NEW YEAR’S EVE AND ADAM.............
2009 is a stone’s throw away and since we have decided that no terror threat is going to dampen our Surti spirits, its party time folks!
Celebrating the New Year’s Eve is a custom that Surtis have been following since long now. In the late 70’s there were parties held at home by married couples, with home cooked surti food. These had the crème de la crème of surti socialites swinging away in silk maxis to the Abba’s Dancing Queen, Super Trouper or The Beatles best on the gramophoneJagjit Chitra ghazals were played too. Some migrants, mostly of the officer crowd, would have pretty wives, elegantly dressed in sarees swaying a romantic waltz with their husbands.
Mid eighties saw an entire generation of youngsters who were fortunate enough to watch and imitate the style of Madonna, Wham, Michael Jackson on Doordarshan’s ‘Pop stars’. Disco parties were then organised at places like Shree apartment hall and upcoming bunglows,where youngsters set up their own music systems and played out cassettes of recorded English music to full blast. Denim was the dress code. Snacks like samosas from Kailash, Rasna sherbet and Khaman would be laid out at a table in the corner. Friends shared the expense.
Then came the nineties, Surat had its very own band ‘Phoenix’.Surat’s only rock star, the late and very handsome Rajiv Desai was its lead singer, with Aakar Patel[now in Mumbai media] at the guitar and Matu who dazzled at the drums. These were the guys who brought in Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd Jethro Tull, and The Who and rocked the parties. Making guys and gals in baggie pants and t-shirts feel the music. From the mid 90’s, some restaurants went all out to please the crowds with private bashes. Fancy strobe lights, wooden dance floors and professional music systems got included. Food spread boasted of veg and non veg hors’de vours and desserts as well.
The 21st century brought along with it state of the art music systems and D.J’s belting out popular hinglish numbers with trance beats. Farm houses, are converted to party venues now. Whether its Brian Hylands evergreen,’itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini ‘or ‘mauja hi mauja’, the Surtis will be swinging to global tunes this year. Thai and Mexican cuisine will be served, with bar tenders from Mumbai shaking mock tails. Surtis will shop especially for the occasion and visit saloons for a hair do. The colours for this season are aubergine, gold and the usual, black. Some will travel to Daman, Goa, and Mumbai to officially celebrate in ‘high spirits’.
In case you are not a dancer, here are some easy to follow, original Surti moves, try them out now!
1. Kotsafil’’s Kaipo Che-Pretend you are flying a kite and have a mock tangle while you swing your knees in and out ,without lifting your feet.
2.Salabatpura’s swing-Roll your hands around like binding a bobbin and clap to the beat of three while you take two steps to the right and hopscotch back ,repeat to the left.
3. Parle Point’s Pretence-Stand in one place and only shift your shoulders and abdomen to the beat twice to the right twice to left, swing head in the motion of saying no as you move, right hand up with fore finger pointed.
4. Maachi waad mania-Put both hands up and alternate actions to bless the world and change light bulbs, while hips hop to right and left.
5. Golwaad’s gyrations-Put wacko jacko to shame as you belt out pelvic thrusts to the beat of one, two, in, out. Cup hands to resemble snakes that sting the air.
So there, now that you have had the lessons, what are you waiting for dearies? Doesn’t matter if you spend it grooving to the F.M at home, Aaja nachle! It’s the best method to express love, happiness and fun. Have a funtastic 2009!
TAPI TOWN TATTLE-What did the BCCI instruct the Indian cricket team? No Pakking!

SURTI N.R.I.’S CHRISTMAS WISHLIST.............
Last week, I received the Louis Vuitton Christmas newsletter. It gave a sneak peek into their fabulous new collection of the finest leather goods, against the beautiful backdrop of Paris while Sean Connery has done a three series shoot in the Bahamas to market their exclusive products. The letter suggests LV customers to prepare a Christmas wish list.
I wonder what our N.R.I.Surti brothers and sisters are preparing as their Christmas wish list this year. As we all know, every year the Surtis from America and U.K come home for shopping during winter holidays. For stuff silly, not spouses or new teeth!
The cash crunch due to cost cutting has unfortunately seen a recession in visiting N.R.I’s as well. So the poor little rich Surtis are calling up relatives back home to courier their goodies this year. Here is a list of what’s high in demand this season.
T.V. serial inspired Surti embroidered sarees. Sourced from Bombay market and Chautapul, synthetic sarees in multi coloured combination with a network of dazzling salma sitara work. Matched with satin petticoats and stringy backless blouses tailored by a ‘designer’ down the road. Embroidered ,net sarees with brocade petticoats, Parsi resham work and ready to wear chaniya choli styled sequinned sarees are hot cakes for N.R.I’s,this season.

2 gram gold jewellery; which is replicated to look like flashy, real stuff. Heavy chokers teamed with chunky dangler’s and bangles .Set with multicoloured stones to match sarees above. The rising costs have made this option very popular with the ladies who follow new trends. ’Balika vadhu’ style kangans, rhodium polish diamond sets, kundan jewellery, Victorian designs are on the N.R.G wish list.

Papads flavoured with garlic, jeera, dhamta etc. The most amazing ones are made by Jalaram in a little known village near Bardoli -Khoj. Besides papads, tea, dry mango chiriyas, fenugreek and sundried Ponk is also high in demand, as are pickles. Spices, and the popular good quality ‘ras ni hing’-the asafoetida that is the dry powdered resin from tree bark is highly sought after.Charoli,kalonji,shahjeeru is tucked into little zipper pouches as add ons,to balance out the parcel weight.
The process of couriering these goodies is also an art. Since the regular parcel service would cost a bomb, many small time courier services have sprung up in Surat, often run from home, which tie up with the bigger fish and provide cheap service for the local crowd. Goods reach within 4 days to the recipient and everyone is happy. Once the sender delivers the paraphernalia to the couriers; goodies are neatly packed in thick polythene and weighed, then further packed into a larger carton and sent off.
So, dear Surtis, if this season you do not see many hapless husbands carrying shopping bags around the town markets while they obediently follow the Mrs., you know that it’s because most N.R.I’s have shopped through a wish list this year.
Never mind if our marketing strategy is not as stylish as LV, never mind if we do not have any marketing strategy, whether it’s Christmas or Diwali, for N.R.G.’s East or West, Surat is the best!
TAPI TOWN TATTLE-What did President Bush turn into when he was shoed in Iraq? A sitting duck!

HAULE HAULE HARMONY
When Yashraj Films released the music of their most awaited film this year, the janta were in for a surprise. In this age where hip hop ,techno and trance rule the roost of foot tapping music scores, the first music video aired was the song ,’haule haule’ which has a Harmonium playing its most important notes ,while Tablas and Dholaks hark beats in the background ,bringing in the sound of music from an era bygone! Needless to say, the simple song has turned into a huge hit.
In Tapi town, if one needs to buy a harmonium, or tablas, dholaks, nagaras for that matter, there is only one destination.Dhabgarwaad - situated between Limda Chowk and Bhagal ,is the street that has it all. The Surtis of this Sheri are called ‘Dhabgariyas’. They live above their shops.
As one enters Dhabgarwaad,on the right falls ‘Seep’ one of Surat’s first juice centres that Surtis regularly visit to enjoy a ‘ganga jamuna’,kaju anjir’.Seep is also popular with homemakers because it offers free and expert advice on how and where to repair a juicer, mixer, grinder in town.
The kiosks that lead on the bend in the road from then onwards, are owned by old, talented Surtis who carry forward family business of manufacturing and selling various musical instruments.
One of the ‘juna ane jaanita’ shop is that of Thakorbhai Chimanlal Tablawala.In the olden days, the hide of goats and buffaloes that go into the making of tablas, bongos and dholaks ,were skinned off the dead animals in Dhabgarwaad, itself. As generations changed hands in business, the younger ones now call in ready hides from Godhra, Sholapur, and Kolhapur; as is the case with wild wood which forms the frame of these instruments and comes in from various parts of Gujarat.
Tablas,Nals,Kongo etc. are only fitted, repaired and sold from here now.Bethaks’udhanis’ that form the stands on which tablas are settled in as well as tiny hatodis that are used to tune the same are also available. The hammers used to be made of ‘pittal’ once but are now available in iron versions.
Further on, shops on either side flaunt the flavour of the month’s festivals, kites, manja thread, fire crackers, Holi and rangoli colours, umbrellas, walking sticks, horse whips are sold here through the year.
At the other end of this colourful street are a few shops that manufacture and sell Harmoniums. With the demand for the same having gone down, these too have trickled down to a smaller number. ’Venilal ‘carries on the baton since it upgraded itself with selling fancy guitars, keyboards, drums etc. One could easily call it the ‘Furtados and sons’ of Surat.
There is a team of young music enthusiasts that carry on the tradition of selling these simple instruments that produce soulful music. Although they do not teach the same, they do recommend old teachers that run classes around town and visit homes to teach shastriya sangeet to Surtis.
Our city has changed its suburban shades to the beat of the 21st century, yet,Dhabgarwaad in the heart of Surat still renders out sounds of its age old splendour; and who knows, with changing trends of music these days, maybe someday, more Surtis would like to play old tunes too. Till then, Dhabgarwaad hums along in a haule haule harmony.
TAPI TOWN TATTLE-What will Nano prove to be for the common man? Auto rescue!

RED RIBBON DAY...............
During the Mughal empire rule, just beyond the Mughal Sarai-the resting place for caravan travellers[which now houses the SMC offices], there came up an area known as the variyavi bazaar. This area was inhabited by women who ran one of the oldest professions in history, that of courtesans. One of them was a beautiful mistress of the nagarseth, called Suraj; many historians believe that Surat was initially named Suraj after her.
Down the ages, this place thrived on local customers. Over the years, women from different parts of the country and Nepal were brought in here. This area was actually the only officially known red light area of Gujarat. In 1967, a social worker named Leelaben Parekh surveyed this godforsaken place only to find that the maximum idols and photographs of God that she had ever seen in town were actually here! Incense sticks regularly spread aroma within the claustrophobic corridors where no beggar went by hungry and children were educated in the best schooling options available in the area. Leelaben sent her reports to Ahmedabad after which the state government and NGOs regularly set up awareness programmes for this section of women to help them with their health problems.
In the year 2003, the commercial sex workers were driven out of this area by the landlords of variyavi bazaar and an era of the chakla bazaar came to an end. Since rehabilitation for these women was not arranged for, the only aspect of their profession that changed was the geography .To top that, now their section was no more an 'organised 'one nor an official one, so, educating them about health awareness was out of the question.
Our city thrives on the migrant population who work as hired help for Surti Lalas be it in the trade of Textile at Pandesara, Diamonds at Varaccha, Labourers at Hazira.A large scale of this segment is involved in proliferation of premarital promiscuity, multiple sexual partnership with commercial sex workers and high homosexuality .Needless to say it more often than not makes them vulnerable to getting infected with STD.These migrants unknowingly spread the infection to their families as well.
While most countries and cities have film stars, models or religious leaders helping in the cause of health awareness, there are still a few words in Tapi town that often are either taboo or carry a sort of social stigma. One of them is AIDS, acquired immuno deficiency syndrome. Like science teachers in our school days, who would ask us to self study the chapters on the human reproductive system since they were too embarrassed to teach or talk about the same, many Surtis often refrain from discussing about this life threatening fact of life that our generation and the future ones need to be aware of . Surtis often feel that this issue does not concern them.
Health education for our labour clan is as equally important as educating our children. Various NGOs and government programmes run education on AIDS awareness for school children and a certain segment of the migrants, but, most of the workers resort to treatment of illness from various quacks around town which often puts their lives at risk.
While we practice utmost caution for our lives, often the ones who toil for us, fall easy prey due to lack of knowledge. It is one thing to be aware; another to show that you care, because as we all know, in the case of AIDS, prevention is the only option since there is no cure.
TAPI TOWN TATTLE-What will the U.S. visa granted to our called-Modi-fied visa!