Things are changing now. The cops in the city has started charging auto drivers who does not comply with meter charges. But all this change is not going to be possible without our help. The auto drivers in Kochi has always had it nice and easy so far and they obviously will not be too excited about the changes happening. It is our duty to demand the meter be switched on and to pay only the money the meter asks us to. There is a reason why it is there, so might as well start making use of it.

Next question. So what are we going to do if an auto driver refuses to put on his meter? You cannot blame the man for not wanting to put on the meter. For years he charged money as per his whims and fancies. But fret not. The cops in the city have setup a Control Room dedicated to auto drivers. You can call them and the cops will speak to the auto driver and remind him the law. The cops advice them on the measures they will take if the auto driver does not comply.

Sure, it would just be easier if you just forget it and give in to the auto drivers way. But remember each time you are not demanding for the fair meter charge, you are encouraging the auto driver’s behavior. The cops are trying to help us. But they will not be able to take on this ginormous task alone. They need our help and this is where we act.

Creole cuisine is a style of cooking originating in Louisiana which blends French,Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Greek, Asian Indian, Native American, and African influences, as well as general Southern cuisine. It is similar to Cajun cuisine in ingredients (such as the holy trinity), but the important distinction is that Cajun cuisine arose from the more rustic, provincial French cooking adapted by the Acadians to Louisiana ingredients, whereas the cooking of the Louisiana Creoles tended more toward classical European styles adapted to local  foodstuffs. (Thank you Wikipedia). For reservations & details contact (0484) 2668221/3011777.

Amalda Lizz

A food connoisseur can begin the journey with the traditional beverages like Aam Ka Panna and Jal Jeera. To continue the food sojourn, indulge in Punjabi dishes like Kadi Pakodi- a traditional Punjabi dish, the Rara Gosht – a mutton dish steeped in a gravy of spicy mince and soaked with rare spices, Murgh Makhanwala- chicken cooked in soft and melting butter, Sarsson da Saag – a Punjabi treat made of Mustard leaves & spices, the Baingan Bhurtha – brinjals cooked with a simple combination of spices and herbs. For those having a sweet tooth, relish varieties like Phaldhari Ras malai, Dakke Wali Kulfi etc.

Taking the festival to an interactive mode, Punjabi  recipe handouts are circulated to the guests who would like to try the recipes back home. Chef would also share some handy tips on the preparation of Punjabi cuisine.

Recently a few girl friends caught up at Cocoa Tree for a cup of coffee and some gossip. One of the girls was wearing a pair of shorts. Apart from a few guys stealing a couple of peek, their outing was going just fine. Till one very concerned customer decides to play moral police and do his bit in ‘preserving our culture’. This guy probably in his early 20’s walks up to the girls and very politely requested them to dress less vulgarly. It took a few seconds for the girls to realize they were not in Taliban ruled Afghanistan and politely asked him to mind his own business.

As my friend recollected the story we could not help but feel disgusted. The fact that it was someone in his early 20’s who thought he had the right to dictate how women should dress was very disturbing. Why are people less tolerant here? Why is this kind of behavior from such men not as rampant in the metros like Mumbai and Bangalore? Why is this intolerance targeted only to women? Go to Oberon Mall on any given day and we are treated to the sight of men parading the mall with their jockeys and fake calvin kleins peeking outside their jeans, and on your face. If we are lucky enough we are even treated to the sight of their ass crack showing. Why are these kind of underwear sightings tolerated while women wearing shorts is treated as a cardinal sin?

All these questions and thoughts kept my mind engaged for some time. Here is what I came up with so far. CONDITIONING! Men who do not accept a woman’s liberty of dressing how they like, need to be conditioned to accept it. They need to realize they really don’t have a choice and women don’t have to give a rat’s ass on what they think. How do we achieve this? Apart from trying to educate them (which will most likely turn out to be futile), more women need to dress in more skimpy clothes. Yes, you heard me right. The more they see women walking around in shorts or miniskirts, the more they realize that they are helpless.

I think women today should be considered as freedom fighters. These are the women who have started the movement and who are going to take it forward. It’s going to be difficult initially but as time passes, people will inevitably stop bothering and unknowingly becomes conditioned to accept women and their choices. Let there be women smoking or drinking. Sooner or later these moral policing folks will give up on their fight and resign to their fate of accepting the fact that they really have no say. And in future, we will be in a space where no one will come up to a woman and talk out of their ass, dictating women on dressing guidelines.

So if you are a girl who loves wearing shorts or your miniskirts, please do so. At least, for the future generations.