Mumbai Diary page: Friday Frolics

Play turf
With the Pune racing season a few days away and the Mumbai racing season shut down, most of the city's biggest racing names are traversing regularly from Mumbai to Pune. Now, we hear that the Turf Club in Pune is going to host a play at its ballroom on July 20 at 7 pm.

The play is an English language comedy called Sometimes. Already we see the Mahalaxmi venue making use of its space with different activities in the off-season like art classes for children, community initiatives, farmers' market and music concerts.

Now, Pune has forged a new way with a play. For Mumbaikars in Pune that day, tickets are available at the Turf Club office (Pune) 020-26362666 or on bookmyshow.com. Moral of the story? When the horses are away, the Turf Club will play. Pun intended.

Family planning fun, tongue-in-cheek
And with World Population Day falling today, July 11, what better time than this to talk about quirky condoms. So here, is our list of condoms which could be marketed by different organisations.

And there's a slogan for everyone... Pic/Satyajit Desai

>> The Indian Premier League (IPL) condom: When match fixing clicks
>> The Mumbai cabbie condom: Comes in a combination pack of black ‘n' yellow.
>> The Mumbai air-conditioned cab condom: Your coolest choice
>> The Union Budget condom: Within your budget
>> The FIFA World Cup condom: Sold in Germany, and

Argentina too
>> The Page 3 condom: Look for the designer label on this pack.
>> The Bullet Train condom: I am always your first class choice.
>> The weight watchers condom: In a new, slim pack
>> The Bobby Jasoos condom: Nobody's going to spy in the bedroom
>> The Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) condom: (Sen)sex and the City
>> The Mumbai Metro condom: For a new experience
>> The bus commuter condoms: I am the BEST.
>> The Graduation condom: For bachelors and masters too.

Neymar Neyappams?
When the World Cup began, a large part of the football-loving community decided that Brazil should win the globe's most wanted trophy. And so was the thinking at a small south Indian restaurant at Vile Parle's popular Hanuman Road.

When this diarist visited the outlet after an exhausting day's work to have a crisp masala dosa, he was welcomed by a posse of waiters wearing the same yellow tee. He thought it is their uniform, and even though canary yellow T-shirts are an odd choice for uniform at a south Indian food joint, he let it go as his basic premise for visiting the place was to gobble up a dosa.

Turns out, it was not just any other yellow T-shirt; it was the Brazil jersey with Neymar's name printed on the back. "It is our restaurant owner's favourite team," one waiter offered to our diarist. "We are all praying for it to win."

But that was last Sunday. And today's Friday. This diarist does not have the courage to face a team of crestfallen waiters after the 7-1 carnage at Belo Horizonte early Wednesday morning. Besides, what if there is no salt in the samba(r)?

Festival with a cause at heart
College festivals are not only about fun and frolic. Increasingly, students are taking up social causes and issues that affect a larger spectrum of life, and the annual college festival is a good way to showcase a topic as well as reach young people.

Wilson College sets an example

Management students of the city's Wilson College, as part of their social initiative for their annual festival, are taking up the issue of injustice against children. Students have come up with the Superhero Mile a walking event to raise awareness about atrocities faced daily by children in India.

The purpose of this walk, the students say, is to "awaken the superhero hidden amongst us all", spread awareness about the state of children and work towards ending child abuse in the country. The event has also associated with Child Rights and You (CRY), and is scheduled for July 28, 5 pm onwards, starting at Wilson College. More power to young minds and hearts.