The city — sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Time to breathe
Today is World Asthma Day (although one PR person who sent us a release related to the day spells it “asthama” we wonder if maybe she needs to take a breather before saying the word) and for asthma sufferers living in cities, the pollution exacerbates their condition.
Those with access to clean-air areas such as parks are luckier, but asthma patients, who have to brave exhaust fumes and other air-borne pollutants, have the worst of it.
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And, though better technology has led to cleaner vehicles with less emissions, sometimes we have ourselves to blame, as we burn garbage, let off firecrackers and in many such ways unthinkingly choke the air around us.
It’s time we became more aware, stopped blaming “other people”, and played our part in keeping our environment clean. And safe.
Sitting targets for vandals
While our railways are by no means perfect, by and large they do an adequate job of ferrying commuters up and down all day, every day.
And when you consider that many of these commuters are hell-bent on either harming themselves, or damaging the railways’ property, or both - well, then the description goes from “adequate” to “good”.
That’s why it is such a disappointment to see vandalism of the sort in these pictures, perpetrated on seats in one of the first class compartments of a Western Railway train. Individually, as many news stories bear out, we are kind, polite, helpful people.
But collectively, we often seem to forget these qualities and display disdain for authority and all that is associated with it. Which includes vandalism, tearing seats, breaking glass and leaving compartments dirty. It just makes the railways’ job harder. And our image worse.
Tribute with a benefit
City music-lovers will hold a tribute concert for the late rocker Nandu Bhende, on May 8 from 10pm at music lounge Blue Frog.
Set to play are the Nandu Bhende Band, Leslie Lewis, The Hoodwink Circle, Zedde, and Mihir Joshi. Gate proceeds go to Aastha Parivaar, a health and advocacy organisation for Mumbai's sex workers and their children.
Cricket icons at work
The legends were in action at Wankhede Stadium yesterday. Mumbai Indians icon Sachin Tendulkar and team mentor Anil Kumble showed glimpses of their skills when they took to the nets.
(From right) Anil Kumble, Sachin Tendulkar, and Tendulkar’s son Arjun, at nets at Wankhede Stadium. Pic/Atul Kamble
Tendulkar had a few knocks in the nets reserved for the Royal Challengers Bangalore to practice later in the evening. Giving him throwdowns was his former Mumbai teammate Sushant Marathe.
Tendulkar, who bid an emotional adieu to international cricket at this same venue last November, was seen doing his customs of all these years yet again.
He first took a close look at the match wicket before going into the nets where the Little Master practiced for nearly 15 minutes. He was then seen chatting with a few MI cricketers before heading to the dressing room.
After a few minutes, he again made his way onto the field, but this time he was accompanied by his son Arjun. Kumble, meanwhile, bowled tirelessly in the nets, giving MI players some quality practice with leg spin.
Needless to say, when Tendulkar and Kumble headed towards the dressing room, the crowd which had gathered to watch MI practice were quick to whip out their cell phone cameras and capture the two legends.
Branching out with a difference
Call them nature’s hoardings or advertisement sites, but in a city inundated by ugly posters on walls, here is a new way to advertise.
Posters on trees at Shivaji Park. Pic/Satyajit Desai
Since summer is here, city kids and some adults, those who are in sweltering Mumbai, are the target of numerous camps being held all across the city.
From art to dancing and yoga to all kinds of music, teachers at these camps are doing their best to get students, given there is so much competition.
There is a cluster of notices and hoardings pinned on to trees and hanging on branches near the Samarth Vyayam Mandir at Shivaji Park, Dadar.
Telephone numbers are pinned on to tree trunks at the cosy little green pocket. Who needs advertising sites, when one has trees?
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