Going With The Wind

I do not believe in our vintage meteorological equipment. Never their predictions about weather have come true. Their premonition about a heavy down pour often resulted in precipitation and their sunny forecasts were hazed with thick clouds. Why am I to look into their predictions in the first place? Back in my country hardly I need to look for it, not withstanding the inevitable weather forecasts in all the news channels, where some cute looking young girl wearing professional suit appears with a stick in her hand pointing a map on the wall. I really never understood it's significance.

In my country I do not even care to carry an umbrella as every damn street is teeming with autos and rickshaws to transport me notwithstanding the heavy downpours. Rather there is badly felt need for boats. I wouldn't feel the necessity to carry thick jackets to protect myself from my mild winters barely good enough for a sweater. I can not escape from a fiery sun or his wrath for 250 days in an year whether I am in an office, shop,bus stop, hotel or street. Any way I do not bother to switch on my A.C. since I have none at home. My farmer believes in his hunches than a cute girl on T.V.. He cannot afford to spend his time before a T.V. which is placed on a community centre walking miles, neglecting his field work. His evenings are still busier sipping an inexpensive alcohol which can drive him into raptures. I do not see a point in knowing weather the sky is clouded in Sidney or bother about showers in London. Only one thing I could understand was in my child hood Hyderabad did not rain when Vijayawada was on spate. Now I found that a cloud in Europe can gloom my sky in Guntur.What a small world? Am I not blessed because I am not required to look at the weather charts frantically and measure the velocity of the wind all the time? I can manage with bare minimal clothing and sleep under open skies.

There are countries in this world where weather can play a havoc or bestow boons in the lives of their in habitant. Chill winds can freeze their bones and eat their foot. There are thousands who need to be evacuated at the sight of tornadoes, and need to be rescued from hurricanes. For many sun is a luxury. For thousands it can be soothing. For millions it can be cursing.

Many countries could develop sophisticated technology to predict their weathers to make a meaningful forecasts to help farming. For thousands of farmers who do sensible farming these forecasts are important tools. In many countries people constantly look these predictions for carrying or abandoning a jacket or make their cars suitable for a ride.

On my first lap of journey in to this country US, I thought I can easily walk with my synthetic Saree and thin cotton blouse on the streets as it was supposed to be summer.. As the days passed by I understood that I can not take every thing for granted. A bright morning need not necessary ensure a warm evening. A care free evening walk with a cotton top can make you shiver with a drench in unexpected shower. You may never keep a decent hair style worked out in the mornings throughout the day, as you may feel a sudden need to cover your head with a hood with onset of chill wind. A sunny day need not be succeeded by a sunny day as a rule, and it can turn hostile overnight. I can not say any thing about snow as I have not seen it yet.

These are the people who live in extreme climates. Every thing is not granted for them with regard to their surroundings. Their need to chap their lips, moist their skins, a sip of a wine or munch of a beef, a walk close hand in hand with another human being has a purpose. Need for sex with a woman is compelling. It seemed as if they don't multiply like in warm environs. May be it has a reason.

St. Louise may not be as windy as Chicago or Boston. Phoenix may not be as cool as Reno. Los Angels may not be as pleasant as Sanfrancisco. Lake of Ozarks may not be as clean as Tahoe. Lake Superior may look different from Lake Mead. River Colorado may not look as ravaging as Missouri. From an aerial view we can see the slow transformation of the red arid lands to profusely green plains of Midwest. This is a country with vast resources and enormous land. The country which established itself fighting numerous wars with different native Americans and with Western powers and neighbouring Mexico. It was a country of gangsters and drug mafia who believed in guns and terrifying , a country of gold rush and endless opportunities, a country of fled puritans and convicts, a country of slaves and Lynches, a country of numerous scientific inventions, and countless thinkers, a country of cold wars and self proclaimed leadership, a country of massive aid programmes and multiple global presence. It is country which has the prowess to rewrite the fate of the world. It is a country which could transform deserts and snowy land masses into gold. A country which suffered many economic set backs and revived..A country which is committed to it's people's welfare and believer in their leadership. A country which was liberal to immigrations and least contemtuous to it's multiple nationalities. A country which was built by the people with a quest for new avenues and vision for an ideal state. A country which could enforce uniform code of conduct among all it's citizen's spread in it's massive 50 states. A country where a cop is still feared. A country where press is unbiased. A country where criminal is brought to justice. A country where research programmes are encouraged. A country with commendable scientific perspective. A country where various aspects of human comfort are looked into.

Let this country be saved from the hungry wolves and revengeful plotters!

Vegas, Vegas!

It's mercury touches 106 F on an average in summers. It's population as well as tourists find it hard to walk on foot paths without hitting each other. Night at 2 o clock automobiles find it difficult to slide without facing a traffic jam. This is Las Vegas.The entertainment capital of the world. The city of gambling. The city of stripping. The city of organised crime.

The moment you step into the airport you start feeling the hot breeze of commerce The long limousines and vans with huge custom made bodies line up to transport it's umpteen number of tourists to the destinations. People seem to have no respect for others time or money. The customary manners of the western world erode there .People who are supposed to render service , tend to get amused by themselves unmindful of third party presence. Periodically they keep checking their valets for fair assessement of money earned on a particular day. Low humid hot air blows from end to another the moment you step out of the closed doors. In a way it reminds you a big city of India under reeling heat of summer with huge population rushing from one end to another. It is really irksome as well as amusing for many of Americans whose cities though big are insipid and wear a desolated look. Once again I reassured myself, unmanageable crowds can make things worst.

My knowledge of Las Vegas confine it to a illuminated heaven. But it was not altogether correct . The entire town looks as normal as other city.But the strip is quite illuminated but not to the extant of my imagination.Authorities make no effort to light them either. It is only the casinos and hotels which make the city brighter. My focus was only the strip than the other parts of the city. Fifteen or more of casinos have their own speciality theme or concept. Apparently all of them spent millions to decorate their habitats. Bellagio with it's most impressive interiors and dancing fountains, MGM with it's lion habitat, mirage with it's volcanoes, Paris with it's Eiffel Tower, Venetcian with it's water ways and gorgeous artificial sky, palazzo with it's magnificent dome, Treasure Island with it's massive ship and enacted pirate attack, Newyork Newyork with Statue of liberty and thrilling rides, Luxor with it's beaming dome and sphinx,Trump with it's heavy brass doors and chandeliers and it's Miss Universe pageant tag, Casino Royale with James bond past, Planet Hollywood with lucrative dining offers, Encore and Wynn with their fabulous structures, inside of all the beautiful exteriors we find few thing in common, blaring slot machines, poker games, fortune wheels etc.... There are there to make money, to lure new enthusiasts to try their hand , to snub old experienced hands who suck their money. Constantly interests keep on clashing with each other. Millions change hands. Each casino has it's vault as huge as a bank's vault.

The pedestrians come across thousands of nude postcards strewn all over the walkways,seducing hookers, their agents, alluring casinos with gaming and free drinks. The city must be very exiting place for an orthodox world of seventies and eighties. But to day no body seem too much exited about it as every place on earth is slowly turning to be so, and almost every movie star, model or music video performer having no inhibitions in looking too hot. Girls with full clothing on them look too outdated. People in general began to feel proud of their assets and sensuality. Pregnant woman too can be projected as a sex symbol. No thing remained a secret in today's world.

I sat before a slot machine due to some external pressure for couple of minutes and noticed my dollars deleting in a blink .I understood the harsh reality that we come here to loose money very fast. But looking at the ametures like me around I wondered whether all the millions spent by casinos on ambiance is worth the money they get. Still corporates can not be fools for spending for nothing.

In my opinion no Vegas trip is complete without watching some of the greatest shows on earth . One need to be superbly talented and world class in order to perform in Las Vegas. I think I am privileged to watch some of the spectacular shows here.

Cirque Du Soleil :- No description of Vegas show is complete without mentioning cirque De soleil. So far in my small imaginary world I thought special effects are possible only in movies.It proved me completely wrong. The music, surround audio, lighting, stage set up, theme, performance was breath taking. It was unbelievable. So fast, so accurate, so precise, so brilliant , so fabulous, so impeccable. Perfect. Perfect. I had no words to describe it . It is distinctly a Vegas performance. I came to believe that no show on any corner of the world would entice me more.

Jubilee show:- I chosen it entirely at my own peril despite repeated warnings from my kin. They do the top less shows too. But I have chosen a show with various costumes and Swarosky crystals. My intuitions did not go wrong. The show was a tremendous entertainer.The costumes were fabulous, crystals were amazing, the dancers were like fairies. First time I felt that two eyes are not sufficient to watch the awesome looking multitudes of performers on the stage. Hats off to their technology of sound and light, you tend to slip into the dream world. Great deal of talent is required to create thousands of dresses, to conceive a catchy theme, and to develop a beautiful choreography. It is not one man's effort. It is a collaborative effort of many creative brains who don't tumble at least once.. The talent shows in between dances were awesome. How is it like man at his best? Watch here.

David Copperfield:- The man who was acclaimed to be the magician of the millennium, most watched performer on T.V, most widely quoted, most highly rewarded, the most admired illusionist David Copperfield on the stage very close to my gallery, and occassinally passing in front of me ! I felt really lucky to watch him performing live. As the show went on there grew a sense of disappointment in me. None of the tricks looked unique and unbelievable.I had a sense of De javu. I come from a country where wonderful magicians were born, illusionists have taken lessons from the sages of Himalayas, rope tricks date back thousands of years. If I am not mistaken magic is born in India and travelled to Egypt. Every trick looked old to me. Many of them looked fake and scripted. Yet he is successful and making money. Man often does not get what he deserves, but gets what he negotiates. Obviously he negotiated better in life.

Due to time constraint I could not watch "Le Reve" which I believe is splendid.Not a too small number of celebrities either at the beginning of the career or end of the careers want to be Vegas performers to earn their woofing millions. There are too many great performances which I could not watch due to time and money constraints.

We have some cities which are as populous or busy as Vegas. But all of them cannot be Vegas for various reasons. In societies where the night life yet a thing for despise, drink a taboo, nudity obscene, gambling a vice, secretly things happen in small scale in one corner. We don't have to regret for not having one Vegas in our back yard. But we have to acknowledge a fact there lives a sin city where every conceivable human error can take place. There lives a paradise where you can forget what you are for a day.

That Mansion on the Beasant Road

It would be wrong to call that huge three storied building on the Beasant Road, just a house. It is a mansion which is irrevocably interwoven with the lives of many. For most of us it lived more in flesh and blood than in steel and concrete. It represented the times where Indian living was more into kinship. I am happy to be an young witness it's grandeur, generosity, and festivity. I can recollect the incidents and talk about people that made an indelible impression on my memories.

Though it has got it's own imposing style, contributory factor remains to be it's location at vibrant town of Vijayawada. We made our frequent journeys from our abundantly lush green fertile town which hardly had any mountain or hill to that wonderful place. We went either to spend our vacation or to attend countless marriages celebrated there.. So the sight of mountains from a long distance from the train was enough to send children like us to raptures. Many surrounding mountains made the city Bazavada (Vijayawada) a blazwada. It was extremely hot and humid in summer and has record of hundreds of thatched housed burning every year during it's peak sunny days. A child is hardly aware of his or her surroundings or weather until prevented by a parent.

It was a long strenuous journey involving every imaginable mode of transport, measuring just 1oo miles from my town. Yet we children retained our jest for the destination, as the thrill waiting for us up there was beyond description. The house belonged to my maternal grand mother( my grand mother having passed, her sister is only grand mother I know. It happened to be my great grand mother place too. ). The house was indescribably huge and adorned with chandeliers and had coloured mosaic flooring. It had a fan or two in every room , and each room had a heavy iron cot embellished with flowers and edges painted in gold. They had wide vertical bars on each side big enough to fit a child's head. It happened once that my cousin had inserted his head into it took half a dozen people to pull him out . The pink coloured pumpkin shaped lamp shade with three chains attached to it appealed to me the most. Three different photographs of my grand father hanging to the wall with two different ladies on each side intrigued me a lot until I was told that he happened to marry twice in his life time and continued to live with both of them. As it is matter of rarity and uncommon in the society of my childhood I always passed with a contemptuous look at the photographs while sleeping under the creaky fans, with pumpkin lamp throwing it's dim light at them. As one of the wives being dead , the living wife is my grand mother. The doting parents never cared to send their lone son to college for fear of accidents.

I do vaguely remember my grand father's death, at my tender age of three or four. As we entered the house the people kept murmuring about his death which was a sheer accident. He wanted to celebrate his son's marriage in an unprecedented grand way. In order to fortify himself with greater strength to attend to marriage related works, he took durabolin type of an injection from an unlicensed practitioner who used to visit his house. The very moment needle stung his body he leaned to the side and breathed his last with a large groan. While every body was in a state of shock the practitioner ran down the stairs grasping for his life and disappeared into the streets. With no 24x7 news channels, and no malicious law suits, and no chasing papparazi , his death was silently mourned at home( It reminds me Michael Jackson Demerol injection) His death was resigned to his fate.

Soon after, his son's marriage was performed as planned before with pomp and opulence as wished by him. I distinctly recall the lingering scents, the rumbling of jacquard and tissue pattu Sarees, and sheen of jewellery in night lights, distributed satin bags stacked with camphor sticks and sweets with couple's name printed on them, grand "Vuregimpu(barat) on black convertible car, and fireworks preceding it. That is the last time I ever saw a palanquin.The bride entered the house with jewellery and silk Sarees double the size of her body's weight. Rarely she wore a Saree for a second time. The clinking sound of golden and stone studded bangles moving from elbow to wrist always spoke her presence. Her neck looked crooked from the weight of chains and necklaces around . She had three foot long golden pleats, two in number to be attached to her long hairs, and four Vaddanams(Kamarpatti) inherited from each of her two mothers in law, for special occasions.They had their regular goldsmith who visited them every fortnight either to change the existing patterns or come up with new versions.

There was only a road dividing that house from a theatre right opposite As it kept it's doors wide open for the night shows, every dialogue and every song of each movie that showed up there were by hearted by us as we glued to the parapet wall to listen to them with rapt attention. We occasionally woke up at mid night with the the jingling sound of rickshaw bells, and hustle bustle indicating end of the second show at 2.a.m. The vibrant city of Vijayawada never slept except couple of hours and always ready by 4 a.m. with mouth watering idlis with karampudi and coconut chutney for sale in hotels.

The house had long dining halls and kitchens with ante rooms to store grocery on huge quantities. The hall and long corridors sometimes used for serving food. The two cooks never seemed tired of cooking large quantities, and had their own favourites among the relatives, and secretly bestowed them with glasses of whole milk, cashews and sweets. My grand mother sitting in the couch with watch full eyes knew that some are eating greedily but never tried to stop them, not by helplessness but by choice. She was generous. She roared like a lion when angry but fed like a mother. Each one of her relatives had a choice to select his or her favourite dish on a particular day and she got them prepared.The owners of the house never claimed their first stake either to the food or coffee, and ate and drank along with so many guests who stayed with them. Her mother, my great grand mother called as tiger Bamma who sat on a couch with white lion cloth around her head blasted any body if irritated but none of her great grand children were left out without being gifted a gold ornament and a kiss. Even at the age of eighty she was on her own independently to watch a movie with the sheer help of a rickshaw puller who is obliged to drive, buy ticket,and make her sit in the theatre and drove her back with a smiling face brightened with generous tip. She watched even English movies if they were popular.

The house had spiral staircases, numerous bath rooms,and above all western toilets. Watching illuminated "Kanaka Durga Temple" enshrined on the hill, from back of their house was quite an experience, and it is important for all of us to watch it every day from there. The ground floor was occupied by a "Chamriya Distributors" which was frequently visited by actors and producers. We chanced to see Sunderlal Nehta, Dundi and Bhatt while visiting their office. The ante rooms of their office were holding old cinema hoardings, song books strewn all over and provided great fun to our children.We collected all of them tried to sing a song which we never heard of.The large water tanks on the ground floor filled with chilled water, the dark unused rooms with creaky doors, abandoned spiral staircases, and flower creeper which was desperately trying to reach the top floor, provided us kind of Gothic experience.

It hosted many relatives who come on vacation, sheltered many pursuing students,protected unemployed bachelors, asylumed widows and patients. Under it's roof many births have taken place, many love stories were written, many marriages were celebrated.Its huge terrace provided venue for many marriages, mine being one. The evenings of a wedding day were quite eventful with cultural programmes with no body failing to try their hand with their talent.Mikes and orchestra were provided. With beautiful young girls dressed in their best, and naughty young men teasing them, the marriages were more of cultural event rather than a ritual. Distant cousins looked closer and pally with each other with frequent visits.With too many aunties and uncles found around, one shouting grand mother at the helm of affairs, the stay there was a look forward for many of our young lot.. The job seekers obtained small hand loans from the owners of the house never to repay back. Neither the lenders were too serious about collecting them. Young couples were provided temporary accommodation with a room till they sustain themselves. I transported thirty of my excursion team to that house and were heartily welcomed and fed with affection.They never thought that their riches will erode with too many guests in.

My uncle was blessed with daughters who were as fair as Lillis, as smooth as roses. The little princesses were moving around the house in their pattu skirts, with tinkling anklets like angels from the other world.It was quite a task to untangle their numerous gold chains when they were taken to bath.

Their gramophone kept on playing records, their radio was echoing with it's "Asprow" and "Anacin" advertisements, their musical wall clocks were playing melodious tunes on time, their black telephone was occasionally ringing, their funny imported toys were making strange movements, their sleek black car was shining in front of the house with mythical eternity. Their sturdy iron vault did not feared to be opened in the presence of a relative. Bundles of currency were fearlessly counted in presence of every one.The house had many things which many of us could not dream off in those days, but they were not afraid to be shared with all of the relatives in the house. The inmates did not relish their food with out an additional mouth to eat.

The years passed by. My grand mother passed away.The younger generation got wiser.The incoming number of relatives dwindled. The "Chamriya Distributors" troubled and had to be evicted , a portion of the house was cannily occupied by an unscrupulous fellow, the portions leased to the shops and hotels faced distress sale at throw away prices. They ended up with unsuccessful business ventures, and deceitful son in law. At last as the inmates of the house were pushed further and further to the top floor, the enormous property began vanish into ethereal. For years I never chanced to go again to that house.

After long I came to know that my grand mother though married was not taken to her husbad's home due to some property disputes between her parents and in laws. Her husband (eighteen years lad) was forcibly married to another poor girl by his parents. But with his everlasting love for his first wife he refused to live with the second one. Every thing was resolved between elders and finally my grand mother was called back to her home with honours.My grand mother may be out of gratitude or consideration refused to desert the poor girl who was married to her husband, and shared all her jewellery, Sarees, and husband with the other girl. I know that I cannot judge them with my present values. I pine to see the three photographs hung to the walls now. I think my grand mother was an extraordinary woman.

I happened to hear about my uncle recent times. He is not staying in that house any more. The house was sold.He had been robbed of every thing he has got. He knew only the mansion which sheltered and hosted many. He was born and grew up there. The house was every thing to him. His riches stopped him from going to the college. He does not know any thing beyond his small world which consisted of many people feasting, laughing and living cosily. He has learnt only to eat with many people. He does not know how to be alone. He had not learnt the art of modern living. Every day he walks miles to watch his old mansion from a distance with parched eyes. I learnt that one day he fainted on his way.. But I know no body can stop him going there.

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