October 27: Random Acts of Kindness Week

Above image from
http://www.cyberhugs.com/cyberhugs_images/cyberhugs_images--/Smile/smile37.gif

Above image from http://www.helpothers.org/pics/cards/pif5_full.gif

Random Acts of Kindness is a global movement that started several years ago. It involves doing something nice for someone... anyone... without expectation of anything in return. In fact, the idea is to give them a smile card that asks them to pass on the kindness to someone else in turn. As part of Super Sundays, a few of us decided that we would indulge in an interesting exercise... an RAOK week... not just one day of being kind to people but a whole WEEK! :) The idea was to try and do something nice for someone every single day for a whole week and then meet the following Sunday to swap experiences and ideas. Most of us did not end up doing an RAOK every single day but we did have some interesting experiences. Here are a few that we'd like to share with you:

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Random Acts of Kindness was something, I had only read about, so when Vinod suggested it as one of the Super Sunday activities, I was a little excited. The idea being attempting to approach random people and do just a little something for them, specially when most people are wary of strangers these days and be open to the various reactions that follow.

My first act of kindness began with me paying for an ice cream for a group at MacDonald’s and handing out a kindness card that read ‘if this got u smiling, now its your chance to light up someone else’s day. Pass on the card and keep the spirit going.’ One of the guys quite liked the idea and even asked for a few more pass it on kindness cards. His enthusiasm left me elated and a little more confident in approaching others. The next one I offered a free ice cream too was a college girl who said a short thanks and walked away hurriedly, leaving me a little disappointed. I expected her to smile in the least and maybe ask me what RAOK was all about. I doubted whether she would pass on the card to someone else. Next time I tried to pick people who came across as warm and approachable, someone who would definitely take RAOK forward and not let my effort go waste. Secretly I wished the card would come back to me someday, after traveling to hundred others. I however, later realized that in order for RAOK to work for me, I need to give unconditionally or the real purpose of it would be defeated. My job was to make someone feel good and not judge them. And the exercise would be more rewarding when I let go of my expectations. Next I approached a girl in a library with a chocolate who seemed pleasantly surprised and another aunty in my train, who shared the chocolate and passed on the card to a few other people in the compartment. In the coming week, I approached two more people around Churchgate station, this time with a chocolate again, along with a flower. While one of them reluctantly accepted it, another lady thought this was some commercial gimmick or it was a part of some game show, and there were some cameras hidden around. I had a difficult time trying not to burst out laughing and after I assured her she was no ‘bakra’, she accepted it with a broad smile. And lastly, I pride myself in having done my sister’s homework, some college project of hers, absolutely free!! Though I later convinced her for loaning me some money to fund my further RAOK activities.

These brief shining moments that I experienced this week, in reaching out to people by doing a little something, however small is valuable and whether we will remember each other later is immaterial. Being kind is great for health and I would definitely not restrict it to a week!

- Dhwani

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Fire - Backfired :) Cafe Coffee Day - Was sitting with a friend at lunch, finished the main course and ordered for Chocolate Fantasy .. (yes, I do believe in a 3 course meal even on weekdays ;)) .. My dessert arrived and it looked absolutely sinful and delicious ! Suddenly, from the corner of my eye, I saw the CCD waiter/usher, who was standing all along and opening the door for customers. I turned around to him, offered him a fresh spoon - pointed at the plate, and said "Please have some .. I'd really like it if you do" ! At which, he almost jumped out of his skin (;)) .. and kept saying 'No ma'am, no ma'am' .. followed by CCD policy 'We are not allowed to eat with our customers' ! I did persist, though only to realize I was making him a little more uncomfortable each time .. so I just let it be .. (and of course, devoured the entire thing all by myself !) Oh well ! I know I tried .. it just was a little too shocking for him, thats all :p

Earth - Bought guavas and gave one to my building watchman (normally a rather serious looking guy with a suspicious look on his face) .. he said "nahi nahi, isse khaansi aati hai" :D ! But of course, the sincere intent with which I gave it is too positive to cause any sort of negative impact :)

Water - As a surprise for my friend Aruna, I cleaned the toilet and bathroom in my friend's apartment, where I stay right now .. to a point where the toilet was actually shining like a bright white jasmine flower (lol .. :D) .. Its another story that she got very irritated that I took the trouble and made a ground rule that I will not clean the apartment by myself in the future .. Yea Yea :p but I do know that deep inside, she is also very touched by it :)

Space - Bought a book for my good friend .. as he walked up to the billing counter at Crossword (where we were lounging out and browsing books) with this new book he found and rather liked, I snuck up behind him and flashed my new orange colored 1000 rupee currency note, which obviously outshone his debit card :p .. and the cashier readily accepted mine ! Although this was more an act of kindness for myself, because I am sure I feel happier about buying him the book .. apart from the fact that I will borrow it from him someday !! :p

Air - Skipped my turn in the billing queue at D-Mart, to give someone behind me a chance to go ahead .. Her reaction was .. well non-existent ! She didn't even notice what I did, and just walked ahead as if I had just disappeared :p This was pretty funny .. and I kept smiling to myself all along .. :) <>

Common theme across the above - Neutral to even some shocked faces in reaction to my RAOK, but then its never about expecting something in return right ? I believe its mainly about the input (which only needs to be a quick naughty smile and a sincere packet of positive energy !!)

I do have 2 days to go this week for more RAOKs .. or actually .. the rest of my life :)

Love,
Kinnera

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A bright sunny morning, there was an excitement today as I was going to wear a new kurti (a present from a friend). Dressed in all glory, I headed for work, reached the railway platform and sat on my seat, compelled by routine, waiting for the engine. The scene was mundane, people waiting for their trains, hurrying fish mongers, crossing the tracks with baskets laden with fish and swatting at the crows from getting their bait.

Waiting…I saw her, her appearances caught my attention, she looked different from other fish mongers, she did not wear a koli saree. She had very short hair, like a man’s and she was wearing a saree in a different style. She had dark skin with a white tikka on her forehead. She was crossing the tracks, balancing the two bags in her hands. She struggled to control; she did not want her ‘maal’ to fall over. She crossed the tracks and rested a while, heaving badly with the excursion of carrying such heavy weight.

I hesitated for a while…I did not want to stink of fish, but the Act of Kindness was playing in the back of my mind….I stood and reached out to her. I offered help. She stood perplexed for a moment. I offered again and bend down to carry one of her bags, she immediately swatted my hand away and said that my hands will stink and my clothes will get dirty. I told her I don’t mind but she refused to let me help her, she did not want me to stink of fish. She just kept smiling trying to convince me she could manage. She did manage…she also kept giving me a grateful smile.

The engine came and she left…keeping me waiting…

The Act of Kindness was more by her than me…I was touched :)

- Shirin

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Act 1: A confusing start:

As I left home this morning, I was still very unsure about what I was going to do as my RAOK for the day. Trusting that I would find opportunities along the way, I set off for to my cousin’s place to have lunch. Soon enough, I saw a young man suffering from leprosy (he had open sores on his feet) sitting on a pavement not too far from my house. For a moment, I stopped to wonder whether I could do something nice for him. But then thoughts of the lunch which I was already late for came into my mind… and I decided I would do something a little later.

Still thinking this, I neared the bus stop from where I normally take a bus into the city. As I walked up to the stop, I could see an old lady lying on the ground nearby. Now October in Bombay can be a terribly hot and humid month and today certainly ranked up there as one of the hotter days. She seemed quite old though it was difficult to make out under all the dust she was covered in. As soon as I saw her, I was stuck by a thought. How is it that we are able to walk away from such a situation with our consciences undisturbed? Perhaps it’s because India is so full of people like her who have no access to water, food and shelter. And the very thought of doing something for each and every one of them can be daunting. But as I looked at her, it took me just a few seconds to realize that here was my opportunity… even if it meant getting a bit late for my lunch appointment.

Once the decision was made, it was surprisingly easy. I wasn’t sure whether she had the energy to even sit up, but I decided to buy her something to eat and some water. I immediately walked up to a nearby restaurant and picked up a bottle of water for her and five oranges from a nearby fruit stall. Walking back towards where she lay, I found myself hoping there would be no one else at the stop. Having an audience while doing something for someone in need, can be quite difficult to deal with. I have no idea why I have these thoughts… perhaps it’s because I wonder what they will be thinking. But today, I just decided that it didn’t matter. Somehow, the act of deciding consciously on one whole week of daily RAOKs seemed to help. I walked up to her, kneeled down beside her (among the other commuters waiting for the bus) and called out to her but she didn’t lift up her head. She opened her eyes only when I touched her gently on her shoulder, but didn’t seem to understand what I was saying. I showed her the bottle of water and the oranges and asked her to have some water. But she seemed to be in a daze… perhaps because she hadn’t had any food or water I some time. So I decided to just leave it near her where she could find it. As I did this, my bus arrived… and I decided to take it. Later, I wondered whether I should have stayed a little longer to ensure that she was alright or at least to help her sit up… but it was too late by then. I checked the same spot that evening but she wasn’t there… and neither were the things I had got her. I can only hope that they came in handy for her.

Act 2: Tea with Ashok Kumar:

Ashok Kumar is an auto driver from Powai, a suburb of Bombay. Some days ago, when I was returning home from Powai, I happened to hop into his auto rickshaw for my ride back home. As soon as I boarded the vehicle, I heard him muttering, “Abhi chai ke liye rukne hi wala tha… lekin…” (I was just about to stop for a cup of tea… but now…). Hearing these words, I asked him if he would like to stop somewhere for a cup of hot tea. Immediate silence at his end. :) We chugged along quietly. A few minutes after we had set off, he tentatively asked me whether it was really okay to stop for some tea. I smiled and nodded my agreement to him in his rear view mirror. Smiling back gratefully, he quickly maneuvered his auto to the side of the road and parked near a tea shop.

Obviously he was a regular there. He disappeared as soon as we arrived there and on looking around, I found him washing his hands and his face at a nearby tap. He had clearly had a rough day, driving around the city in the terrible October heat and dust. Soon we were both standing in front of a boiling kettle of strong tea. As the man at the counter expertly poured us our cutting chai (half of a small glass of tea), Ashok Kumar disappeared once again. This time it was a cigarette he was after. I quickly took the opportunity to pay for the tea and resumed drinking from my cup while I waited for him. He joined me a minute later merrily puffing away at his cigarette. As I watched, he started to drink his tea very quickly, swirling it around rapidly to cool it in between sips. I told him there was no hurry and that he should take his time. Big smile of disbelief on his face! :) And he said, “Ek bar grahak ko bitha liya, toh mujhe unko ruka ke rakhna accha nahin lagta” (Once I’ve taken on a customer, I don’t like to keep them waiting). And I countered with, “Jab grahak ko koi jaldi nahin, to aap ko kyon hai?” (when the customer isn’t in a hurry, why are you hurrying?”. Another big smile on his face. :) As we quietly enjoyed our tea, he began to pull out some money from his pocket for the tea. I signaled to him with a smile that the deed was already done. A long moment of confused silence ensued. Then a huge smile lit up his face as he realized that I had already paid.

As we set off on the long ride towards my destination, the mood felt considerably lighter and there was a warm sense of brotherhood between us… something that I haven’t experienced in a long long time with a complete stranger. Spontaneity is so much fun! :)

- Vinod

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(Email from Altaf in London who shares his experiences from London)

Dear Vinod:

As always, I think it is a fabulous idea. I have been doing that in the past month in London, on my own. And it is wonderful feeling, there is a bounce in my walk after a good deed done. I usually do it while I am on the Underground service. I am always looking out for young mothers with pram who struggle to get up and down the stairs in the underground network. And London being such an impersonal city, people are often in the rush, and a vagabond like me, with time on my hand, I often end up cheering up a young mother. But I also have to be careful about my random act of kindness, because of my ethnicity and the way I look, I usually don't want it to be misconstrued. So random acts of kindness with a little sense of awareness helps. The latest act of kindness was in Manchester last evening, where an elder African woman with a big suitcase, didn't know how to operate the self-service ticket kiosks at the station, helped operate the machine and she left happily and left me glowing inside. Really, as much as we like to help, there is a little bit of selfishness involved to - I want to be happy too :)

See you soon,
Altaf

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This is a post by my friend Kartick Sitaraman who couldn't participate completely in the RAOK week as he was away. However, he has already been practicing RAOKs even before the idea came up for a Super Sunday, as you can see from this post that is available on his blog at http://kartickslongroad.blogspot.com/

I'd mentioned in a previous post that I'm beginning to find happiness or satisfaction in little things... Shukla and I had planned a 'smoke' together to celebrate my office-coming. (Shukla works in Dubai, so we smoke physically in our respective locations, but co-ordinate it on cyber space). We had that smoke today, and in the course of that smoke, I found happiness in another small thing and also material for this post. When I walked into office in the morning, I found a security guard standing outside our new office. The old office (for digital entertainment) is on the 6th floor. Our new office (TV & Films) is on the 5th, and hence, a new security guard has been stationed outside starting today. I sat on the staircase with my smoke and noticed that he was still standing. Investigations (I've just begun work on a crime fiction show, and that's why the term) revealed that he had not been given a chair as yet since it was his first day and he was due to receive it by the end of the day. I wondered how someone could be left standing for a whole day outside the office, when the office had so many spare chairs with no one to sit on them. I asked our office boy to give him a chair from inside until he got his own chair sanctioned and actioned, that could take a while in a 'large corporate setup' believe it or not. In 10 seconds he had his chair, I had my moment of satisfaction and this post. It's largely insignificant, I know; this small moment, but it was worth that smoke. That, in itself is very rare. He insisted on standing while I was still outside. Now, am inside and I hope he's stationed himself on it for the time being. In our fast and ambitious daily lives, we tend to... well, you know the rest of it. I promise to be back, though I don't know soon. I write now only if I feel I want to say something. I've been told by a few of you that you visit this page expecting a post, and return disappointed; with no post, and probably with my lethargy and inaction. I'm quite flattered at the comment or crib, whichever way you look at it. I only hope every post is worth the wait. It is for me.

- Kartick

Sunday 16th September, 2007: Valley Park

There were two very good reasons why this particular visit just had to happen. The first: it was at Belapur, although about 8 kilometres away, a stone’s throw away from my place by Bombay standards. And the other: we were going on a nature trail… led by BNHS (Bombay Natural History Society) members, Isaac Kehimkar and V Shubhalaxmi. There were seven of us joining the larger BNHS group... Dhwani, Nandini, Nishant, Gunjan, Nirav, Aditya and I were part of an assorted group of nearly 25 people, both young and old, with the youngest being around 4 years old and the oldest perhaps in their sixties. It felt great to see so many citizens flocking to join a nature trail early on a Sunday morning. A bus-load of us was deposited in front of the Valley Park in Belapur by 7.30 am.

As we entered the park it was clear that the monsoon had worked its magic. The park was a spectacular riot of green. The sounds of traffic began to fade perceptibly as we walked into the park. Then the real fun began! :) We were taken through a brief history of the place and how it was now being protected by CIDCO after years of indifference. They also began to point out various trees, shrubs, insects and animals that played important roles in the local ecosystem. It was astounding to me that just a few minutes away from the traffic and congestion of the city, there were so many species of plants, insects and animals regenerating this beautiful forest which is partially planted. Over the next three hours, we encountered the Common Crow, the Yellow-Orange tip, the Tiger Striped, the Chocolate Pansy and the Blue Oakleaf among many others. If you’re wondering what these are, they’re butterflies! :) And really beautiful ones at that. Most of us have probably seen the little yellow ones flying about near our homes somewhere, but these were absolutely new to me. And to think, I’ve been clueless about their existence, when they’re so abundantly to be found just a few kilometres away from my place!

The Giraffe Weevil showed us how a tiny little insect can do something that is truly spellbinding. This weevil lays its egg on the leaf of the Ahan plant and then rolls up the leaf beautifully in order to protect its offspring. This accords the egg some protection (and later, food) after it hatches until the young weevil emerges into this world. The mother weevil holds the folded leaf together with some precision drilled holes in the leaf that is evocative of the finest engineering feats of man. We also came across another insect that secretes a foam like substance that looks like spittle from a distance. The insect lays its egg within this foam so that it is protected from predators through the use of a simple yet effective mechanism.

There were also multiple examples of camouflage that we saw at work. The grasshopper, for example… which has legs matching the stalks of grass and is the same shade of green as the grass around… incredibly difficult to spot unless one is looking out for movement. And a particular kind of toad, which is white in colour and has a distinctive dark stripe on its back. This one blends in so well with the surroundings that you would almost have to step on one to realize it is there. We also saw the Indian Rock Bee pollinating a flower. And the dwellings of the harvester ants… very beautiful circular mounds low on the ground unlike the regular anthills that we see looming upward. The harvester ants have their skyscrapers going into the ground… these are marvels of technology which allow the structure to be temperature controlled. As we crossed a beautiful stream, we came across some land crabs that scuttled to safety as soon as they perceived our presence. And the hoverfly which manages to hover in place by beating its wings hundred of time per second.

Overall, this four hour nature trail was a fantastic experience and one that I hope to repeat regularly… on my own, if there aren’t more such opportunities through the BNHS or other organizations.

Reading about ecology is one thing; experiencing it is another. This is the key to understanding the importance of relationships… of co-evolution… in the natural world, a world that we are very much a part of. But one that we have artificially divided into ‘civilization’ and ‘nature’. In reality, there is only nature. This ‘civilization’ over which we take so much trouble will be just another temporary phase if we don’t learn to understand our role in nature.

PS: All pictures linked in the post were found on Flickr. Copyrights with the photographers.

Sunday 2nd September, 2007: Sanjay Gandhi National Park

The response was much better this time. There were seven of us this time as opposed to three during the first week… Abhishek, Dhwani, Sachi, Deepa, Guneet, Kartick and me. We had decided to visit the Sanjay Gandhi National Park… a spectacular natural forest that is probably one of very few to be found in the middle of a bustling city anywhere in the world. The citizens of Bombay are incredibly lucky to have a forest so close to where they reside. Anyway, back to the purpose of this post… to try and make you envious by sharing with you how we had a wonderful time at the park. :) Nah… just kidding! Nah…not really! :)

Some things never change… such as, traditions that are passed down through the centuries, not always genetically. Sometimes it is an idea that is transferred from generation to generation without being limited by time and space. These ideas somehow magically find their way across continental, cultural and other divides and show us how we are really more similar than we think. In this case, the time honoured tradition was late-coming! :) All of us had agreed to meet latest by 7 am at Borivali station. I was the sixth person from the group of seven to arrive, but at least I had the excuse of having to travel a distance of nearly 40 kms. Abhishek, who lives in Dahisar (the station right after Borivali), had the distinction of winning the coveted first… oops, last… place this time. :) Reminded me of school and how the people staying closest to school always rushed in to class just before the bell rang. Yup, some things never change! :)

It was the perfect day for such an outing. The sky was very overcast and the clouds were threatening to unburden themselves on us any moment. Ready for anything that the heavens were likely to throw at us, we proceeded to the main gate of the National Park. I hadn’t been inside the place for over twenty years. The sudden expanse of lush green vastness was a treat to the eyes. During my travels across the country, I have seen a lot of lush green places over the last few years. But being exposed to it in Bombay was such a refreshing change. As we walked into the park, Deepa suggested we could take a path known as Gandhi Tekri which would take us up a hill. Since most of us hadn’t been to the National Park in years, we followed her lead. The path, which has steps leading uphill, was very serene and beautiful. It didn’t take us too long to cover the distance though and soon we were at the top of a small hillock where several people were meditating quietly in an open structure specifically made for the purpose. It was really nice and quiet but still a bit too ‘civilized’ for my liking. I suggested that we could walk on towards Kanheri Caves, a series of Buddhist Caves deep within the forest that have been reasonably well-preserved. But the walk to the caves is a 7 km hike and would take us the better part of an hour. We weren’t sure we wanted to brave the late morning sun and so decided we would reserve that for another day. However, we agreed to continue walking along the main path towards the caves with the intention of finding an interesting trail somewhere.

A note on the trails in the park:
There are several trails in the park which lead into the forest but one usually would need to get in touch with the nature conservation office in the park to access these. Or an organization like the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) which also has regular awareness sessions in the park with experts sharing their knowledge about insect life, butterflies, birds and trees in the forest. Since there is a high population of leopards and panthers in the forest, it would be unwise to venture off into these trails without a guide accompanying you. There have been several cases of panthers attacking human populations within and outside the park, especially since a lot of new buildings have been constructed along the fringes of this protected forest. The park also has a Lion and a Tiger safari where visitors can travel into the forest and see lions and tigers in their natural habitat. Stories abound of how the animals in the safari are old, tired and barely alive. But perhaps I should refrain from judging before I have actually seen it for myself.

About an hour into the walk, we came across a trail heading off into the foliage. We immediately stopped to wonder whether we wanted to explore it or not. It looked very interesting and was definitely quieter than the road to the caves that we were on. Cracking nervous jokes about how the tiger and lion safaris were just adjacent to this area, we decided to take a walk down the trail just to see what lay ahead. It turned out to be an excellent decision. The trail itself immediately took us away from ‘civilization’… it felt much more natural and more like a forest now. There were tall green trees all around us, a narrow mud trail and a couple of old abandoned structures completely covered in moss just off the path. As we carefully negotiated a largish pool of rainwater that has collected on the path (hey, we’re still city-slickers… we didn’t want to dirty our shoes!), we heard a lot of voices ahead of us. As we continued walking, the path suddenly opened up to a beautiful stream rushing past us. The voices we had heard earlier were from a large group of vociferous men who were having a nice time diving into the stream and swimming. The girls stayed some distance away from this sight… a good choice, considering most of the men swimming were clad only in their underwear. And while men can look great in their undies (take Milind Soman in the Tuffs Shoes ad, for example... oops, he wasn't wearing one in that one!), this particular group wasn’t exactly what VIP Frenchie had in mind as models for their print and television advertisements.

Anyway, a suggestion came up from someone that perhaps we could take another path to the stream. Very conveniently, there was a stretch to one side from where we could see the stream and which looked like we would be all alone there. So we walked down through the tall grass and shrubs towards the stream. Guneet had decided by now that she had had enough of being quiet… it was time to show us what she was capable of! And she did so in spectacular fashion… while the rest of us treaded carefully along the side of a rather slippery section of wet and mossy rock, she decided to slide down the rock surface. We indulgently watched as she proceeded to first bruise her butt and then her ego by sliding down the rather hard surface of the slippery rock. We were really gratified after that wondrous display of what not to do! Thank you, Guneet. :)

The stream was super! We had the place all to ourselves. Most of us immediately took off our shoes and waded into the stream and found comfortable rocks to park ourselves on. Abhishek and Guneet exhibited the most courage. They bravely attempted a crossing of the swiftly flowing stream and we were soon rewarded with the sight of Guneet being swept away by the stream. Don’t panic yet… it was only about two feet deep and Guneet’s a good swimmer. However, she managed to cover almost 20 feet this way to rousing cheers from the rest of us. :) Don’t go by her quiet look… there’s obviously a lot more going on inside her than she lets on. Anyway, the good news was that she didn’t have to worry anymore about the slime covered backside of her jeans (after the rock sliding adventure)… she was now completely drenched! :) The rest of us were enjoying a more quiet time in such environs… Deepa and Sachi chatted happily while Dhwani was busy collecting some beautifully coloured pebbles from the stream. Kartick was reading from a book (I wonder what?) for a while and then he and I had a brief but interesting conversation about the draconian laws in J&K and the NorthEast. For those of you contemplating joining in on a Super Sunday, you are warned: this is one of my pet subjects! :) In the meantime, Abhishek decided he was going to use his time productively and try and make a cult leader out of me. His theory is that nothing fazes me and that the only way to do so is to make my every utterance a spiritual canon, a law for all ages. Brand me, market me, make a consumer product out of me… Vinod Baba’s ‘New and Improved 101 Spiritual Lessons to Easy Living’… nothing less would do! He got busy trying to get himself photographed falling at my feet, while I was trying to scramble away! :)

All this continued for a while and soon it was 9.30 am… time to leave for home. As we slowly walked towards the exit, I think we were all pretty happy that we could spend a few hours in the midst of nature’s gift to the city. Perhaps we all need to spend some regular time there to truly appreciate what we have and how close we are to losing it due to the unbridled growth of new constructions on the fringes of the forest. Man and forest can co-exist peacefully… conquering nature is clearly not the way ahead.

Sunday 26th August, 2007: It almost didn't HAPPEN!

After an initial exchange of emails with a lot of people who were interested in the idea, I got busy with work and just wasn’t able to organize the first Super Sunday. After this minor fiasco, I decided that we’d definitely do something the following week. One hectic week later, I finally sent out an email to the group on Friday night. And late on Saturday evening, a decision was finally taken… we were going to spend the morning at the fishing village at Cuffe Parade, perhaps finding an old-timer to talk to, taking photographs and generally walking around.

Waking up at 4 am had never felt so good! One hour later, I was boarding the train to VT station. I was all excited at the thought that it was finally happening. We didn’t have any real agenda. The idea was simple… to challenge ourselves at different levels. The first was, of course, to use part of our Sundays more productively instead of sitting at home passively watching TV. At another level, it was about coming face to face with ideas, people, places that had somehow eluded entering our circle of understanding until now.

At 6 am, I met Shirin and Anurima at VT station and they exchanged introductions. Soon we were in a cab heading towards Cuffe Parade. As we arrived there, I think we were all a bit unsure about what exactly we were going to do there, though this didn’t come up openly. The first thought that ran through my mind was “Oh, this is a really small place! We may just end up finishing early”. The mind was up to its usual tricks! After having decided that Super Sundays would be all about exploration, about flowing with what was happening in the present moment, I was once again looking for the comfort of known outcomes. As I realized this, I became calmer. Images of fishing boats bobbing up and down in the water, long conversations with old time residents and a beautiful sunrise filled my mind. I was definitely feeling better now. Meanwhile, as all this was going on in my mind, we had arrived at the village itself. After looking around uncertainly, we walked up a stretch of sand in between some boats and suddenly Shirin said something and turned away almost immediately. I hadn’t even seen what she had seen. As I looked, I was greeted with a wondrous sight… practically the whole village was out there, squatting on the sands, communing with nature… or rather, answering its call! So much for a beautiful sunrise at the fishing village! :)

We immediately turned away, laughing, and started walking away from the village. After discussing this unexpected development, we decided to walk around Navy Nagar which was just up ahead. None of us had really explored the place before… it’s a quiet green locality with some old heritage buildings and that sounded interesting. We spent the next one hour walking around, looking at some really old and beautiful structures like the Naval Headquarters (for Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat) and St. John’s (The Evangelist) Church. Unfortunately the latter wasn’t open yet. But the watchman let us walk around the building. We made the most of it, of course… out came the cameras! The watchman didn’t catch on for a while but he soon noticed us and started getting a bit nervous. Finally, he nervously asked us to come back when it was open. Thanking him for letting us in, we made our way ahead. After walking a little while, we decided we wouldn’t walk any further and headed back to the bus-stop we had seen behind us a little earlier. As a BEST bus passed us, Shirin excitedly suggested going up to Kamla Nehru Park at Walkeshwar since it was only 7 am. Both Anu and I instantly agreed. After a bit of excitement with the bus (we waited until after it had started to get in… Anu’s frenzied banging on the bus really worked! :) … only to realize it wasn’t going to where we wanted, at which point the conductor unceremoniously dumped us at the next stop), we were finally on our way to Walkeshwar. Talking all along, we got there pretty soon and walked into the park.

The last time I’d been there was more than 20 years ago… it was certainly very nostalgic. Sharing tales of childhood memories and early dates at the park with each other, we took more pictures… of the Mumbai skyline along with the beach below us… and of the Shoe House, straight out of an Enid Blyton novel, that many generations have played in. After an unsuccessful search for a stone dial (which Shirin remembered from earlier visits), we walked down to Chowpatty where a hearty breakfast was awaiting us at New Yorker’s. Anu had already left by then and Shirin and I, with contented looks on our faces that only a good meal can bring, headed towards Grant Road station. Instead, we ended up in front of Mani Bhavan, the old heritage building where Mahatma Gandhi had lived for a while. Unfortunately, it was closed.

However, it was a fitting conclusion to what I hope is the first of many Super Sundays… standing quietly in front of the building that housed a man whose sole purpose in life was the search for truth that resides within each one of us… an exploration of mammoth proportions, of infinite depth. But the inner can only be known when the outer has been recognized and studied. And that process has found a starting point in many of us… the collective search for what is alive and real around us has only just begun!

Welcome to Super Sundays!