SCMM 2015

If you want to go fast, go alone.

If you want to go far, go together.

                             - African Proverb

Aam Aadmi

Taking public transport engages you in a way no other. Not in the cocoon of your vehicle then, you hear the voices of aam aadmi. I met some of them in Mumbai.

I ran into a BSP pracharak in guise of an auto driver. In flamboyant pracharak-style speak he announced willingness to leave behind his family for the great good of Mumbaikars. His belief is unshakable that the Modi-Ambani nexus is keeping out smaller parties like BSP from Mumbai. Once Madam Mayawati has the handle on the power, she and her government will run the enterprise and there would be no businessmen. Only the working class. He dismissed my observation that government cannot run the government itself, how can they run the business. He quipped - government is unable to run itself because businessmen are trying to run the government. It should be the other way round.

Further enlightenment came from the driver of the taxi I hopped into to go to Colaba. At the Opera House junction he mentioned that the diamond traders have moved from South Mumbai to BKC, but soon they will move out of there as well.  When inquired where exactly, pat came the reply – “Where every other business is moving – to Gujarat!”.

I am getting Garv enrolled for Garba classes and probably going to ask our cook to start practicing Theplas.

Fake it, till you make it!

The taxi driver had been in the business for 20 years. “Whoa, no diversification?”, I asked.  He went on to narrate his life story. He never had time to diversify and take risks as he had two young brother to raise. He could ill afford to miss their tuition fees. 

Turns out that his younger brother failed the 10^th exam and our good man paid up for the fake certificate to get him admission into higher secondary. The investment seems to have paid off handsomely as the young man apparently is now an engineer and taking home 1.5L per month. Take that for luck by chance!

Aamchi Mumbai Police

This was totally unexpected. My taxi had stopped at an intersection when I was approached by two men in plain clothes. One of them peaked his head into the taxi and said, “main police wala hoon. Aap kahan ja rahe ho, mujhe upar jana hai”. I understood he was trying to impose his power and asking for a drop. Later I learnt that “upar” did not mean heaven. He was asking for a drop to Walkeshwar which was up the road from the intersection we had been waiting. Perhaps he was getting late to report for duty at Raj Bhavan. 

Breakdown Service

It was always going to be an uphill task to run 42km after being out of action for 3 weeks with IT band aggravation. This was my first SCMM and I didn’t want to lose the opportunity regardless of the final outcome. So I showed up on the start line and had a fabulous experience on the stretch till 23KM after which the pain in the knee showed up again. I ambled on for a further 6KM after which I decided to call the breakdown service. Hopped into the cab and returned back to the hotel. 

Disappointed not to finish but pleased to run a wonderful course. Hope to start-up again on Jan. 17, 2016 in better shape.

Painful Pedestal

As I stepped forward for my security check, the policeman had a wry smile on this face. He had noticed me limp to the pedestal. Even before I could explain he remarked that I must be one of the marathon runner. Apparently he had seen a lot of people struggle to get on and off the pedestal today. I was encouraged to hear that I wasn’t the only one.