The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce.
A motorist driving past a lion statue displays how not to wear your mask, at Juhu on Friday
Roaring past
A motorist driving past a lion statue displays how not to wear your mask, at Juhu on Friday. Pic/Sameer Markande
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A bird in hand
Blue-tailed bee eaters can be spotted during the tour. Pic/Sagar Patankar
Of the many businesses that were affected by the lockdown, groups that organise guided tours were one of them. But with things opening up, they, too, are now taking baby steps towards starting operations again. Certain caveats in terms of safety have to be followed, of course. Take the case of Naturalist Foundation, which is taking bookings for a birdwatching tour at Bhandup Pumping Station. Founder Sachin Rane told this diarist that while these were open to 20 to 40 members of the public earlier, they will now be restricted to families of five people only. "The expert will wear a face shield and maintain six feet distance. We also have temperature guns," he added.
Solar, so good
According to a report tabled in the Human Resource Development Committee of the central government in March this year, 37 per cent of primary and secondary schools across India don't have electricity, of which 29 per cent are in rural areas. It's a fact that distressed Vansh Kakra, a class 10 student of Oberoi International School in Jogeshwari. The youngster has thus decided to make whatever difference he can himself. He has started a crowdfunding campaign on ketto.org to set up a two-kilowatt solar energy solution at a school called Swami Vivekananda Seva Kendra in the Boisar area of Palghar, where students face around six hours of power outages daily because of its remote location. "The students told me that they are unable to study because candles aren't enough in the darkness. Also, since their study time gets wasted, many of them drop out as a consequence," Kakra told this diarist.
Netaji's letters from the past
Madhuri Bose with her father Amiya Nath Bose at the site of the old Mandalay Jail where Netaji was imprisoned
The exchanges that Subhas Chandra Bose, Sarat Chandra Bose and Amiya, the latter's son, had during Indian freedom struggle will be shared via a reading today by actor Sachin Khedekar (in pic). But also participating in the event is Amiya's daughter, human rights advocate Madhuri Bose who penned the book The Bose Brothers & Indian Independence - An Insider's Account, on which the play The Bose Legacy, by Playpen Performing Arts Trust (PPAT), was based on. The discussion will be moderated by theatre artiste Yuki Elias. "Some letters are deeply personal, collected from the Mandalay and Coonoor Jails, as well as diary entries.
Khedekar played Netaji in Shyam Benegal's movie [in 2004]. Madhuri will read some unshared letters, too," shared Nikhil Katara, the play's director. Details can be found on PPAT's social media channels.
Dark romance
What are millennials likely to do at midnight? Well, those who have dating apps installed on their phones will probably be checking out profiles on them. That's what a new study conducted by one such app across its database of eight lakh users from across India shows — millennials are most active on it between 10 pm and 1 pm, and least active between 6 pm and 8 pm. "I feel that people can have a relaxed conversation at late hours, since they are more at peace," explained Ravi Mittal, founder of QuackQuack, the dating app.
Robin Hood for Mumbai
Diwali is around the corner and the folks at NGO We the People have come up with an idea to light up the lives of underprivileged children living on the streets. They have started a campaign called Robin Hood Diwali, as part of which they are asking well-heeled Mumbaikars to contribute sweets that can be gifted to the kids. Gelvin Fernandes from the organisation told this diarist that while speaking to homeless kids near the international airport, he realised that sweets are what they wanted the most for Diwali. So, he approached We the People founder Jason Temasfieldt with the idea. "Diwali falls on Children's Day this year, and we thought it's a nice way to celebrate the occasion," Fernandes said. Call 9920816850 to lend a hand.
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