mail me at bombayaddict[at]gmail[dot]com. You can also check our clarion call. A read of the above articles, and others, in today’s issue will give you a feel of what and how hafta-kars write.

Enough said, ladies and gents, please click away here for the Mumbai Hafta.

Manjunath update - pls visit Gaurav Sabnis blog

Those interested in an update on Manjunath, please do visit Gaurav Sabnis's blog and support the cause. More so now with the rather depressing end to the Jessica Lal case .

See you in 2006

On leave till first week of Jan (getting married!). See you in the New Year and may it be a prosperous and safe one.

DCR58 Blog has shifted

My 5-part series on the Bombay Mill Land case has shifted to Mumbai Matters. I intend to write on Bombay-related matters in this blog, and invite your comment on issues that affect every Bombay resident. Thanks.