The Good Samaritan Mission Mumbai

It’s that time of the year when we gather to spread joy. We do a little bit that helps us remind our existence as “Human”. A little more evidence than a Tee shirt. A little time away from the mundane chores of our life. A little time that we spend in grand style with those we may not know, with those we may not relate, but yet we all  have a gala time. A testimony to that has been the repeat members in the last two years of rides to The Good Samaritan Mission. As a matter of fact, we even celebrated a birthday there! We first went there as a group in 2010, we had a gala time. We planned another visit on the same day (May 1st) and found that the kids still remember us, they still remember our bikes, they still remember the fun we had, and they continue to look upon us.
 
This would be the third iteration of the ride to The Good Samaritan Mission as a group!
 
A little about TGSM:

The `Good Samaritan Mission’ is located in Vikhroli(E), Mumbai.

They are a registered charitable trust (Regn. No.E 15717, Mumbai) that was established in the year 1994.

Founded by Br. S Peter Paul Raj (who was earlier with Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity for about 10 years), this mission has three homes all located in Vikhroli (E). Two homes are for street children and one home is for male dying destitute.

The homes for street children – Bal Nivas has boys (32) and Silvano Nivas has girls (28). These children are typically either orphaned, abandoned, thrown out of homes, runaways, victims of separated parents, children of very poor parents who just cannot support them etc. All these children are provided free shelter, food, clothing and education. All children except the physically / mentally challenged ones go to school.

The home for male dying destitutes, Vijay Ashram cares for destitute from the streets with serious illnesses or injuries with the aim to provide them dignity in life / death (Bed capacity 35). This is in line with Mother Teresa’s wish that `No one should die on the street uncared for’.

Apart from this they have a free tailoring center at Dr. Ambedkar Nagar Slum for young women from the slums.

They also run a free dispensary in the same slum.

They also have various outreach programmes when they visit other slum areas to render necessary help to the needy as also distribute free food, medicines, clothes etc.

The Mission run on principles of Mother Teresa has a group of dedicated brothers from different parts of India who assist Br. Peter Paul Raj in this Mission of God.
 

A few have asked as to why do we go there in May. Reasons against it vary from it being very hot, to the genuine plea that a lot of the kids go for vacation with their families at that time. That’s exactly why we go there in May! For those who have nothing to look up as vacation! Nowhere to go except for lurking in streets with the same old toys! We enjoy in being of some use to them, we relish their company as much as they look up to  us! 

This year, on its 3rd iteration we wish to make this yet another grand day. And of course with you!

How can you help?
1. By your presence:
These kids are extremely friendly. They love company. In fact during the earlier visits,  they have not only been successfully in ensuring that some of the very shy introverts in our group dance with them, but also stumped the so called talkative ones with the sheer wit! Be there to spend some quality time.
 
2. By your gifts:
Gifts are simple gifts, a simple package that spreads joy. Some things that they can use. These may, or may not be of much use to you. So old usable clothes, books, bags, colours, toys, all count! This isn’t a race to make money, this is done as our humble effort to give back to the society.  If you wish to donate something, but are challenged for time, do not worry! We are a group of bikers from every nook and corner of Mumbai (and pune!) Some crazy, willing and able enough to ride to your place to collect YOUR gifts!

3. By your support:
Help us coordinate the event, help us in any way you can.
Are you good at singing, dancing  etc? Great you can perform for them! Can you help us lend projectors, some movies etc. great! We would love to see a movie together!  You have a huge list of friends who could possibly help us, go ahead share the event details!

Everybody is more than invited to come up for this! But do remember, this isn’t a commercial activity, and we would like to keep it like that. If you are clicking pictures, do so in good taste, befriend them, ask due permission and then capture what you want to be YOUR memory from the event!

Facebook RSVP – Coming up soon
Date – May 1 – 2012

Wish. Give. Dream. Make

With a little wish, and my belittled dreams
In slightest whispers, I try scream
Work with rigour, for rest to get true
Chin held high, as the cancer grew

With every sun, I would work and toil
Then with one, I would turn to soil
Even then, I’d smile no less
Aiming for none. But just to be blessed

A smile I sport, you’d think its fake
But tears, moves me to make…

~ Satyen Poojary

Never Again, Dream

My hands shiver, Oh these thoughts
Time has got us here,
Today, right here, Oh so near,
But how long, I yet know not

May be never, never again,
But for now. Here. True. Real,
Where from here, I still fear
Time has got us here, so near

Never been, dreams so near,
Senses lost. Dazzled I stare,
Uttered some, Which I know not,
Perhaps failing, describe my care

I avoid contact, my eyes stray,
Yet I see, touch and feel
Deep down the scars slowly heal,
I crave for more, so more I live
While time keeps passing by

You breath fire, and tease me more
We set speed, highways we would explore
The distance shrinks, the journey grows,
Happiness inside, Never been, dreams so near,
Never again, is what I fear

Never again dream, never again stop

This ones for you my friend

A true tourer

5 years ago, around this time of the year, I lost someone who was like my younger brother. Half a decade gone, and yet a similar incident, a similar event that leaves me completely shaken.
Back then, my attitude for motorcycling changed, I grew safer, preached more. And now, am confused. We the enthusiast are grossly outnumbered. Whoever said survival of the fittest, probably didn’t budget well.

RIP Neelesh, you would be missed.

Killing an atheist

Wrote something today, and realised that there’s an unfinished entry in my big fat drafts section about this! Good time to finish it!

These were penned long ago, with some thoughts long forgiven, and long forgotten..
They reflect a state of mind, you might not relate to it, unless you have hatred within. So the purist happy ones could conveniently skip.

Disclaimer: these weren’t written with any one in mind, so do not attempt to relate it to any person. You could at best relate it to an event!
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Blinded by ego, deprived by reason
Anger, animosity a state of treason.
The glow in thy eyes, with livid theme
Contempt, conceit, and the sly gleam.
Lack of sensitivity, absolute numb
Shout of cries, just shut dumb.
Pain, suffering, hatred galore
Bid me adieu, I want to see no more.
I see, I plea, but am just indictive
I pray for care, and I care for prayer
But, I wonder if thy holiness is even there.
The virtues of righteousness wasn’t even spared
The aggregation of which we named lord
I wonder if thy holiness is even there.

#Change – 2012

Times change, people change, words change, meanings change, interpretations change, you changed, I change, Everything changes. Like they say, Change is perhaps the only constant in life. What doesnt change, perhaps is already dead.
What we celebrated yesterday is perhaps just another milestone, at best a measurement to keep track of how many things have changes in the last “x” years, or how many things would you like to change in coming “y” year(s)

So celebrate the change, Celebrate the milestone you have now crossed. Celebrate life!

Wish you all a super fun-tastic 2012 with a lot of good luck, great health, and a lot of pleasures and fame and fortune! May things change. May Change bring challenges. May Challenges bring change, and the ability to change the change in your larger favour.
To practise what I preach, I have ensured that the blog has slightly changed.

Celebrate life – Celebrate Change!

My own eyes, my demise

Unfinished -
Epiphany

I saw something from my own eyes,
While you were busy with your lives,
I saw from my eyes, my own demise
The journey, away from your lies
Mirage: I assumed was my life
You were busy, weaving a world of lies
Blind to my tears, deaf to my cries
I saw from my eyes, my own demise
The pain, the suffering, I now realize
Were courtesy your stabbed knives.
Those hopes, those dreams, all lies
Mirage: I assumed to be my life
Irony, Perhaps, death brings new life
Like a phoenix, I soon shall rise
Blind to my tears, deaf to my cries
I saw from my eyes, my own demise

To be continued…

Resolutions 2012: The changing world

2012: when the world is touted to end, I know mine would. I know mine would: as the world I know it. I know perhaps even yours would.
The earth jogs a marathon of sorts around the sun, and we continue repeating the same monotony. Eat. Sleep. Work. Repeat.
So this 2012 I will ensure that the world as I’ve experienced would change. I would make it change. Brick by brick.

Brick 1: Time to give up on Bad habits.
Bad habits of listening a lot. Bad habits of understanding. Bad habit of being understanding to the extent that I get taken for granted. Once. Once more. All the time

Brick 2: Better be sorry, than be safe.
A lot of apprehensions held, a lot of emotions suppressed. A lot hidden behind the smile. That would go. Am a mere mortal, am allowed to make mistakes. And er I shall. I’d rather be sorry, than play safe.

Brick 3: Eat
Well, eating healthy hasn’t helped. Nor has workout in whatever little form I can. Honestly time is a bitch measurement. There’s as much for everybody, but none to spare for either. So I wouldn’t waste mine. I’d eat what I get, work hard in whatever manner I can.

Brick 4: A Journey in another direction
This brick is my favourite, a journey within myself. No I won’t try to crawl into my butt hole. I would head out for a journey at every possible juncture.
A lot outside and even more on the inside. Yes I hate being a tourist, I hate being branded into a convenient term. Be it a biker, a blogger or anything else. I always try to learn new things. Perhaps that’s why I know the wicked art of spin. Be it the cricket ball, or the turntable. But I have learnt a better ability. The ability to forget. So let me look within, try and re do all the bits I’ve forgot

Brick 5: Humiliate people
Be careful in what you ask from me. Be careful, cause you’ve been warned. Every month, I will spend one day humiliating people. To an extent that perhaps you will hate me. You ill treat me, you face the wrath. You ill treat my brethren, you face my wrath. You cut my lane, I slit your throat. You diss us, I burn you up in torturous painful flames.

Brick 6: Create more
I have this tendency to write stuff which mean different things to different people. Like this prose, or my last tweet “Die in love, or live in hate” Read it once, and you get the factual meaning.
Read it again, and you would get its virtual meaning,
Read it again, and may be its practical meaning
Read it again, and you’d perhaps get the actual meaning. And may be again to find its substantial meaning.
The problem isn’t the word, the problem is YOU. Who at times read it just once, and assume, apprehend. Be warned, you wouldn’t be spared! I could hurl the brick 5 at you too.

That asides, welcome 2012
Ps: read it again
Pps: fuck you if you don’t!

Alive. Dead

Another unfinished one from the list which also celebrates its anniversary today! I guess it better go online atleast now!

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As I lie on my bed,
A little alive, but mostly dead
Hearing silence, but a lots been said
Loud thoughts, but a silent me
An uncanny change, to a resilient me,
As I lie on my bed,
A little alive, but mostly dead
I try rest, I try heal
Turmoil, trapped in a spinning wheel,
So much I spoke, but no one heard,
As I lie on my bed,
A little alive, but mostly dead
Tomorrows here, but I’ve lost my way
The pain the suffering, my smile hides,
I keep trying, falling, falling and failing
As I lie on my bed,
A little alive, but mostly dead….

Congratulations!

This might come as a surprise to the ones who subscribe to this blog, but this is a post dedicated to a very close friend! Someone whom I can recognise as one of my closest friends, for as early as my now tired mind can think. Someone whom I can easily slot in that small group of friends right in the early days of my life!

Congratulations Pooja Rao on this grand day in life! I have three simple wishes for you. Good health. Great Luck, and a Superb Happy life ahead!
And Congratulations to aunty and uncle on this special day too! Am sure they have planned for this day for a long while now! Lots of love to aunty and uncle for all their patience towards me, for all that they have taught me, be it a silly game of UNO or the very informative “Tell me why” sessions!

Am so very sorry that I couldn’t make it for this grand day, but my best wishes are with you and your family and the now extended family always!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!