Happenings, happenings.

1. Another 'Malayalee' ingenuity.

Thanks to the police being vigilant to apprehend motorists who drive under alcoholic influence, the men behind the wheel - especially those of the private buses - have found an innovative way to outdo the impasse. They inject drugs - alarmingly, available in plenty from reliable reports - into themselves before exhibiting their prowess on the roads. By doing so, they go undetected in the 'breath analyser' tests! One shudders to think about the safety on the roads!!

We Malayalees can teach the world, a lesson or two, in ingenuity. Haven't I been saying that, time and again?

2. The 'Miss Kerala pageant'.

Tomorrow's the finals of the Miss Kerala beauty championship. Enthusiastic participants drawn mainly from the student community as well as new professionals are gonna make the event an interesting one for the Keralites to be proud of. The event has come a long way from the days when girls gave a wide berth to such competitions as they were thought to be harbingers of a life of waywardness and debauchery.

I shall view it closely from the ringside to understand the young Malayalee lady of today - her hopes, psyche, aspirations and the things that ails or actuate her. Am I sounding pompous - no way, I consider it as a process of an ongoing education, a part of my growing up!

3. The same mistake being revisited.

When the officials of the Corporation and the government promised us roads - resurfaced to world class quality - I'd swallowed it hook, line and sinker. I was impressed that the powers-that-be had, at last, learnt from their mistakes and we're gonna get good, durable roads to drive on. Nothing could be farther from the truth from what's witnessing in the form of the shoddy work that's going on all around.

The unscrupulous contractors, along with their political and bureaucratic mentors, are going to rake in the moolah at the taxpayers' expense! The roads are not going to last beyond the approaching North Eastern monsoons, for sure - one doesn't have to be a 'Nostradamus' to predict that!!