AMUZEMENT: an amazing amusement. Not hugely amazing, I might add, but in keeping with the modest quality of "amusement", something that amazes in an amusing but not particularly life-altering way. (I realize that, in the way of neologisms, this isn't a promising one -- coz there's no audible difference between the original amusement and my little variation. Whatever)
Two recently visited websites have affored me amuzement in the past couple of days: How Stuff Works and (just today) Weird Fortune Cookies. I've added them to my side-bar, so they'll remain in place long after this post has moved out of sight.
Oh -- and -- I'm back in Delhicose (to rhyme with "bellicose"). On the transport-bus from the aircraft to the arrival lounge at the airport, the driver chose to open only one of the automatic doors of the bus. Not because it didn't work, just coz he didn't feel like it. When those of us who were trapped at the front of the bus (not wishing to walk the great distance to the back), asked him to oblige, he ignored us, thought he got down from his seat. Then he walked around to the door and gave it a kick, from the outside. It opened. He looked away, scowling absent-mindedly, as we stepped down and out of the vehicle.
Delhicose.
Inside the arrival area, the space beside the baggage carousels was like a riot scene. Three flights were being accommodated on one carousel. Passengers were smashing and grabbing for their luggage. I scraped the skin of the pinky finger on my right hand while doing the jerk-and-haul operation for transferring one of my items from the carousel to my trolley.
Delhicose.
There was blood on the receipt for my prepaid taxi, when I handed it to the policeman manning the prepaid-taxi-post as my taxi pulled away from the cab-rank. But no-one noticed.
Delhicose.
When I got home, I solicited the cabbie's help to get my cases to the front door -- it's not a major distance, but some louts look the other way, while holding out their hand to be given the receipt (for which they collect the money they're owed for the journey) and also for a possible tip. This one obliged good-naturedly. I had only 1C notes with me and had debated going in to get change. But it was hot and I was tired. So I gave him one. Now -- I know many of you are going to be cursing me for being both lazy and idiotically lavish but -- his face lit up so bright that it just made my day.
(not)Delhicose.
2 comments:
i know what you mean about that smile and how it just insists on making your day. lovely. a confession: despite swearing delhi is just not my scene anymore (was born there, spent fabulous times with my grandparents there, and did the last 5 years of school there), i'm sort of missing dilli sheher and want a bit of delhicose. next year.
Thnx for your insights both Indrani and Amro!
Yesterday I visited a multi-media exhib at the gallery called Nature Morte. It was kind of fun, and I think Amro in particular would have found it interesting -- its title was THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE OF PLAN -- and it was (in part) an exploration of the sometimes surreal, sometimes poignant, sometimes elevating visual arena of public spaces. The spaces that we all share, out on the streets, at airports, OUTSIDE buildings -- the space that we can all access. The artists were/are three documentary film-makers whom I have known as a three-in-one entity called RAQS -- Monica, Jibesh and Shuddha -- and over the years I have enjoyed my interactions with them because of a consistent high fun/intellectual content -- we meet maybe once in two years, for chats which last four or five hours, in a restaurant. The show represents a compilation of the installations they've presented at shows around the world. What I enjoy about them is that they explore stuff that I don't usually think about (exterior spaces in this case) -- but with no particular agenda (political/ideological).
I like 'em a LOT! As must be obvious...
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