Next Sapling distribution drive is happening on 6’th June 2010 in the  following cities :

Bangalore:
Venue: Lalbagh, Glass house.
Time: 10:30 AM
Joel Fernandes – 9008905774

Chennai:
Venue: Isha Project Green Hands, No. 5 Moolachathiram, Perumal Kovil St, MMC Post, Chennai 51
Time: 10:00 AM
Rajasekar – 9840727371, Magesh – 9940305209

Delhi :
Venue: Rose Garden, (Inside Lodhi Gardens), Delhi
Time: 8:00 AM
Garima – 9810807082

Mumbai:
9 AM – Opp Barista, Shivaji Park
11.00 am – Vile Parle (e), Opp Parleshwar Temple
12.00 pm – Vile Parle (w) HDFC Bank, SV Rd.
1.30 pm – Near Shoppers Stop, Andheri (w)
3.00 pm – Inorbit Mall, Malad (w)
5.00 pm – Near IC church , IC Colony, Borivali(w)
Contact : Ranjeet – 9322131415 , Satish – 9833443545

South Bombay:
9.30 AM – Gateway of India
10.30 AM – Eros Theatre
Contact: Priyanka Dalal – 9004350022

Navi Mumbai:
– Nerul – Tentatively Partek hill
– Vashi – Tentatively Sector 10
– Panvel – Tentative
Contact : Shailaja – 9819076469

Pune:
7:30 AM – Kalyani Nagar ( Jogger’s Park)
8:45 AM – University campus/ University Circle
9:30 AM – F.C Road
10:30 AM – Law college Road
Contact: Libu – 9881460654, Pradaxina – 9881093149

Latur
Date : 5th June
Venue: Old MIDC Area,
Time : 10.30 am
Dinesh – 9890774748

You can sign up at http://thesaplingproject.com

Sapling Project Poster : http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2774/4146532432_0d4c4b96bc_o.jpg

Flickr (photos) : http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/thesaplingproject/

Twitter : @saplingproject

Facebook Group : http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=190098221995

It would be great if you can support us by spreading the word on The Sapling Project initiative through your community, Facebook/Orkut/Twitter group.

Hopefully online users would be inspired enough to join the initiative.

Took some snaps from the Taxi after meeting up with Ben and his colleague from The Christian Science Monitor & my friend Ranjeet at the Stadium Restaurant in Churchgate.

They played Holi before they got to work .

Art Deco Buildings on DN Road.

The Majestic Victoria Terminus now CST.

Somewhere among the Mosque is Suleman Usman Mithaiwala.

Work in Progress @ Labaug

ITC Grand Maratha

For more pics and Larger images check out my Flickr Page.

Like I say every year, The only place in India apart from Goa, where the Carnival is held is  in IC Colony , Borivali (w).

This year participation was bit low key but the mood was vibrant as always, and yes the usual suspects Karnataka Bank , ICICI and HDFC floats were also there :)

Though I missed the evening celebrations, Managed to catch the Carnival Float Parade.

This year King Momo was  Kukud.

Sharing some images :-

King Momo

EyeSee Elephant – Our Cable + Internetwala

Save Our Planet

Eco Bus – Eugenie Bldg

VOIC – Protect Our Environment

Kids at Carnival

Vocal VOIC

Suraj’s Float

AC Dc Iron Man ??

Check out more pics here : IC COLONY

The Sapling Project done yesterday,

Distributed saplings at Marine Drive – Shivaji Park – Vile Parle (e) – Andheri (e) – Goregaon (e) – Kandivli (w) – Borivli (w)

Sharing 294 Hi-Res pics,, Do feel free to check out, share and download.

http://is.gd/77ATM

Mumbai –– Sapling VAN across City starting from Churchgate to Borivali

9:00 AM — Opp Pizzeria Restaurant, Marine Drive

9:45 AM — Outside H2O, near Girgaum Chowpatty

10:45 AM — Opp. Barista, Cadel Rd., Shivaji Park, Dadar(w)

11:45 AM — Parleshwar Temple, Vile parle (e)

12:45 PM — Wellington Business Park, Andheri Kurla Road, Marol, Andheri (e)

2:00 PM — 24/A/702, Bimbisar Nagar, Goregaon (e)

3:00 PM — Mahavir Nagar, Opp. D’Mart Kandivali (w)

4:00 PM — Kinny’s Corner, IC colony, Borivali (w)

Bangalore — 11:00 AM At Lalbagh Botanical Garden

Chennai — 10.30 AM At Dr.MGR School for the Speech and Hearing Impaired

11/13, Mgr Garden, Durgabai Deshmukh Road, Ramavaram

School phone numbers: 22490629, 22490562, 26150313

Do sign up to participate

http://thesaplingproject.com/

See ya at the Sapling Project :)

I went for the Dharavi Tour on Saturday with Dhruti and her colleague – The new trend in  reality tours compared to the usual Bombay Darshan Tours.

The Dharavi Tour has become quite a hit after Lonely Planet recommended it and also thanks to Slumdog Millionaire.

I was asked by the Tour Guide Sunil, why as an Indian and Bombayite, I was interested  in the Tour,  I had a few reasons :-

a) I wanted to check the 665 million US$ Small Scale Industry.

b) I wanted to check if the tour guys were portraying Bombay and India correctly or we they marketing poverty and exploiting the foreigners.

c) My Dad had lived in Dharavi for a while when he came to Bombay 40 years ago.

Something I liked and disliked was that Photography was not allowed, I was carrying my Camera and couldn’t click, but then I respect the tour guides view that Photography would lead to Poverty Marketing and all other kinds of exploitation and issues.

Industries and Stuff  shown on the Dharavi Tour

• Plastic Recycling Unit
• Kumbharwada : Clay pots & Pottery units
• Embroidery and Tailoring Unit.
• Bakery
• Leather Tanning
• Pappad making
• Soap making Unit
• NGO School

The tour is safe and people are very friendly, but one needs to watch out for narrow alleys, pipes and wires hitting your head, open gutters and at times shit.

The sad part is that even though people of all religions work together they live separately in their own Ghetto’s (Muslim area, Tamil area, Kumbharwada – Gujarati Area, Maharashtrian area etc), can’t blame them the ghosts of ’92 riots might be still haunting them.

Dharavi Tour Group (more…)

Went for the Jatra at IC Church, Sharing some Snaps, Could explore much of the fair as it was damn crowded and really crazy mobs, anyways sharing a few shots.

Some of the pics are not clear as it was shot in the evening and I think its time for me to get a Nikon D3000.

P.s I did win 50 bucks and a Gift  in the Housie for Middle Line :)

IC Church (more…)

Me and Ranjeet are doing a small campaign to plant and share saplings, free of cost to one and all in different parts of our city.

Do check out http://thesaplingproject.com/ for more details and to sign up for the saplings.

Hopefully if we manage to get more friends interested in the idea , we should be able to trigger similar endeavors in different cities all over India

Do lemme know your views/inputs .

Peace &  Breathe Easy :)

The only place in India apart from Goa, where the Carnival is held is  in IC Colony , Borivali (w).

Though this year there were more Advertising floats than People’s parade floats maybe due to low prize money or the overall recession. Nevertheless the turnout and people participation in the parade was decent.

After the parade the event moves to the ground where there’s music ,dance, games, fun & Food. There no booze allowed anymore but people do manage to smuggle in.

Carnival Details:
Where: BMC Ground, Opp Rishi Complex, Holy X Rd, Borivali (w).
When: 21st & 22nd Feb 2009-02-21
What time: 6 pm Onwards
Damages: 50 bucks, if you are Eyesee Vision Customer, Pls go n collect your free ticket.

Sharing some snapshots of the Carnival Parade.

Band leading the Parade

King MOMO & Co

VOIC Float

Haathi mere Saathi

Communal Harmony Float

Still haven’t figured out how Kasab got in the float?

Anti-Leprosy Float

Old Monk Pirates

Vintage Football Club

To see all Photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bombaylives/sets/72157594283675812/

King Momo : Not the ones you eat at Tibetian joints, read this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Momo_(Carnival_character) , here in IC Colony its normally the guy who been around for a while and bit famous. ( Earlier Momo’s include Martin from Martin Driving school and Oscar from IC Medical , Louis from Louis stores (need to confirm on that)
Float : A float is a decorated platform, either built on a tempo, Rickshaw, Bullock- cart, or towed behind a moving vehicle

Earlier Carnival Posts:-
http://www.bombaylives.com/?p=825
http://www.bombaylives.com/?p=551