Collectables

An arctophilist collects teddy bears, a deltiologist collects postcards, a numismatist collects coins, a vecturist collects subway tokens and a clock collector is a horologist.

I guess I am just a very ordinary collector – nothing fancy. Over the years I have collected anything that took my fancy .

Early memories of my childhood and I vividly remember a ‘cabinet of curiosities’ in our home. Probably that  seed germinated in my infant brain and I began collecting as well.

The first thing I collected was ‘holy pictures’.  I was around 10 years old when   pictures of saints and the like took my fancy and I had a small tin sweet box with my prized possessions.  I had about one hundred and fifty ‘Holy pictures’ and I even exchanged the same with friends when I had duplicates. I often approached priests, nuns and religious brothers who willingly added to my collection. Although money was not plentiful by any means, I managed to purchase a few special holy pictures from a religious bookstall in the city. No clue where that collection went.

Playing marbles then became a craze in middle school and I had hundreds of them in a large glass jar. I often counted them and even washed them on weekends. Spreading them out on my bed gave me immense pleasure.  (I do not see anyone playing marbles now). It was a great hobby because playing allowed for individual or group participation. The varied types, styles, sizes, and colors of the marbles lent a unique look to my collection. Taking them to school in my pocket was fun as well.  What was not very funny was when they fell out of my  pocket during class time and were confiscated by the teachers who I was sure took them home for their kids to play with .

More often than not, as I was not a very good player, I would return home despondent having lost most or all the marbles I had taken to school in the morning.

 

I must have been around 14 when my grandfather presented me with a stamp album and a few boxes of old stamps.  They lay in the house for a few years and I never even looked at them.

Then one day I came across them in an old tin trunk & I eagerly began sorting them out and placing them in the album. Along with stamps I began collecting ‘First day covers’ as well. Someone had mentioned that stamps could make me a rich man and I guess that spurred me on.

Whenever I read about the release of a new stamp, I would rush to the post office, line up with hundreds of other philatelists and purchase a few stamps and a first day cover or two. We then had to line up again and get the covers  stamped! My collection grew to a point and then I guess other things took my fancy and the stamp collection died a natural death and I forgot about becoming rich!

 I must add that I was later presented with thousands of very old stamps by an uncle – they  are still in my possession and  I am told , could fetch a fortune  . Therefore, I do still have a chance!

It was then key chains – a few hundred of them took up place in a cupboard draw. For a year or so, I would change my key chain daily!

A few other collections may surprise you, make you cringe  or even smile.

Butterflies – Butterflies are beautiful to look at, and I enjoyed preserving multiple species to admire their wing patterns. I would find dead butterflies in the garden   or capture one that I wanted to save. I would then put it in a bottle and seal it up for a few hours (sounds so cruel now). I would then put it between the pages of a thick dictionary and that was how I collected them!  I knew that there were more professional way of displaying them but I guess the way I did it was enough for me.

I had a similar collection of leaves.  I would get hold of a good leaf, wash and dry it and then just put it between the pages of a thick book. Soon all that would be left would be the skeleton of the leaf and it looked pretty and artistic! I had quite a few leaves in various books.

After I began working, I once went for a garage sale & bought a pair of peg tables in the shape of elephants from a very well-known astrologer in India. Yes, you probably guessed it right – that started an elephant collection, which has grown. We now have around 80 small elephants from various parts of the world.

I then shifted to the UAE & had the opportunity and means to travel a little more - bells took our fancy and so it was bells from all over.

Once on a visit to Germany I fell in love with a very beautiful beer mug that I spotted in a sae on the banks of the Rhine – that bred a small collection of beautiful mugs that now fill a showcase in our home.

My present collection of cuff links and watches are small but they are my prized possessions now.

Relatives and friends have added to the various collections over the years   and at times it is the topic of family jokes as well but who cares.

I have stopped adding collectables now and am planning to declutter but have not made a serious effort to do so.

Marie Kondo inspired me but one needs time to declutter!!

It will happen someday but till then let me enjoy these simple pleasures.

 

 

 

Collectables

An arctophilist collects teddy bears, a deltiologist collects postcards, a numismatist collects coins, a vecturist collects subway tokens and a clock collector is a horologist.

I guess I am just a very ordinary collector – nothing fancy. Over the years I have collected anything that took my fancy .

Early memories of my childhood and I vividly remember a ‘cabinet of curiosities’ in our home. Probably that  seed germinated in my infant brain and I began collecting as well.

The first thing I collected was ‘holy pictures’.  I was around 10 years old when   pictures of saints and the like took my fancy and I had a small tin sweet box with my prized possessions.  I had about one hundred and fifty ‘Holy pictures’ and I even exchanged the same with friends when I had duplicates. I often approached priests, nuns and religious brothers who willingly added to my collection. Although money was not plentiful by any means, I managed to purchase a few special holy pictures from a religious bookstall in the city. No clue where that collection went.

Playing marbles then became a craze in middle school and I had hundreds of them in a large glass jar. I often counted them and even washed them on weekends. Spreading them out on my bed gave me immense pleasure.  (I do not see anyone playing marbles now). It was a great hobby because playing allowed for individual or group participation. The varied types, styles, sizes, and colors of the marbles lent a unique look to my collection. Taking them to school in my pocket was fun as well.  What was not very funny was when they fell out of my  pocket during class time and were confiscated by the teachers who I was sure took them home for their kids to play with .

More often than not, as I was not a very good player, I would return home despondent having lost most or all the marbles I had taken to school in the morning.

 

I must have been around 14 when my grandfather presented me with a stamp album and a few boxes of old stamps.  They lay in the house for a few years and I never even looked at them.

Then one day I came across them in an old tin trunk & I eagerly began sorting them out and placing them in the album. Along with stamps I began collecting ‘First day covers’ as well. Someone had mentioned that stamps could make me a rich man and I guess that spurred me on.

Whenever I read about the release of a new stamp, I would rush to the post office, line up with hundreds of other philatelists and purchase a few stamps and a first day cover or two. We then had to line up again and get the covers  stamped! My collection grew to a point and then I guess other things took my fancy and the stamp collection died a natural death and I forgot about becoming rich!

 I must add that I was later presented with thousands of very old stamps by an uncle – they  are still in my possession and  I am told , could fetch a fortune  . Therefore, I do still have a chance!

It was then key chains – a few hundred of them took up place in a cupboard draw. For a year or so, I would change my key chain daily!

A few other collections may surprise you, make you cringe  or even smile.

Butterflies – Butterflies are beautiful to look at, and I enjoyed preserving multiple species to admire their wing patterns. I would find dead butterflies in the garden   or capture one that I wanted to save. I would then put it in a bottle and seal it up for a few hours (sounds so cruel now). I would then put it between the pages of a thick dictionary and that was how I collected them!  I knew that there were more professional way of displaying them but I guess the way I did it was enough for me.

I had a similar collection of leaves.  I would get hold of a good leaf, wash and dry it and then just put it between the pages of a thick book. Soon all that would be left would be the skeleton of the leaf and it looked pretty and artistic! I had quite a few leaves in various books.

After I began working, I once went for a garage sale & bought a pair of peg tables in the shape of elephants from a very well-known astrologer in India. Yes, you probably guessed it right – that started an elephant collection, which has grown. We now have around 80 small elephants from various parts of the world.

I then shifted to the UAE & had the opportunity and means to travel a little more - bells took our fancy and so it was bells from all over.

Once on a visit to Germany I fell in love with a very beautiful beer mug that I spotted in a sae on the banks of the Rhine – that bred a small collection of beautiful mugs that now fill a showcase in our home.

My present collection of cuff links and watches are small but they are my prized possessions now.

Relatives and friends have added to the various collections over the years   and at times it is the topic of family jokes as well but who cares.

I have stopped adding collectables now and am planning to declutter but have not made a serious effort to do so.

Marie Kondo inspired me but one needs time to declutter!!

It will happen someday but till then let me enjoy these simple pleasures.

 

 

 

Are snakes proliferating?
At first one could only find them in forests and grassy areas , in drains  or broken down buildings .
Now things are rather  different. They have been seen in offices , organizations, homes and a myriad other places .
Some are harmless. You see them and thus you know they are around but you know they can't harm you in any way . Cowardly by nature .
 Others are slightly more adventurous & dangerous. They may not strike or chase openly  but if they get the opportunity they will attempt to bite and cause pain and suffering . However , they are not venomous. 
Then there are the venomous kinds. They lie in wait  and bite deeply if the opportunity presents  itself . Their bite is lethal and at times there is no antidote available at that moment.
 They are the opportunists and you need to be very careful of them . They are often in disguise as well- often so well dressed and supposedly cultured that it's unbelievable !!
They will cause Grevious  harm if they can.

THEN YOU HAVE THE REAL SNAKES .

These are by and large peaceful creature s and will only attack if you stamp on or startle them. 99% will never attack if unprovoked. 

 So ends this morning's lesson .

Are snakes proliferating?
At first one could only find them in forests and grassy areas , in drains  or broken down buildings .
Now things are rather  different. They have been seen in offices , organizations, homes and a myriad other places .
Some are harmless. You see them and thus you know they are around but you know they can't harm you in any way . Cowardly by nature .
 Others are slightly more adventurous & dangerous. They may not strike or chase openly  but if they get the opportunity they will attempt to bite and cause pain and suffering . However , they are not venomous. 
Then there are the venomous kinds. They lie in wait  and bite deeply if the opportunity presents  itself . Their bite is lethal and at times there is no antidote available at that moment.
 They are the opportunists and you need to be very careful of them . They are often in disguise as well- often so well dressed and supposedly cultured that it's unbelievable !!
They will cause Grevious  harm if they can.

THEN YOU HAVE THE REAL SNAKES .

These are by and large peaceful creature s and will only attack if you stamp on or startle them. 99% will never attack if unprovoked. 

 So ends this morning's lesson .

On stitching a suit

Having a suit stitched has always been pretty straightforward. You pay a visit  to your  tailor - You take the material with you – the  tailor measures the material, then measures you , asks you a few questions about what your preferences are – calls you for a trial after about two weeks and a few days later you get the suit on a hangar and in a case . You pay – both smile and you walk out.

Not so today. Making a suit has taken on a very new dimension &   you are tested in innumerable ways.

Getting a well-fitting suit is in reality, an essential rite of passage for every man to go through, but these days it can get overwhelming with so many options and styles to choose from.

A well-fitted suit made of good material   makes a man feel ready to take on the world. An ill-fitting one and you end up looking more like Beetlejuice than Bond!

For years, I attired myself in good readymade suits that looked and fitted fine, until I met a friend in the UAE who raved about bespoke suits. Readymade suits were supposedly anathema to him, so he talked me in going down the bespoke road and there begins my story.

It was a Saturday morning and so this ‘bespoke person’ and I drove down to a large mall in the city where the shop was located. Throughout the journey, which lasted about fifteen minutes I was briefed about fabric, cut, fall, lining, buttons, lapels and the like. By the time we got to the shop, I too was an authority on suits – or so I imagined.

Pushing open the opaque glass door, we walked in. A young man in a black suit ushered us into an inner sanctorum where we sat down on a plush Curvilinear sofa & began (I do not know why) talking in whispers. Possibly the dim lights, the soft, plush cushions, the rather opulent room, the scent of jasmine and the soft music wafting through the heavy silk curtains had that effect on us.  In the adjoining room, which was on a split level we heard laughter and friendly banter.  

The young man followed us in and picking up a tray from a hand-carved French looking table, he offered us cold watermelon juice. On the 56 inch Television, the stock market was being discussed and I thought that rather strange for a tailoring shop!

A few minutes’ later two things happened simultaneously – a very jovial, rotund bald man passed us , smiled and went out and another very handsome looking man walked toward us.

By his demeanor, I gathered that he was obviously the owner. He was well built, of medium height, had a drooping moustache, slick black hair, was dressed in white and wore suspenders. I have to say he gave me a bit of a complex right away. He was friendly to the point of being irritating but a terrific salesperson.

 For the next twenty minutes or so, we discussed suits, fabric, styles etc . By then I was inclined to believe that this was some sort of a fraud but I had already spent almost half an hour in the shop, drunk the watermelon juice and engaged him in friendly conversation so I felt bad to walk away.

We looked at innumerable fabrics and had them draped over my shoulder while he dwelled at length on the quality, colour , texture , weight and about them being breathable .

Words like ruched , slubby,  fluted , threadbare , uncrushable , unforgiving , fibrous and hand knitted were also bandied around and by then my head was spinning .

  I finally settled on a light wool navy.  He also showed me cotton, linen and luxury fibers like cashmere, vicuña, and mohair!

I think that is what he said they were but I could be wrong.

We then entered the inner room – it was carpeted and in the center was a sort of circular pedestal a foot off the floor. There were two leather sofas, two focus lights and a row of about fifty suits on a rack on one side of the room.

The Master tailor was then summoned. He was an old, experienced looking man and looked like he knew his job. However, his beady eyes did not do much for his personality.  

Taking a suit off the rack, he asked me to go into the trial room and put it on. I was then asked to get on to the pedestal and the lights were focused on me. The master then took various measurements and marked this trial suit with blue and white chalk. He then used pins and tucked the material in all over all the while talking to himself, that too with a pin between his teeth. He seemed to know what he was doing and his fingers moved deftly.

 He took some more measurements until there were no more areas to measure. After taking about twenty measurements, he rattled them off while the owner made notes in a leather bound register. Breathing a sigh of relief I was about to get off the pedestal when the owner extracted a mobile camera from a small shelf behind him and took about 15 pictures of me in the suit, from various angles. It was then over – or so I thought.

The four of us then went back to the outer room and a few books were laid out on the table. I was then helped while choosing the actual cut, the colour and texture of the lining and the number of buttons on the suit front and sleeves. 

The whole operation lasted approximately 2 hours and at the end of it I was pretty drained and exhausted.

 I finally picked up the finished suit a few weeks later. It was okay but nothing much  to write home about - and yes, you guessed it right – I have moved over to bespoke suits but have found another tailor!

The gentleman who introduced me to ‘bespoke suits ‘and I are still good friends!

 

Michael Guzder

On stitching a suit

Having a suit stitched has always been pretty straightforward. You pay a visit  to your  tailor - You take the material with you – the  tailor measures the material, then measures you , asks you a few questions about what your preferences are – calls you for a trial after about two weeks and a few days later you get the suit on a hangar and in a case . You pay – both smile and you walk out.

Not so today. Making a suit has taken on a very new dimension &   you are tested in innumerable ways.

Getting a well-fitting suit is in reality, an essential rite of passage for every man to go through, but these days it can get overwhelming with so many options and styles to choose from.

A well-fitted suit made of good material   makes a man feel ready to take on the world. An ill-fitting one and you end up looking more like Beetlejuice than Bond!

For years, I attired myself in good readymade suits that looked and fitted fine, until I met a friend in the UAE who raved about bespoke suits. Readymade suits were supposedly anathema to him, so he talked me in going down the bespoke road and there begins my story.

It was a Saturday morning and so this ‘bespoke person’ and I drove down to a large mall in the city where the shop was located. Throughout the journey, which lasted about fifteen minutes I was briefed about fabric, cut, fall, lining, buttons, lapels and the like. By the time we got to the shop, I too was an authority on suits – or so I imagined.

Pushing open the opaque glass door, we walked in. A young man in a black suit ushered us into an inner sanctorum where we sat down on a plush Curvilinear sofa & began (I do not know why) talking in whispers. Possibly the dim lights, the soft, plush cushions, the rather opulent room, the scent of jasmine and the soft music wafting through the heavy silk curtains had that effect on us.  In the adjoining room, which was on a split level we heard laughter and friendly banter.  

The young man followed us in and picking up a tray from a hand-carved French looking table, he offered us cold watermelon juice. On the 56 inch Television, the stock market was being discussed and I thought that rather strange for a tailoring shop!

A few minutes’ later two things happened simultaneously – a very jovial, rotund bald man passed us , smiled and went out and another very handsome looking man walked toward us.

By his demeanor, I gathered that he was obviously the owner. He was well built, of medium height, had a drooping moustache, slick black hair, was dressed in white and wore suspenders. I have to say he gave me a bit of a complex right away. He was friendly to the point of being irritating but a terrific salesperson.

 For the next twenty minutes or so, we discussed suits, fabric, styles etc . By then I was inclined to believe that this was some sort of a fraud but I had already spent almost half an hour in the shop, drunk the watermelon juice and engaged him in friendly conversation so I felt bad to walk away.

We looked at innumerable fabrics and had them draped over my shoulder while he dwelled at length on the quality, colour , texture , weight and about them being breathable .

Words like ruched , slubby,  fluted , threadbare , uncrushable , unforgiving , fibrous and hand knitted were also bandied around and by then my head was spinning .

  I finally settled on a light wool navy.  He also showed me cotton, linen and luxury fibers like cashmere, vicuña, and mohair!

I think that is what he said they were but I could be wrong.

We then entered the inner room – it was carpeted and in the center was a sort of circular pedestal a foot off the floor. There were two leather sofas, two focus lights and a row of about fifty suits on a rack on one side of the room.

The Master tailor was then summoned. He was an old, experienced looking man and looked like he knew his job. However, his beady eyes did not do much for his personality.  

Taking a suit off the rack, he asked me to go into the trial room and put it on. I was then asked to get on to the pedestal and the lights were focused on me. The master then took various measurements and marked this trial suit with blue and white chalk. He then used pins and tucked the material in all over all the while talking to himself, that too with a pin between his teeth. He seemed to know what he was doing and his fingers moved deftly.

 He took some more measurements until there were no more areas to measure. After taking about twenty measurements, he rattled them off while the owner made notes in a leather bound register. Breathing a sigh of relief I was about to get off the pedestal when the owner extracted a mobile camera from a small shelf behind him and took about 15 pictures of me in the suit, from various angles. It was then over – or so I thought.

The four of us then went back to the outer room and a few books were laid out on the table. I was then helped while choosing the actual cut, the colour and texture of the lining and the number of buttons on the suit front and sleeves. 

The whole operation lasted approximately 2 hours and at the end of it I was pretty drained and exhausted.

 I finally picked up the finished suit a few weeks later. It was okay but nothing much  to write home about - and yes, you guessed it right – I have moved over to bespoke suits but have found another tailor!

The gentleman who introduced me to ‘bespoke suits ‘and I are still good friends!

 

Michael Guzder

Have you ever got lost ?

Have you ever lost your way when going somewhere ?

It can be a frustrating experience – especially if you are running late or meeting someone important – especially if you don’t know the person very well or to be more specific – well enough .

I seem to be specializing in getting lost and that too at the opportune moment .

Now let me put things in the correct perspective -  I am no dim wit. I am energetic , enthusiastic and pretty clued in too .  

I drive a great car with an amazing navigation system  , I travel distances over 150 km quite often and I move quite fast . This is the UAE after all and the roads and signs are the very best in the world

I also use Google maps and have tried WAZE ( on my smartphone )  and manage okay with both or so I think .

However I still manage to get lost on quite a few occasions  . This results in arguments , allegations , counter allegations and blame . Others in the car often gang up against me but I soldier on manfully !

Here are some of the scenarios .

1.       I have to go to a particular location . I feed it into both ;  the phone and car navigation system  just to be sure that all is well . Now ,  under normal circumstances both should take you to your destination without a fuss -  but no , that does not happen – at least not with me . So Waze tells me to turn left after 150 meters and the car navigation  tells me to go right after 200 . Now that’s quite a quandary to be put  in when you are on the highway , travelling at 100 kmph or more and looking for the exit while listening to the blues !  Having a back seat driver who does not drive and who has probably never been in the area does not help either  . Finally after going around in circles and squares  for some time I reached my destination- LATE . By then Waze and my car has decided to make up so to say and both informed me that I had “reached my destination”  . THANK YOU .

2.       I have to go to a particular location and I have a good idea where it is,  so I set off without using the navigation system and there my friends is where the trouble begins . The UAE being the UAE , sees roads  literally being built  overnight . You go on Thursday , you take the usual exit and then you turn right – Presto there is the place you had to go to . Childs play for a driver like me .  Come Friday morning and that exit has vanished without a by your leave  – there is now a diversion complete with a proper  road , signage etc and  of course the mandatory , “SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE” sign as well . Arrows point you in the direction of travel . However this is confusion confounded and before I know it ,  I am speeding along on the  highway to Oman  . Many detours, exits and phone calls later, I reach my destination ( if I am lucky ) and yes I am late.

3.       About 10 years or so ago I had to take my daughter for private tuition . It was a 10 minute journey , so you can say it was in the vicinity and just a few kilometers away from our house . I had seen the building umpteen times and had a good idea as to the direction of travel . So we set off on the first day . After a few kilometers , I saw the large grey building on the right and was thrilled . This was a no brainer or so I thought . So I took the right loop ( read EXIT ) . No sooner had I done that when I went through an underpass . When we resurfaced , there was no sign of the building . So I took another loop and returned the same way . Building on right – so far so good . This time I  took the left exit but frustratingly when I looked for the building , it was on the opposite side of the road and there was no way I could get to it . In a few seconds the road took me in the opposite direction to the building ! Needless to add I traversed the road twice  more and finally found the correct exit & the  building . No don’t laugh as I was almost crying . We were late as well .

4.       Once we decided to have an evening out at the Dragon mart which is a good 30 kilometers away . As I was not taking my car but   that of a relative , I was a trifle apprehensive as the lady who professed to be an expert on roads and who decided to be the navigator,   is actually more confused than I am . We set off  happily  and yes , before we knew it we had travelled about 45 km and there was no sign of the Building . Now I was on the highway to a place called Hatta . This time I can swear I was following someone else’s directions and that gave me a little consolation so I was relaxed and smiling  . We must have gone up and down the same highway  a couple of times , taken various exits, loops , bridges , fly overs and underpasses – no sign of the wretched Dragon mart .  I did the next best thing – decided to return home  . So  at the next exit , I turned without knowing where we were  going and then lo and behold ,  a few kilometers ahead was the mall. By then I was too fed up so it was a drive in vain .

5.       I have had similar occurrences when travelling to other emirates as well . In the UAE,  if you miss an exit or take the wrong flyover you could travel anything from 5 – 15 kilometers extra just to get back in the right direction .

6.       I cannot end without mentioning a rather funny incident that took place a few years ago . I was scheduled to visit a school Prize day function and it was almost dark . I set out with my GPS on but from an entirely different location and I guess that threw me . As I began , I saw a small white car pull out after me . Whenever I looked in the rear view mirror that same white car was on my tail – at a respectful distance but there it was .    All was going well and I was confident there was no way I could get lost . However mid-way through the journey,  Murphy’s law decided to make its presence felt and yes – I missed the exit . Mysteriously , the little white car did as well and I began to really feel uneasy .  On one hand I was lost and would be late  and on the other hand there was this car .

All sorts of strange and weird thought began going through my head . Was it the police?  Had I committed a traffic offence ? Was there any reason for them to follow me ? Were my lights OK . Had someone banged my car and I had not noticed it? Maybe they were not traffic police after all  but plain clothes cops  , who would soon pull me over and arrest me for something I had not done .  Was it a case of mistaken identity and they were following the wrong man ? When I sped up, the car kept pace . When I slowed down , it refused to overtake me . To top it all , the white car had its headlights off . Surely this was trouble waiting to happen

 To get to my destination I must have travelled an additional 25 km and you guessed it right , the little white car did the same . Finally,  I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw the school ahead . I turned  into the gate and so did the white car . By now I was worried and confused but I rushed into the  Principal’s office  and soon put it out of my mind as I met other guests  .

At the dinner after the function I related the story to a group of staff . It was then that a young teacher informed me  rather sheepishly that she and her friend were in  the white car . They   said that they spotted me as they had  set   out and  as they were not very  sure of the way themselves ,  they decided to follow my car so as not to get lost  . So obviously when I got lost , so did they !

 All’s well that ends well – but I have to admit, say what you may and snigger all you want -  I AM A PRETTY GOOD DRIVER