When noted orthopaedic doctor Vinod Karkare turned 80 recently he decided to celebrate it in a unique way. He invited all his present and past patients and their families to a hall and treated them to high tea, an evening of music and sumptuous dinner. A great lover of vintage Hindi music, Karkare himself sang several numbers of Hemant Kumar, Mohd Rafi et al to the accompaniment of a live orchestra. With each song he would change his attire, much to the amusement of the audience. Everyone had a good time and profusely thanked the old doctor.

A Special Restaurant

The other day I went to Ishaara restaurant at Phoenix Mall in Kurla. What is special about the place is that most of the staff are hearing and speech impaired. You communicate with them in sign language. The service is excellent and so is the food. I ordered a kathal masala curry made of raw jackfruit, garlic naan, pattice with garlic and had cheese cake for dessert. Incidentally, when this mall opened a few years ago, many thought it will won’t last long because of its location. However, the management has proved the cynics wrong. The best of brands in clothing, accessories, games, spas and food are available. The place is well maintained and pleasantly air-conditioned.

High-Tech Begging

Digital payments have become so common that even beggars are carrying UPI codes on them. The other day a colleague was travelling in a local train from Andheri to Churchgate when he heard a beggar belting out a bhajan with an ‘ektara’ in his had. He did not carry any begging bowl, but displayed a code on his shirt. Many commuters paid him through that!

Tailpiece

Areader spotted this behind a food delivery van: “Food at your doorstep in 10 mts... traffic permitting”.

(Compiled by S Balakrishnan)