We are just about a couple of months away to group sms all in our prized list of contacts. Happy New Year. We are just a month away perhaps to plan out painstakingly where the hell we go out during New Year eve and sport a right social image of ourselves.
To me till date, I can recall only 3 or 4 new year party which was different otherwise it is the same old thing, Earliest, I recall was riding with Venkat to Gateaway in Yezdi in my early teenage years, drinking to the brim and coming back at 3am. We danced to the tune of music blaring ‘i want to take you to ... funky town.... this is all I could follow.... rest was all noise to my ears.
Had a couple of Catholic friends, who would pronounce ...aks me to say ask me and would mumble man, whath a parthy we had man.... the only time we used to think of these bums were during xmas and new year.
Never understood, why it was such a big deal for these native east Indian guys to claim they are Goans when only time they have gone there was during a college picnic to sing ‘brown girl in the ring...’ But certain Fernandes’, note not Fernandez’ prefer to say they are from Mangalore.. It was never from Mysore or Karnataka. Mysore just became a city from a state with one headline in morning newspaper. No morcha, no lochas.... they were too busy forwarding Bio data through a friend for job in Bombay /Muscat or Kuwait.
I remember visiting a college mate named Rodrigues... he was called Rudy of course. . I saw only Pink in their house. Lady of the house had worn a pink skirt with polka dots, the curtains were pink with big flowers, Rudy’s sis ( remember it is never sister those days) in a pink mini skirt with a frilled blouse with pink flowers again. When introduced, she flashed her eyes and gave a coy smile ... before you could work out a smart thing to say, she would leave with her boyfriend Tony for a party, who is invariably the best friend of Cousin Martin. Party I realized later on is to go to neighbouring building terrace. Guys from that building would visit this building of Rudy. Man of the house, Rudy’s dad was on his own world, in a vest and Indian Bermudas, drunk.
Life just drifted from one cricket series to another, it was Gavaskar and Vishwanath in 70s to 80s, Kapil and Shastri in 80s to 90s. I don’t need to name the God who played cricket and brought smile to us often from 90s till date.
Coming to films during these period, for me, it was Amit in 70s, Amitabh in 80s to 90s, AB in 90s onwards till date.
Our fight for livelihood, recognition and achievement has been a continuous process from 70s till date.. I thank these sporting legends and artist for giving us great joy during our journey from school days to college days to Aura.
