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- Denis Giles
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A couple of years ago, I was asked to conduct a wedding. Now I’m no priest, but since the couple had already had a registered wedding, I was asked to give a blessing. So I did. I stood in front as the couple walked in, and waited as the organist played the Bridal march, and waited and waited for her to finish, even after the couple had done the walk, reached the altar, and were waiting for her to stop. But did she stop? No, she didn’t. She had to play the whole march, even if the music was to be played only for the duration of the march by bride and bridegroom.
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- Denis Giles
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Today, the activist label is beginning to have a bad meaning. Anyone who sees something wrong and decides to right that wrong is labelled an activist and dealt with severely, which inspired me to write about this suburb somewhere in Mumbai, where locals get up early so they can take a walk in the park. Some walk to lower their blood sugar, some their blood pressure, some because their spouses have told them they’ve put on weight, and some to stare and gaze at others who have come to stare and gaze at them.
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- Denis Giles
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Very often I pass church, temple or mosque and see crowds outside. Initially I used to think that God must be so pleased to have so many worshipping him, till I realized very few came to worship, most came to barter with him, “God, please give me a promotion, and I will give you my whole month’s salary!” or “I will come to church every Sunday!” or “I will give up smoking or drinking!”
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- Denis Giles
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T’was friendly banter taking place twixt the new Parliament building and the old one, as they stood opposite each other, one empty and about to be converted into a museum and the other spilling with elected members, joyous over their new structure.
“So Oldy, you are over and done with!” laughed the new building, “They say you wouldn’t have lasted if an earthquake had hit the capital!”
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- Denis Giles
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After most cases of rape, assaults, kidnapping, or any crime, what one hears so often is the police station refusing to register a complaint because it is not in their area!
“Police! Police! Quick, run after the thief. I was assaulted and robbed!”
“Where were you assaulted?” asks the inspector, smiling.
“I was walking from Colaba to VT Station, when this rogue stabbed me!”