Mumbai Diary: Wednesday Whispers

Marry your dance partner?
At a recent meeting with an Australian indigenous dance group who came to Mumbai to perform, this diarist gained an interesting insight about their community that hails from Adelaide's plains and the Greater Adelaide region of South Australia.

A couple perform at a TV dance reality show

The group performs various dance forms, where the men are usually the performers, while the women are the main singers and control the beat of the performance. Most of the dances require very high energy levels, and display the might and strength of men.

According to custom, it is through dance that women decide what kind of man they want to marry. So the stronger the man looks while dancing the better his chances are of getting hooked. India's reality dance shows that flood Indian television today should take cue?

Gowalia Tank memories
As Independence Day approaches, Gowalia Tank, now called the August Kranti Maidan, will undergo the customary facelift et al.

Anna Hazare along with supporters during a march against the Lokpal bill that was introduced in Parliament that started at Azad Maidan and ended at August Kranti Maidan. Pic/Bipin Kokate

Stretching from the Gamdevi and Tardeo junctions to the Warden and Nepean Sea Road Junctions, this area that formed an integral space in the freedom movement, got its name for the tank that stood here.

Now filled up, it was a favourite spot for cowherds at the time who would bring herds of cattle for water. Another version is that the ‘gowalas' or cow herds would gather together for their mid-day meal, while their cows grazed on a nearby hill.

Should we? Should we not?
Being a journalist means you will always be tempted to do things you shouldn't. Sometimes, it's in the form of a free tipple during a press event, on other occasions, free tickets to show are waved at us, while at other times, like yesterday, it's a free haircut, shave, pedicure and a head massage.

We had a tough time saying no to a premium salon, who seemed fixed on having us visit the outlet and try out their services. Despite our refusal, the salon's representative wouldn't budge.

At the end of it, the diarist was a tad disappointed. We didn't care much for haircut, the shave or pedicure, but after the long and harrowing conversation, sure could have done with a relaxing head massage. Alas, we had already said ‘no!

A different music league
Grammy Award-winning group Snarky Puppy's leader, bassist, composer, arranger and producer, Michael League hosted an exclusive workshop for students at Lower Parel's The True School of Music last evening. He shared his experiences while charting his career path in music during the two-hour interaction.