No Bull!

This can only happen in India (I think).

While sitting at a traffic light, a large bull meandered into the middle of the road while his harem of cows waited demurely on the side. Since he was blocking one full lane of traffic, one enterprising car owner decided to try and honk him out of the way. What happened next was both hilarious and truly representative of how India lives both in the modern world, while retaining its old world charm.

The car was obviously brand new and had been recently garlanded with marigold flowers and leaves. A testimony to the high regard it was held in by its owner. So anyways, the car went honk honk and vroomed its engine enthusiastically while edging forward to persuade the bull to move its vast bulk off the road.

The bull resisted for a while, but then decided that perhaps the view might be better from another point more central in the road. It sort of shambled off to the side, then craned its head to look reproachfully at the car. Must have been thinking "nasty little sod" in its own bovine language.

Suddenly, it spotted the garland of marigold flowers and leaves hanging from the bonnet of the car. Oh! What a tasty bovine treat! It ambled over and started munching the garland off the front of the car. There was a moment of uneasy peace between the car and the its enemy. Then the signal turned green and naturally, everyone was trying to take off..including the hapless car owner. Remember, cows are held as sacred in India, so he couldnt shoo off the bull without offending some god or the other. But he was in a hurry so he stepped on the gas and tried to move.

Bull decided the garland was trying to get away and put all its effort into eating it as fast as possible. There ensued a tug of war between the car and the bull. Finally, with a snap the garland gave way and proceeded down the bull's gullet while the car pushed off somewhat sheepishly.

This is why I wouldnt trade my homeland for any other. Its strange brand of humour blindsides you as you are driving your way home, in the middle of the street, waiting for the light to turn green.

Weekly update..

Went and saw Crash last night. Not because my family and me are the type to go out and watch a movie just because it wins an Oscar, but because...oh what the hell, we are that type only. Next on the list is Walk the Line followed by Brokeback Mountain, and Memoirs of a Geisha..

Crash was nice, although it wasnt the kind of hard hitting movie I expected it to be. Having lived in the US for a few years, I thought the movie maker was treating the whole subject of race relations with more tenderness and caution than it deserved. However, had it been a more honest portrayal it probably wouldnt have won the Oscars..nuff said.

The Bai got a pay raise of Rs.100. She was thrilled. She was ecstatic. She told Nidhi that she made the right choice in marrying me (Nidhi, silly, not the Bai). Also discovered that the Bai is a landlord of sorts - she has a room in a chawl which she rents out to 7 people.

After I found that out, I asked her for a loan of Rs. 200.