Where Have All the Pigs and Cottages Gone?

“If you tossed a stone up in the air, it would fall down upon either a pig or a Pereira” was an old Bandra saying. In places like Chuim or Chimbai, the prevalent version ended with “a pig or a Fernandes.” Apparently, since there are hardly any pigs left in Bandra, the  Pereiras and Fernandes have eaten them all up. But there has been a steady decline in the number of Pereiras and Fernandes in this area as well, due to  such factors as migration, the high cost of real estate and the pressure tactics employed by unscrupulous builders. No longer do we see those beautiful cottages with their breath-taking gardens. Bandra has indeed changed a lot and mostly for the worse. 

We now live in a concrete jungle filled with malls, shopping centres, eateries and mobile stores. This concrete  jungle  bustles  with  humans  but  is devoid of humanity. It is a “might is right” world where kinfolk slap court cases on each other. This is a far cry  from   the  Bandra  of  yore. It  is  as  if  when the old wells of Bandra were blocked, the old Bandra died and a new one, much  adored  by  our  modern  teenagers  and  shopaholics,   came  into  being. And   even    now    the   process   of    change   continues    as    talented    musicians     compete    with     recorded      music,    top notch      athletes        turn         into  online gamers and face-to-face conversations  are  substituted  with  impersonal  greetings on  Facebook.

“Waterfield Road got its name from the water that collected on the paddy fields when we were school kids,” said Uncle Neville, who then provided me with a nostalgic image of the Bandra of yore. Yes, we need to lament the change that has happened to this queen of suburbs; but we also need to keep an eye on the future and somehow endeavour to cope with this change.

Where Have All the Pigs and Cottages Gone?

“If you tossed a stone up in the air, it would fall down upon either a pig or a Pereira” was an old Bandra saying. In places like Chuim or Chimbai, the prevalent version ended with “a pig or a Fernandes.” Apparently, since there are hardly any pigs left in Bandra, the  Pereiras and Fernandes have eaten them all up. But there has been a steady decline in the number of Pereiras and Fernandes in this area as well, due to  such factors as migration, the high cost of real estate and the pressure tactics employed by unscrupulous builders. No longer do we see those beautiful cottages with their breath-taking gardens. Bandra has indeed changed a lot and mostly for the worse. 

We now live in a concrete jungle filled with malls, shopping centres, eateries and mobile stores. This concrete jungle bustles with humans but is devoid of humanity. It is a “might is right” world where kinfolk slap court cases on each other. This is a far cry from   the  Bandra  of  yore. It  is  as  if  when the old wells of Bandra were blocked, the old Bandra died and a new one, much adored by our modern teenagers and shopaholics, came into being. And  even   now   the   process   of   change  continues  as  talented  musicians  compete   with recorded music, top notch athletes  turn  into online gamers and face-to-face conversations are substituted with impersonal greetings on Facebook.

“Waterfield Road got its name from the water that collected on the paddy fields when we were school kids,” said Uncle Neville, who then provided me with a nostalgic image of the Bandra of yore. Yes, we need to lament the change that has happened to this queen of suburbs; but we also need to keep an eye on the future and somehow endeavour to cope with this change.

Indians in Pakistan - An Exciting Novel

I smiled at the irony that while we, the trainees, were equipped with rocket launchers, AK47s and other sophisticated weaponry, the head of the mission confronted us with a measly pistol. I was still smiling as my fingers pulled the trigger. The short, bald leader collapsed in a heap. Our jeep sped away.

We left the camp that night, leaving a trail of destruction in our wake. Scores of dismembered bloody bodies lay strewn all over the place. Almost every solid structure had been reduced to rubble. Small fires flared at various places. There were a couple of big fires that lit up the night sky. But what I remember most vividly was the ghastly silence just before we left the site.

The above segment is a short extract from my soon-to-be-published novel ‘Indians in Pakistan’, an action thriller that will leave you spellbound. It will also immerse you into a totally different world in which different forces are at play as jihadis plot a rebellion against their evil masters.

Firstly, love blossoms between a male and female jihadi during the terror training itself. Then there is a sudden outburst of patriotism among the Indian jihadis at the camp. However, the camp management uses harsh tactics to keep all the jihadis in check. Will the Indians revolt? What will be the outcome? Buy the book to get these answers.

‘Indians in Pakistan’ will also take you down memory lane by delving deep into the history of the subcontinent. It takes a frank look (a bit too frank some may say) on certain controversial decisions and actions of people from both sides of the border during and after the partition. It even revisits Pandit Nehru’s famous speech made at the dawn of India’s independence. 

Watch this space to find out more details of this breath-taking book. It will be available on Pothi.com within a few weeks and on several websites like Flipkart and Infibeam within a few months. But I can assure you one thing – it’s certainly worth the wait!

Where Have All the Pigs and Cottages Gone?

“If you tossed a stone up in the air, it would fall down upon either a pig or a Pereira” was an old Bandra saying. In places like Chuim or Chimbai, the prevalent version ended with “a pig or a Fernandes.” Apparently, since there are hardly any pigs left in Bandra, the  Pereiras and Fernandes have eaten them all up. But there has been a steady decline in the number of Pereiras and Fernandes in this area as well, due to  such factors as migration, the high cost of real estate and the pressure tactics employed by unscrupulous builders. No longer do we see those beautiful cottages with their breath-taking gardens. Bandra has indeed changed a lot and mostly for the worse. 

We now live in a concrete jungle filled with malls, shopping centres, eateries and mobile stores. This concrete jungle bustles with humans but is devoid of humanity. It is a “might is right” world where kinfolk slap court cases on each other. This is a far cry from   the  Bandra  of  yore. It  is  as  if  when the old wells of Bandra were blocked, the old Bandra died and a new one, much adored by our modern teenagers and shopaholics, came into being. And  even   now   the   process   of   change  continues  as  talented  musicians  compete   with recorded music, top notch athletes  turn  into online gamers and face-to-face conversations are substituted with impersonal greetings on Facebook.


“Waterfield Road got its name from the water that collected on the paddy fields when we were school kids,” said Uncle Neville, who then provided me with a nostalgic image of the Bandra of yore. Yes, we need to lament the change that has happened to this queen of suburbs; but we also need to keep an eye on the future and somehow endeavour to cope with this change.

Holi – The Festival of Colours…and Water!

(As it appeared in the Bandra Buzz  last year)

It’s that time of the year again when the whole of India unwinds and chills out to participate in the Holi festival. Colourful faces, wet clothes and ecstatic shrieks all herald in this joyous spring festival. Holi is yet another celebration of the triumph of good over evil – It is the commemoration of the burning of the demoness Holika as she tried to kill Prahlada, the privileged devotee of Lord Vishnu, who miraculously survived. Huge bonfires are lit across India to celebrate this glorious event.

Holi has always been celebrated with gaiety and vigour in Mumbai. The cosmopolitan nature of this city ensures that people of all castes and creeds become wet and colourful during this festive occasion. Gangs of mischievous kids hurl water balloons at each other or at unsuspecting passers-by who first shriek, then abuse and finally burst into laughter - well, not always! And then there are the groups of adults who are comparatively restrained in their celebrations. They smear each others' faces with colour or toss the powder gleefully into the air such that it stains their clothes which are often white in colour – that is, before they get stained.

Unfortunately, the colours they use nowadays are synthetic and not only difficult to remove but extremely unhealthy as well. Traditionally, only natural colours were used and they were supposed to have medicinal value as the ingredients included neem, kumkum and haldi.

Some of the nostalgic memories of my childhood include rushing to the bedroom window immediately after breakfast during Holi to watch Kumar, my classmate, lift a huge bucket of balloons and position himself for the day-long assault. Kumar‘s sixth floor flat was strategically located to provide a perfect view of the small lane heading towards the building. So, at regular intervals, I could spot the missiles darting out from the window and falling on the unfortunate victims below. The angry yells confirmed the accuracy of the strike. Soon I would try to emulate my idol by filling at least a dozen water balloons. Unfortunately, the nearest road was quite far from my third floor balcony and so I let the balloons drop down harmlessly on to the compound below. In the evening some of my balloon-tossing friends would hurl the water-laden objects at passers-by to good effect.

Yes, most Indians would have fond memories of some amazing moments they experienced during Holi. This wonderful festival certainly adds colour to our lives!

----- Vivek Pereira

My Articles in the Bandra Buzz

It's been fun working with the Bandra Buzz newspaper for nearly a year. This monthly publication provides news and views on issues and topics related to Bandra and its adjoining suburbs. I have contributed several articles and even poems for them. My poem entitled "The Valentine's Day Blues" is one of my best. I had composed it literally overnight. Then I wrote about the bomb blasts in the heart of Mumbai, the Holi festival and the Bandra fair. I have covered the Diwali celebrations at the Khar Gymkhana for Bandra Buzz as well as the International Beer Festival held at the Bandra Gymkhana. You can find my work at the following URLs:


http://bandrabuzz.wordpress.com/sep-2011/                   Pg 1
http://bandrabuzz.wordpress.com/nov/                            Pg 8 and 9
http://bandrabuzz.wordpress.com/aug-2011/                   Pg 1
http://bandrabuzz.wordpress.com/feb-2011/                    Pg  10

Bandra Buzz comes in an innovative design and format. It tackles local issues head-on and has been at the forefront of such issues as the demolition of crosses and the anti-corruption drive. You can subscribe for it or get copies from a host of vendors, restaurants and shops all over Bandra.

Romeo and Juliet – An Updated Version for Bandraites

Juliet: (to herself) Which one of my boyfriends could it be knocking at my bedroom window at this unearthly hour? Oh, it’s Romeo!!!

Juliet: (To Romeo) Romeo, you bledy bugger – What are you up to, men? Get down from the tree before you fall and break your b…...”

Romeo: I climbest this tree to express my love for thou – a love that can survive tempests and tsunamis.

Juliet: Romeo, dearest, dost thou havest – a car, a flat, or an ipad?

Romeo: I haveth none of the above.

Juliet: Then how dost thou dare to love? Thou livest in a fool’s paradise. I cannot love thee.

Romeo: I just inherited a cool million from an uncle who passed away. He was quite a rich dude. The cash is in the bank.

Juliet: I truly love thee now, my Romeo.

Romeo: Why dost thou not respond to my SMSes, my darling? Thou knowest how much I love thee especially after thou went under the plastic surgeon’s scalpel.

Juliet: A Daniel, still say I, a second Daniel!

Romeo: I think that’s from the “Merchant of Venice”.

Juliet: Oops! I’m acting in it as well.

Romeo: Anyways, Juliet, I simply adoreth your beautiful blue eye lenses and your brown hair so immaculately dyed.

Juliet: So what shall we do now, my hero? My parents cannot stand the sight of you…I mean thou or whatever.

Romeo: Let’s run away and have a long-term live-in relationship.

Juliet: What about killing ourselves with poison?

Romeo: Okey dokey, my love. Your wish is my command.

Juliet: I was just kidding – I’m not a loser like you. Get lost, creep.

Romeo: OK. I’ll try to patao Bianca from tomorrow onwards. Any idea if she’s still single and ready to mingle.

Romeo and Juliet – An Updated Version for Bandraites

Juliet: (to herself) Which one of my boyfriends could it be knocking at my bedroom window at this unearthly hour? Oh, it’s Romeo!!!

Juliet: (To Romeo) Romeo, you bledy bugger – What are you up to, men? Get down from the tree before you fall and break your b…...”

Romeo: I climbest this tree to express my love for thou – a love that can survive tempests and tsunamis.

Juliet: Romeo, dearest, dost thou havest – a car, a flat, or an ipad?

Romeo: I haveth none of the above.

Juliet: Then how dost thou dare to love? Thou livest in a fool’s paradise. I cannot love thee.

Romeo: I just inherited a cool million from an uncle who passed away. He was quite a rich dude. The cash is in the bank.

Juliet: I truly love thee now, my Romeo.

Romeo: Why dost thou not respond to my SMSes, my darling? Thou knowest how much I love thee especially after thou went under the plastic surgeon’s scalpel.

Juliet: A Daniel, still say I, a second Daniel!

Romeo: I think that’s from the “Merchant of Venice”.

Juliet: Oops! I’m acting in it as well.

Romeo: Anyways, Juliet, I simply adoreth your beautiful blue eye lenses and your brown hair so immaculately dyed.

Juliet: So what shall we do now, my hero? My parents cannot stand the sight of you…I mean thou or whatever.

Romeo: Let’s run away and have a long-term live-in relationship.

Juliet: What about killing ourselves with poison?

Romeo: Okey dokey, my love. Your wish is my command.

Juliet: I was just kidding – I’m not a loser like you. Get lost, creep.

Romeo: OK. I’ll try to patao Bianca from tomorrow onwards. Any idea if she’s still single and ready to mingle.