I’ve been hunting for a complete list of Dry Days in Mumbai, but invariably come up with naught. So, after much searching, I’ve decided to put up a list of my own! It’s easy enough to tie this up with the list of Public Holidays in Mumbai, as well, as almost half of the dry days are holidays!

Below is the list of Dry Days (as listed on the Official Site for the Govt. of Maharashtra):

The 18 Public Holidays mentioned on the same site are:

1. Republic Day – 26-Jan
2. Mahashivratri – 12-Feb
3. Id-e-Milad – 27-Feb
4. Holi (2nd Day) – 1-Mar
5. Gudi Padwa – 16-Mar
6. Ram Navmi – 24-Mar
7. Good Friday – 2-Apr
8. Dr. Ambedkar Jayanti – 14-Apr
9. Maharashtra Day (May Day) – 1-May
10. Buddha Pournima – 27-May
11. Independnce Day – 15-Aug
12. Parsi New Year – 19-Aug
13. Ramazan Id – 10-Sep
14. Ganesh Chaturdashi – 11-Sep
15. Mahatmi Gandhi Jayanthi – 2-Oct
16. Diwali – 17-Nov
17. Moharum – 17-Dec
18. Christmas – 25-Dec
19. New Year 2011 – 1-Jan,2011

Here’s the complete list, put together (I’ve also uploaded it on Google docs, here):

Note that Election days and ballot counting days are also dry days-  I haven’t mentioned any here. If anyone sees anything wrong with the lists, let me know.

• http://www.hindu-blog.com/2009/06/ashadi-ekadasi-2009-devsayani-ashadi.html
• http://bombayhighcourt.nic.in/site/latest/calendar_2010.pdf

With just over a month to go for this warp-speed year to fizzle out into a memory, I can’t help but look at another wasted year of procrastination, to-do lists that aren’t-done, ups, downs, and all the other usual culprits.. viz. booze, lack of money, sleep.

Looking back at my list of things to do before 2010.. and, to put it mildly, is a resolution FAIL!

1 partial ‘tick’ on #8 is about it… damn!

…I read somewhere that people often over-estimate what they can accomplish in 1 year and under-estimate what they can do in 5…  makes sense, too.

Whatever! ..I still have 40 days to go, so  red pen, get ready to start ticking…

Tomorrow’s task -

• Download passport application forms !

..and I hardly have time to post…

I put 2 and 2 together… and decided that I’ll just share whatever I find.. 

‘Fun pics’ I call them ..and I’ll try and be a bit regular with these at least.. 

Here’s my first!

(hope nobody sues me for content use..)

Valentine’s is here… woo hoo!

..And hasn’t it arrived with bits of usual adornment – Hearts, cards, stuffed toys & lathis (with the last one enjoying the majority..)

But wait, there’s more! In this, the age of the new & exciting, hold a hand and get a marriage license free! Exchange a rose for a speed-weight-loss program – with 50+ personal trainers focused on you for motivation (albeit with stones and swears and threats of beatings as the added incentive for running as fast as you can)!

I am, of-course , talking about a select few of our intrepid political leaders (..you know who you guys are .. ) and their band of not-so-merry men… who have so ‘selflessly’ given up all their other important political duties to teach us these meaningful lessons of life and culture; right and wrong ( like ..girls can’t meet friends and guys can beat up girls.. who knew! ). ..but really, please don’t do us this kindness.. we’re not worthy…

However, we aren’t ungrateful. No, far from it. We offer the (proverbial) shirt off our backs… and you should, too!

So head on over to the CONSORTIUM OF PUBGOING, LOOSE AND FORWARD WOMEN and join the pink chaddi campaign!!

Pink_Chaddis

Hurry, we need to give these fine gentlemen a Valentine’s to remember!

(Before you ask, the other reason would be a beer or such..)

I am  scribbling down this randomness instead of watching the game because my genius of a cable guy seems to think a ‘Villa-Portsmouth game more thrilling than a Man U game (Oh, who cares if they’re just playing West Brom – bottom of the league! – Man U’s fun to watch when they’re kicking ass!!)

<Manchester United is 1 up at this, the 43rd minute – courtesy, Berbeov>

India celebrated her 60th Year of Being a Republic Nation 2 days ago. I should say a few words about the obvious pride & patriotism that should come along with this day.

I won’t - I’m not feeling too proud right about now. 

Don’t get me wrong – I love this country and I am happy in knowing that I’m one of the billion lucky people that can call India home…

…but’s a bit ironic, don’t you think, that on Monday, the 26th of January, the top story on all leading news channels was a dead heat between India’s 60th Republic Day Parade and women being beaten up by a 40-man strong mob in broad daylight ?

Have we, as a society, retarded a few 4 – 5 centuries or are we just new-found-fans of the taliban regime??

With all this talk of fighting terrorism.. ‘we’re gonna fight terrorism’ .. ‘terrorism sucks’ .. ‘we’re gonna shoot terrorism in the face!’.. 

..what is terrorism? - A hijacked plane flown into a multi-storeyed business building?  OR Under a dozen youths holding a city at gun-point for over 60 hours? OR Christians being attacked by mobs or over 100s of men – raping nuns, pulverising priests and razing churches to be left burning in their wake? OR a dozen girls being attacked by mobs for sitting at a lounge bar? OR A School being attacked because it plays music of a different state (albeit from the same country!)?

Fits a pattern, doesn’t it?

Your move, My Government; how shall we treat the terrorists?

<on a lighter note, Man U up 5 – 0, with 10 minutes to go.. >

Tubelight.
I suddenly realize that I don’t know where the fuck my watch is – I never take my watch off when I get into the sea (It’s this super-cool watch that I can technically snorkel in water up to 100 meters deep.. ), so why is it not on my wrist??!
Dammit!
I run to the shore in the hopes that I had my life’s one brilliant moment and actually left the watch with the hootch.. alas, I hadn’t.
So I head back to the Gang – who had apparently noticed my misfortune ( and also, i suppose, by now bored stiff of that game of water-volleyball) and are now apparently walking in a line perpendicular to the shoreline in the hopes that they stumble [no, the pun wasn't intended] upon my time-piece.
Bottles are found, bags are found, bikini tops are found. This leads to a slight diversion of attention, as everyone’s altruistic nerve pushes us to return the distraught lady her property.
..we didn’t find her.
Suddenly there’s a yelp from one of the gang – smothered by a well timed wave – not moving an inch.
He says he’s standing on something long, relatively soft and thin (terd..?). Fearless Carlton dives in and lo!, comes out with my beautiful casio-aq160!!

Miracle Ticker

I love Christmas season. True Story.

Ok, so we’ve all done it. Shamelessly. Every year.
You silently say, “This year I’m gonna quit smoking”..or “This Year I’m gonna condition myself to need just 4 hours of sleep a day”(That’s me in 2007.. go figure).. or “This year i’m gonna blah blah blah”… and then never go close to doing a thing about it!..

Not this year, I say! I have a fool proof plan – I have a ‘to-do list’! (..and we all know that a to-do list just MUST BE checked off..) ..and they aren’t my New Year’s Resolutions; they’re The 15 Things i just gotta do before 2010!

Clever me.

So here’s the list – a bit boring, a bit practical and mostly necessary..

1. Get a Damn Passport!
2. Get a Damn Car License (..which leads to..)
3. Learn how to drive a Damn Car.
4. Get back into some semblance of physical shape – Strong enough to kick Brendon’s ass (though probably I won’t) & Fit enough to run Next Year’s Marathon (though I probably won’t…)
5. Learn how to play the guitar… for the 2nd time!
6. Learn how to speak Hindi… for the 1st time! (Next year – Marathi! )
7. Start going to Church more regularly
8. Get my Ugly-Ass teeth fixed! (Damn cavities…)
9. Learn Braille (Still haven’t found the pattern in those damn dots!)
10. Learn Morse Code (yes Carlton, i am such a geek…)
11. Learn the Names of All the Countries – and their Capitals…
12. Learn the Names of All the States in India, where they are – and their Capitals.
13. Know the Greek Alphabet (I really don’t know why I want to, but I do..) (.pdf)
14. Be more Decisive!! (..dunno how that’s going to happen..)
15. Write blog entries more regularly!

Not much, I know – baby steps is what i say! ..and if I get 10 down, I’m happy!

So, what plans for you and 2009? (C’mon.. give me 3.. or even just 1!)

I once told a good friend that the first post in a blog will set the trend for the blog; thus you should put great thought into it. Don’t talk too much about politics or art, sport or film, bikes or cars; don’t make it too technical but be wary of being too loose on any fact. Be careful of what you put into it because your blog – and you –  will ‘ever be labelled by what you put into that very first Post.

Horsecrap.

One thing I did say (..this is the non-horsecrap part..) is that it should say something about you.

I’m indicisive, I procrastinate; I will change that.. tomorrow. I love understanding how stuff works (Yep, howstuffworks.com is one of my favourite places.. ). I’m a smart, logical person with the memory of a goldfish.

I digress. I love digression. I love the word (Doesn’t it just roll off your tongue? – It doesn’t slide off like ‘slush’ or ‘balloon’ nor does it tumble along like bananas and coconuts… ). I love tracking back 2-hour conversations to figure what possible segue just took us from ‘how many days till chrismas’ to ‘why the hell was the last best thing sliced bread?’ !

Due to my handicap (I have the memory of a goldfish..) I need to write things down : a ‘memory- hard-copy’ of sorts.

This blog is just that – The Ramblings of an Amnestic Mind.