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Mumbai Diary page: Monday Musings

Updated on: 06 October,2014 08:08 AM IST  | 
Contributed by: Hemal Ashar |

The city — sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce

Mumbai Diary page: Monday Musings

Yacht a way to get together
With that looooong weekend over by today and tonight for others (sob, my friends) it is time for a little recap. International flavour of course. Like we learn that the University College London (UCL) has had a lot to celebrate, of late.


(L to R) Pratish Panjabi (lawyer), Mark Trayling (UCL India alumni relations ambassador), Savin Vijay (Director, Arigel Design Studio), Rohit Sharma (lawyer) and Dr Marcus Ranney (Global Shaper, World Economic Forum). The autobiography of Gandhi in the photo belongs to Mark Trayling’s family. It was a wedding gift to his parents and was signed by former Indian Prime Minister Morarji Desai in 1977
(L to R) Pratish Panjabi (lawyer), Mark Trayling (UCL India alumni relations ambassador), Savin Vijay (Director, Arigel Design Studio), Rohit Sharma (lawyer) and Dr Marcus Ranney (Global Shaper, World Economic Forum). The autobiography of Gandhi in the photo belongs to Mark Trayling’s family. It was a wedding gift to his parents and was signed by former Indian Prime Minister Morarji Desai in 1977


It was ranked fifth in the world in the QS University rankings and as Mahatma Gandhi was a Law alumnus, was excited to be commemorating his birthday last week. So, some of that excitement came to India, as alumni met in Mumbai on Thursday, October 2 to remember as they say, “The life and times of India’s founding father.


He was an extraordinary man who changed the face of world politics, philosophy and set India on its course to nationhood. We at UCL couldn’t be prouder to have Gandhi as our alumnus,” said Mark Trayling, UCL alumni ambassador in India.

The alumni met at Royal Bombay Yacht Club in SoBo (appropriately Brit ambience, we must add). Trayling said that they could muster only seven persons, since it was the start of a long weekend and most people were travelling. Yet, the college thought that it was important to celebrate the birthday on the right day rather than delay.

So, in a little corner of Mumbai, a group of college alumni marked Gandhi’s birthday, amidst so many other celebrations in the city. Incidentally, we learn that UCL has had a long relationship with India, with its alumni in India, boasting two Chief Justices, a Secretary of State and even Rabindranath Tagore.

Feeling the pinch
The Western India Automobile Association (WIAA), may have just vroooomed to the rescue of Mumbaikars. The car owners association says it is “shocked and disturbed” at the rise in toll rates in Maharashtra. It claims it had been writing to the government seeking a personal hearing before this could be implemented but were never given a hearing.

On the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL)
On the Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL)

They say, “Toll should be scrapped in Maharashtra and other places as the amount of precious fuel wasted due to long queues is not justified.” They claim that in the morning hours at the Worli-Bandra Sea Link, Vashi and Expressway the line takes at least 20 minutes to 45 minutes to clear, there is no time saved and instead, if you go through the old road it is faster.

“We are of the view that some extra price could be included in the new car price to compensate the toll money, as only the toll contractor is earning and the roads are also not kept in a good condition,” said Nitin Dossa, Executive Chairman, WIAA. Do we hear some car owners saying, ditto, Mr. Dossa?

Can it, pan it
One of the better parts of exiting from a multiplex in all that crowd, is getting to overhear comments about the movie from those who had watched it along with you. When the movie is bad, or ‘unwatchable’ in this case, it is even more fun. And to those who say eavesdropping is rude.

We say, rude? Get a life, dude. So, one lady was overheard saying after watching Bang Bang, “Hrithik dances like a God, and has a great body, but he is looking old yaar, his face shows age.”

A young man who presumably hated the film was overheard saying to his friend, “After this movie, you wish the director, screenwriter or whoever these guys are who made the movie, would just hang, hang.” Well that’s a lighthearted death wish for you.

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