BEYOND BANDRA ...Edwin Fernandes' Book... By Ms Ushasuryamani from Chennai: Blogger on rivr.sulekha.com --------------------------------------------------------- I know I am a tad late with my review. But better late than never, says the famous proverb! Now let me get to the point without further delay. Writing about this book.... It is like having a piece of sugarcane and deciding which part of it is sweeter than the rest! As I read through I relished every bit of this tasty juicy sugar cane... “Beyond Bandra ". Many of the contents here have been published as blogs here in Sulekha by Edwin but one does not feel wary of reading the same. What a lovely book ! What a great " raconteur " we have in out midst!! We are sure very very fortunate . I discovered a lot about Edwin that I had not, earlier, though I have been reading this Valiant Knight in Shining Armour for years. I have not missed a single blog of his..The inimitable " Queen's English " beckons me to delve into his blogs. I enjoy every line and the fact that they are laced with a plethora of puns stuns me to no end! The King of Puns, as P K Sundar calls him, punning is some sort of second nature to him!! I have not met Edwin in person ( my misfortune )...but feel like I have known him for ages. Before I forget, let me express my joy at this little information that " he too used to read " Richmal Crompton's William Books ..I used to love reading those as a teenager...stories about this brat...an eternal eleven year old imp and his antics..those were days ! I share with Edwin a love for the old English songs too. The days of Pat Boon, Connie Francis, Paul Anka, Peter Sellers...all come flooding my memory and I feel happy that someone here in Sulekha enjoyed their music too! Beyond Bandra is all about Edwin's life in Bandra and outside Bandra . Earlier I had the opportunity to read his " Patna Ponderings”..but this even beats it. Needless to say I enjoy every anecdote here and I shall mention a few.before going any further, let me hug his wife Sharbari and daughter Minni for not throwing a hammer in his literary works but encouraging him to bring out this wonderful book. (Hope Minni invents a good lot of Multi Vitamin Tablets in " course ' of time). I must say that I recall with nostalgia the Bandra of the 60s and 70s that Edwin portrays in this book. I used to frequent Bombay (I love to use the word Bombay instead of the new linguistic version Mumbai..just as I love to refer to Chennai as good old Madras) during my summer vacation and for functions such as weddings..My sister used to live in Mulund before she moved to U S in the early seventies. And much before that we used to stay at our aunt's sprawling house in Worly Sea face and Bandra too where one of my uncles and cousins lived. These apartments in Bandra were bang opposite the sea too and the whole place used to be so neat ! Now Bombay has become so crowded and rather dirty...and I shudder to even visit the city ! Now...let me stop this autobiographical nostalgia and get on to Edwin's accounts. Let me start this with the single write up here, not written by him but by his friend P K Sundar who along with his blogger wife Shobana regaled us with beautiful blogs..well their quitting Sulekha was our loss. In this piece P K Sundar sums up everything about Edwin and the best lines are those referring to Edwin's inability to lose temper...which I admire in many ! Something that always attracts me is a cheerful temperament ! A good and fitting tribute to a great friend and human. Now, to come to the contents...ah!! Like a contented cow, I am chewing the cud here.recalling the various incidents he has put in here with such ease and flow..I love his Queen's English..something that attracted me to his writings in Sulekha. It is hard to chose the one which I liked the best. But I must say that I loved that hot, dusty, dusky evening Edwin got off at the wrong bus stop and took a forest route to meet his Aubrey....his description of those moments, his feelings, his travails, the agony and finally the ecstasy of meeting his friend who comes searching for him on his bicycle..The " cycle of events " as he recalls this is poignant !! The adventure with the Dentist was narrarted beautifully...I simply cannot imagine an old fashioned Dentist's clinic...though I have watched with horror, the history ( true ) of roadsi9de Dentists in Rajasthan in the National Geographic Channel. The total neglect of hygine appalled me ! Anyway, our Edwin was fortunate to encounter a good Dentist and managed o come out unscathed ! I always loved Edwin's Christmas Blogs and even "cribbed" to him the year he did not post a blog on one of those creative imaginative " Cribs " he had designed ! The Christian festivals in the Churches leave you with some nostalgia . The Interviews of the aspirant "young " boys and girls who want to make it great in banking profession were hilarious.. I liked the one where the girl wanted a job so that she can " Teach her MIL and Husband " a thing or two by being " economically independent. " Yes..the real Bharatheeya Nari. What about the reluctant bull-dog boss who cross examined his junior on his appeal for a transfer and had a change of heart overnight and agreed to transfer him to the place of his desire ? Ah!! The "Quality of Mercy is not strained." There are small springs present even in hard rocks !! Edwin's adventures with his bikes and autorickshas leaves one with a big grin on the face. One such episode does touch you when the driver volunteers to give him the change for a Rupee! Well world is full of good people..if one is destined too cross their paths!! To say, I enjoyed his ordeal on that early morning walk of his, where he was accosted by the " Big Brother's " Uniformed men, would be cruel...One does not enjoy another's grueling moments..but with the sense of humour the episode has been put in print, one cannot but admire the author's grit and bravery( I know, he must have been quivering like like Longfellow's " Whitening willows and shaking aspens " ) and heaving a big sigh of relief that " God's in His heavens and all's right with the world"... i can go on and on...but I leave you to explore by yourself these treasured pages and enjoy every moment of it. I know I have left out some nice anecdotes..but I don't wish to dampen the curiosity of he readers here. And the blog would become too long. Ah !! I must mention his penchant for describing homes...whether they are Goan or those in Bombay. The photographs look "charming " ! What a lovely family he has been born into !! Very few are blessed with siblings and parents who are such adorable souls ! I would love to meet his friend Suchi too!! I suggest you get a copy and read it right away !! Before I go on and on, I better stop here and leave you to rush and get a copy ! I am awaiting the next book Edwin.....
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