To err is VIP
Last week there was a slight flutter at the picturesque Wards Lake. As visitors have slowly begun to flock to this all-time favourite tourist destination of the town, a VVIP couple entered the Lake arena with their little daughter. They sat on a bench keeping the child in the middle. All eyes were on them; some for catching a glimpse of the VVIP, while some others busied themselves in shooting photos. A few were also flummoxed that the VVIP couple were without the mandatory mask, and more glaringly the toddler was not at a permissible age to enter as per the Government’s own COVID protocols.
When the matter finally dawned on them, the embarrassed couple left the place in a huff. Before doing so, the VVIP also had the decency of offering an unqualified apology to all concerned for unintentionally breaking the protocol.
More than being ruffled about the momentary lapse of the VVIP, many had a silent praise for his candid humility in acknowledging the gaffe. After all, to err is VVIP and to forgive is human!By the way, the concerned VVIP was our dashing young Chief Minister!
Caught in a fishy bind
Two fish connoisseurs, after having picked up their favourite variety of fish from Laitumkhrah fish market last week, took a shared taxi back home. All the way, the middle-aged duo got into an animated dialogue about who was more knowledgeable than the other when it comes to fish. If one would raise one difficult question, the other would reply with another more difficult one. All the way, they were brandishing their funda about fish.
Sample these:
“Tell me how do you make sure that the fish you are buying is fresh”, asked one rather challengingly. The other person replied promptly “by the smell, of course”. Nope, said the questioner. Then he went on to volunteer the answer he had up his sleeves: “The best way is to check the pharynx of the fish. If it is red in colour, you are sure about the freshness”.
Not to be outdone, the other man asked a teasing counter-question: “Tell me, is Hilsa (Ilish) a river fish or a sea fish?”. Pat came the reply: “It’s a river fish. After all, we get the best Hilsa from river Padma in Bangladesh”. Jubilant that the reply was wrong, he retorted “I knew you would get it wrong. Hilsa is a sea fish. They come seasonally to the sweet water rivers for laying eggs”, he said on a triumphant note.
The other friend looked down but not out. He had to conjure up something to pay him back. He asked “Tell me, which fish is called Butter fish?”. Now the “expert” know-all looked flummoxed. He surrendered tamely. “I don’t know. Never heard of such a name”, he conceded. The questioner looked reluctant to easily part with his knowledge. After teasing the man for a while and before alighting from the taxi, he put it across ” Butter fish is the real name of a much familiar variety of fish—Pabda (pabiya).”
Back from storage and into action
People are now digging into their storerooms for helmets of yore — once dumped in the storage to keep up with modern fashion trends. But the same helmets have turned into lifesavers, and hence formed an essential part of motorists and scooterists’ lives after the recent order which mandated the wearing of helmets for pillion riders in Shillong city. Compelled by the new rule, helmets old and new, shabby and flashy have been seen on two wheeler drivers and pillions in the last week or so. Kudos to the public who have sincerely adhered to the new rule. The majority of the people have even started visiting helmet shops to purchase a piece. Well, now that serves as reassurance for road safety. Nonetheless, we are to drive carefully and obey all traffic rules.
Shillongites, time to be on guard!
Are you a obsessive about neatness? Are you upset when you see things disorganised, regardless of where you are? Well, if yes, then you must be subjected to the plague on a day-to-day basis every time you decide to take the air. There are so many things that go unnoticed at times; no, not by authorities concerned, but by the general public. One such thing that is overlooked, not only mars the beauty of the city but also poses a threat to the passers-by. Here’s an analogy. What do you do when your hair is curled and ruffled? You find ways and means to fix it. That implies that you set right when you see something you love in a mess. Of course, it is off limits for Shillongites to fix public property. The only thing to be done, at least for now, is to be alert while walking around the city and steer clear of DANGLING WIRES. You could get electrocuted! So much for maintenance of public property!
A thought for our unsung heroes
As our city roads bear the brunt of vehicle population, should we not spare a thought for all the traffic personnel on the roads easing traffic congestion round the clock? At a few traffic junctions across Shillong, these unsung heroes monitor rush-hour traffic and bottlenecks, putting themselves at jeopardy day in and day out. Some of these busy spots do not even have traffic police islands to give them some ‘insulation’ from cars, trucks, bikes, cycles and pedestrians alike! Some of these traffic cops gesticulate for hours at end to ease congestion. Cannot the state government afford red and green light batons for these uncelebrated service personnel?