Tears On The Soul of Hooch Ridden Mumbai

I blog with pictures I try not to steal pictures if I do take a picture I give the link and the source ..but I have so many pictures at my Flickr timeline ,, and I shot them impulsively no rhyme or reason.. like these two drunks at Bandra and I am using their picture to tell a tale ,, two tales in one single frame ..So bloggers may blog as much as they want copy paste but Fuck at least shoot your own pictures or stop shoving an elephants dick in your hackneyed blog post ,,


posted first at Facebook  without an image

Recently I was waiting for my turn to meet Dr Shahshank R Joshi the eminent Padmashri endocrinologist at Lilavati Hospital Bandra for my diabetes and rising blood sugar , I was dressed in sober attire a white shirt breeches and sitting next to in the lounge was a very obese big built man , he was huge and had a missing foot , just a stump.. He looked at me and smiled I smiled back.
I asked him if he was waiting for Dr Shashank R Joshi , he said it was raining outside so he had come inside the Hospital to rest ,, I said nothing and than he told me he had met with an accident at Mira Road , lost part of his leg was hospitalized for a very long time he was in coma , when he came out of coma he found his wife had usurped his property leaving him homeless ,,Than he said he did not want money from me , but if I knew someone who would give him a place to stay on charitable grounds ,, he was three times my size ,,I try not to judge people .. I told him I did not know anyone who would put him up but I suggested that he contact some NGOs ,,that might help him.. I dont know if he was there trying to con the gullible I have been living long enough in Mumbai, I got up to speak to the Nurse and than said down on the far end away from him.. in the meantime he was talking to another patient ,,,
My turn came I met Dr Shashank R Joshi and left wondering .. and his image has not yet faded from my mind and perhaps this is the first time I am blogging an incident without a picture ,, What do you think about it ,, he was in his 40 s dressed in a tshirt and jeans , when I had seen him going to the loo he had a prosthetic foot with a shoe ...and Lilavati Hospital with all their bouncers and security could not sniff him out ,,and I thought to myself why must I tell them..they charge exorbitant fees ,, their first time visit was Rs 1200 they raised it to Rs 1500 ..if you are called by the doctor within the same month it is Rs 900 and if he calls you after a month you shell out Rs 1500 again , this is health care in Mumbai ,,
And I pity those who fell victim to the Hooch Tragedy will hospitals like this treat them free .. and I digress , with all the bans bar dancer ban , beef ban , yet this myopic government did not think of banning alcohol because it generates hafta ,black money and a large chunk of revenue .. Imagine over 100 people dead and to cover for the sins of the policeman the government gives Rs100,000 as blood money,, and we who live in Mumbai have lost it all.. this city is devoid of compassion devoid of humanity ,, and even after the deaths they will go on selling more hooch once the dust settles down.. Why does the administration wake up so late ,,or is it because we have an incompetent law and order and vision less government .
Will those who murdered these drinkers face the same punishment like the beef butchers ..mind you I dont eat beef .. dont wear a skull cap either , will it be 5 year jail and Rs 10000 fine for selling and drinking alcohol.. and what about the punishment for murder ,,,who will hang certainly not the cops of Malwani Police Station,

St Peters Church Bandra

Shot By My French Friend Jean Marc Gargantiel

About St Peter Church Bandra From their Website

The Old Church: The foundation of the original St Peter’s Church was laid in April 12, 1852, by Bishop Hartmann. The Church was completed in September 1853. It measured approximately 100 by 75 feet. In 1867 a second storey was added to the old top floor.
The storey above the Church was at first used as the priests’ residence and parish school. In 1855, the Jesuit Seminary was transferred from Surat to Bandra, and the seminary and the parish schools were merged. In 1863, the seminary was again transferred to Bombay, and the Boys’ Orphanage from Bombay came to Bandra. This was the beginning of the St Stanislaus’ High School.

The New Church: As far back as August 1887, the then Archbishop of Bombay issued the following appeal: “The poor parish of St. Peter’s Bandora, numbers with the orphans (boys and girls) 2215 souls and has for a church the floor of the boys’ Orphanage. This place is much too small and is ill-suited for divine service. A new and more spacious Church is much needed and will be a great benefit to the poor Parishioners and the Orphans”.

The growing needs of the parish necessitated the building of a larger Church, and so in September, 1938, Archbishop Thomas Roberts, S.J. blessed the foundation stone of the present St Peter’s Church.

The new Church has been built on the site of the old and has been designed on the Romanesque style.

The cost of the new St. Peter’s Church was Rs. 2,70,000/-. The whole Church building measures 130 ft by 80 ft.

In front, as one enters, stands a life-size marble statue of Christ bearing the inscription I am the Resurrection and the Life.

St Peter’s is capacious and can accommodate a thousand people easily. Inside, its excellent stained-glass windows, around twenty in number, look resplendent in the sunshine or when the lights are on.

On the sides are five joyful and five glorious mysteries with two windows depicting the life of St Stanislaus. The spacious choir-loft with its large semi-circular stained-glass window shows Christ entrusting the sheep to St Peter. The marble Baptismal font on the left as you enter also has a stained-glass window depicting the baptism of Jesus by St John the Baptist. It is interesting to note that all the stained-glass windows were designed and made in China by a Jesuit laybrother.

The exquisite main altar is Carrara marble, the façade of which has the Last Supper of Leonardo da Vinci carved in relief. Above the tabernacle is a marble cupola, supported by six Alpine green colonnades with a background in delicately figured-marble. At both ends of the alter, are two life-size angels in marble, each holding aloft a flambeau. On either side of the alter are two small stained-glass windows, depicting angels in adoration.

Above the altar is an imposing and larger-than-life-size statue of the Sacred Heart, flanked by stained-glass windows, showing scenes in the life of St Peter.

Consecration of our Church

Few churches are consecrated and St Peter’s was privileged with this unique honour on November 28, 1964.

The date is especially memorable because it marked the start of the International Eucharistic Congress in Bombay, and also the Silver Jubilee of the new St Peter’s.

Bishop Longinus Pereira Auxiliary Bishop of Bombay, performed the ancient ritual with pomp and pageantry, before a large gathering.

From St Peter’s Rome to St Peter’s Bandra: History was written at the International Eucharistic Congress of 1964 when a Pope stepped out of the Vatican and made a pilgrimage to Bombay. History was also written in the annals of our Church when the man from St Peter’s, Rome, visited St Peter’s, Bandra. December 5, 1964 is a date to remember.

Along the route from the city up to the Basilica of our Lady of the Mount (which he also visited) waving crowds waited tirelessly to cheer the Holy Father. At St Peter’s Bandra, a hushed and crowded flock waited in breathless anticipation to catch a fleeting glimpse of its shepherd. His brief homily, was like manna; his papal blessing a purifying rain and the golden chalice he presented to the church remains a memento of the day, history was written at St Peter’s Bandra.

Heritage Structure: The Urban Development Department of the Government of Maharashtra has listed the Church as a Grade II heritage structure. In 1995 the Church was awarded the prestigious Urban Heritage Award.

http://www.stpetersbandra.org/

I have perhaps the largest collection of images of St Peter Church Bandra on negatives ,slides and digital..I missed nothing Xmas , Easter New Year Holy Communions , Adoration , Lent Weddings Baptism.. I shot all this to hone my skills as a photographer ..I thought Jesus was the best model so I shot his humility and humanity I ended up shooting the Holy Ghost too..

Thanks to Fr Juan my grandchildren Nerjis Asif Shakir 3 Year old and Marziya Shakir 7 have also shot this beautiful Church in all its glory..

Somehow I always felt when God got tired with the wars , trials and tribulations of this world he came and rested at St Peter Church.. exactly the same time I was shooting the Church..

Under the Shadow of His Wings

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou find refuge: his truth is a shield and buckler.
psalm  91:4

I once had my workspace at St Peter Road close to St Peter Church Bandra and this is a road that is narrow , traffic from Bandra Bazar Road spills out at Bandra Hill Road near Balaji Restaurant , and traffic from Hill road takes this path as a short cut to Bandra Reclamation or Mount Mary.

This road borders the St Stanislaus grounds and the St Peter Church and against this wall you will find all the garbage of Bandra , it is garbage hotspot , those who drive by the ricksha throw out their garbage here , there is a spineless notice that says a Rs 10000 fine will be levied if you are caught throwing garbage has not stopped this menace..

By and large this is one of the filthiest lanes of Bandra perhaps even our MP and MLA s pass through this short cut off Baba Nagar....Brian of Bandra Speaker fame lives here , he is King of Speakers locally made and handcrafted by him..The other famous Brian is Brian Cable but he lives at Somnath Lane Bandra.

Well every time I was down depressed  sad , unromantic mood and self destruct I used to take my Nikon those early days of my tryst with photography and shoot the Church , quadrangle , interiors  and I dont think anyone , even a Christian could have shot St Peter Church as much as I have , I shot Jesus and the Holy Spirit trying to get some semblance of order in disorderly Bandra .

I shot the graves of the East Indian pioneers lying in the bower , the Jesuit priests in slumber , and sometimes moved ahead shot the St Staislaus school the race events , iconic feasts held there.

Once in the good old days of Fr Lawrie Serrao I would be invited to St Ignatius Loyola feast and all the old fogies thought I was a proud Stanislite ,, but their faces puckered when I told them I was from Holy Name and the Wodehouse parish,, It is another matter I wanted to become a Christian when I fell in love with a Goan Girl , heel over head was what I got from her mother , she told me over a glass of feni and water pickle I was welcome in their family but Firoze Fernandes sounded more lyrical than Firoze Shakir ,, I attended mass , I was at my best Christian self and now in retrospection married grandfather of 3 I still cant resist shooting Churches Crosses and Shrines .

Fr Jaun from St Peter  Church is my godfather , and I have had some great friends among Catholic priests ,late Fr Leslie Ratus and Late Fr Stephan Nazareth of St Joseph Parish RC Church.

And this picture I had it blown up and presented to  Cardinal Oswald Gracias at Archbishop House  as my love for the Christian Community and a Church called St Peter where God lives .

I am still living in a gaothan fighting for the rights of East Indians and hoping they are given the respect as the first early inhabitants of Amch Mumbai.

And this is a photoblog you can never read it in a camera club , the culture of camera club desists from using the word blogger a very derogatory term in their Ivory Tower of Fine Art Photography ,,

My Daughter Remembers Me On Fucked Fathers Day

an alcoholic stupor
blocked my way
now with shadows
broken dolls
as dreams
she loves
to play
if i could
turn the clock
back
a thought
that plays
3 grand daughters
as my penance
as they sit
on my chest
bringing
back
my daughter
from far away
a tear drops
rolls down my
cheeks
from my dark
memories
i cant
get away
a fucked
father
on fucked
fathers day

"Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."

Happy Fathers Day To All..

My Diabetes And My Tryst With Dr Shashank R Joshi

There is a friend who walks with me his name is Milind Pitle a retired Medicine Scientist , I had told him about my diabetes , while we were walking and he suggested a doctor , I heard that as Dr Chirag Joshi and he gave me the direction , and so foolishly I searched for this imaginary doctor at SV Road Bandra near VN Jewellers , I did not have Milinds number .. anyway while I was coming back , I met another friend Anil Kamath who is a diabetic too and owns a sweet shop Brijwasi at Bandra SV Road , he suggested a diabetes doctor , Dr SD Jain so I landed at Mahim in Feb met the doctor , he changed my medication put me on Glyceree  a tablet before breakfast and after breakfast , Janumet 500 a tablet before dinner after dinner .. I followed this from March to June and my sugar still remained high despite rigorously walking for 6 km a day.

And in between I happened to meet Milind Pitale , I told him about my bum trip to a Dr Chirag Joshi , he corrected me and said the Doctors name was Shashank R Joshi eminent endocrinologist and diabetologist , he was feeling bad that he had not given me the doctors number or his own , so after our walk he  called for a ricksha and took me to Dr Shashanks clinic at Golden Palace Bandra Turner Road .. The good doctor was in America.

But in June I had gone to Lilavati for my blood test and I took an appointment with Dr SR Joshi.. they told me 19 June .

So I met Dr Shashank R Joshi finally at Lilavati after paying Rs 1500 and he heard me out checked me and prescribed a change in my medication,, He has asked me to take my blood sugar after a week and call up his assistant Dr Salim..

About Dr Shashank R Joshi from Wikipedia

Dr. Shashank R. Joshi MD, DM, FACP, FRCP, FACE is an Indian endocrinologist, diabetologist and medical researcher, considered by many as one of the prominent practitioners of the trade in India.He was honoured by the Government of India, in 2014, by bestowing on him the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, for his services to the field of medicine.[1

orn in Mumbai, the capital of the western Indian state of Maharashtra, Shashank R Joshi had a noteworthy academic career, topping all the medical examinations he sat for with first rank and gold medal.[2][3] Joshi secured his graduate degree in medicine, MBBS, from the Grant Medical College and Sir Jamshedjee Jeejeebhoy Group of Hospitals, Mumbai which was followed with MD in internal medicine and senior residency from the Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital.[4] He continued his higher education at the Grant Medical College and Sir Jamshedjee Jeejeebhoy Group of Hospitals and subsequently got DM in endocrinology.[3] He is also a Fellow of the American College of Endocrinology(USA), Fellow of the American College of Physicians (USA), Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Glasgow) and the Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (Edinburgh).[3][4] He has a Diploma of Growth from Sweden, too.[2][2][4][5][6]

Dr. Joshi started his career by joining the faculty of the Seth G.S. Medical College and KEM Hospital at their endocrinology department.[5] Later, he moved to the Grant Medical College and Sir Jamshedjee Jeejeebhoy Group of Hospitals as a faculty member. He is now working at Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai, as the Consultant Endocrine and Metabolic Physician[4] and has private practice at Joshi Clinic in the city.[2][7] He also works as consultant endocrinologist at Bhatia Hospital,[8] Mumbai[4] and serves as visiting faculty at various Indian and international universities.[4][5]

Dr. Shashank R Joshi is married to Shilpa, who is a dietician and dabetics educator and the couple has two daughters, Samika and Spandana[2]

Positions[edit]
Dr. Joshi is the President of two important organizations, the Indian Academy of Diabetes[9] and the Association of Physicians of India[10] (API).[3][4][5] He was also a former President of the Research Society for Study of Diabetes in India[11] (RSSDI) and the All India Association of Advancing Research in Obesity.[2][3][6][7] He is the former Vice President of the Association of Physicians of India[2][5][6][7] and is now its Advisory Board member.[4]

Dr. Joshi is involved with the activities of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE)[12] and is serving as the Chairperson of its India Chapter.[3][5][6] Some of the past positions he held include:

Visiting Clinician at the Mayo Clinic.[4]
Member of the ICMR-WHO Task Force for Management of Type 2 Diabetes.[4]
Director of the Asian Health Clinic in Western Australia.[4]
Research and publications[edit]
Dr. Shashank Joshi is involved in evidence based research on Endocrinology with special emphasis on Diabetes, Obesity, Thyroid, Osteoporosis and Growth.[3][5] His studies on the Asian Indian phenotype (thin-fat Indian), co-morbidities in hypothyroidism and the impact of vitamin D deficiency on bone health in Asian Indians are notable.[2] He has also worked as the principal investigator in many teams engaged in multinational clinical trials[4] and has covered two epidemics of diabetes and hypertension in India and Adult Growth Hormone deficiency.[2]

Dr. Joshi is a prolific writer of articles on Diabetology and Endocrinology and has published 18 books and monograms[2] and over 600 research publications on topics such as Diabetes, Obesity, Thyroid disorders, Osteoporosis, and Growth.[3][4][5] He is also the Editor of Practical Medicine, a popular undergraduate Indian text book.[4] He is also the Editor Emeritus of the Journal of the Association of Physicians of India[3][4][4][5][13] and has been the Editor of three prominent Indian journals namely Indian Journal of Obesity, Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism[14] and Indian Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.[3][15] Dr. Joshi founded the Indian Journal of Critical Care Medicine and was its Executive Editor.[4]

Selected articles

Shashank R. Joshi, Muruga Vadivale, Jamshed J. Dalal, and Ashok Kumar Das (2011). "The Screening India's Twin Epidemic: Study design and methodology (SITE-1)". Indian Journal Endocrinology and Metabolism. 15(Suppl 4) (October): 389–394. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.86857. PMC 3230100.
Talaviya PA, Saboo BD, Joshi SR, Padhiyar JN, Chandarana HK, Shah SJ, Vyas CK, Shah AN (2013). "Pregnancy outcome and glycemic control in women with type 1 diabetes: a retrospective comparison between CSII and MDI treatment". Diabetes Metab Syndrome 7 (April–June): 68–71. doi:10.1016/j.dsx.2013.02.032.
Joshi S, Joshi SR, Mohan V. (2013). "Methodology and feasibility of a structured education program for diabetes education in India: The National Diabetes Educator Program". Indian Journal Endocrinology and Metabolism 17 (May): 396–401. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.111610.
Joshi, S.R., Mohan, V., Joshi, S.S., Mechanick, J.I., Marchetti, A. (2012). "Transcultural diabetes nutrition therapy algorithm: the asian Indian application". Curr Diab Rep. 12 (April): 204–121. doi:10.1007/s11892-012-0260-0. PMID 22354498.
Joshi, S.R., Saboo, B., Vadivale, M., Dani, S.I., Mithal, A., Kaul, U., Badgandi, M., Iyengar, S.S., Viswanathan, V., Sivakadaksham, N., Chattopadhyaya, P.S., Biswas, A.D., Jindal, S., Khan, I.A., Sethi, B.K., Rao, V.D., Dalal, J.J. (2012). "Prevalence of diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes and hypertension in India--results from the Screening India's Twin Epidemic (SITE) study". Diabetes Technol Ther. 14 (November): 8–15. doi:10.1089/dia.2011.0243. PMID 22050271.
Awards and recognitions[edit]
Dr. Shashank R Joshi was honoured by the Government of India by awarding him the Padma Shri, in 2014, in recognition of his efforts to the cause of medicine.[1] He is also a recipient of the International Clinician Award, received at the 21st American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) Annual Scientific and Clinical Congress, Philadelphia. This is an annual award given to practicing endocrinologists, outside the US.[3][7][16]

Why Do Muslim Parents Want Their Kids To Study In Convent Schools

Simply because the rich Sethia Muslims or multi billionaire Muslim politicians never thought of investing their money in Education ..building schools not Madrsas , schools where every community could send their children , and those that did build schools made sure it had a Salafi Wahabbi ethos ,,I would rather be uneducated than go to one of these schools ,,
And so my brothers sisters all went to Catholic schools and frankly they did a good job with us , they broadened our heads in such a way that even the skull cap does not fit us now ,, they made us human and they never ever made us feel we were Muslims ,, Their spirituality did rub off on us but than..it did not make us a bogot or a hate monger .. My sisters brothers have all done well for themselves .. my sisters speak much better English than me , better diction and great command over their treasury of words ..though I read more classic literature .. Both my sons daughters and now all 3 granddaughters are in a Catholic school ,,,and I think my granddaughters shock me .. the 3 year one tells me Grandpa you are Impossible ,, and than I realize all that comes from their I Pads and they wear headscarves hijabs and are as modern as you are ..
I mean no Muslim rich man ever thought of giving the Muslims in Bandra a Fr Agnel kind of vocational school where they could learn a profession or a skill ,, there would be less murder , rape sodomy and robbery , and there would be lesser kids joining the ISIS to kill rape enslave persecute Shias , Hazras , Ahmediyas , Armenian Christians , Coptic Christians and the Kurds ..
So in a way I am happy my parents had foresight never to send me my siblings to a Muslim Madrsa ..and my granddaughters learnt the Koran and Arabic tutored by lady teachers at the Shia Mosque in Bandra ,,
I think looking back now 62 years old I havent done too bad for myself.. my photography is non commercial to awaken and educate ,,
And friends Like Clarence Gomes , Merck D'Silva Darryl Luke Loyola Fabian Namory and so many others added to the glow of life ,, Thank you All.
My childhood friend is a Dennis Fernandes in Suriname ,,a Holy Namite like me