17 January,2021 06:25 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Satej Shinde
Freedom was in the air on Saturday, it seems. As the country rolled out the first phase of the Covid-19 vaccination drive, an Indian roller- formerly called the Blue Jay-gets ready to take off after a meal at paddy field in Aarey Colony.
Santosh Borhade has worked at a steady clip throughout the lockdown, for free. At a time when barbers across the state were out of jobs, owing to the lockdown, Borhade decided to utilise his skills to help frontline workers. In March last year, Borhade, a Sandhurst Road resident, reached Dongri Police Station and offered his services to all policemen free of cost. Then, he went to the neighbouring JJ Hospital and did the same. He ended up giving salon services to over 300 resident doctors on campus. Recognising his efforts, the Governor of Maharashtra recently felicitated Borhade. Speaking to this diarist, Borhade says, "I provided haircuts to around 150 policemen. The police and doctors are battling the pandemic at the frontline, and keeping us safe. This is the least I can do to thank them. I was surprised that the Governor decided to felicitate me in January. I am honoured."
In December, this newspaper had covered a new virtual initiative called the Atypical Advantage, a one-stop solution to hire disabled talent, by Vineet Saraiwala. The portal has seen impressive traction since its launch. In fact, we have learnt that a leading e-commerce platform has roped in Tarini Chaddha, a 15-year-old with Down's Syndrome, to feature in a new ad for their smart speaker brand. The ad is part of the brand's third anniversary celebration. "It took us two days to convince Tarini to go for the audition. Her favourite actor is Rajkumar Rao, so we told her that she'll get a chance to be on TV just like Rao. She's now thrilled about the shoot," says her mother Aashtha.
Jeff Thomson was hard on himself when he didn't bowl as per set standards. Pic/Getty Images
Reading about how our Indian cricketers were called brown dog by some sick Sydney Cricket Ground spectators recently, our in-house cricket nut remembered listening to a yarn (often-used Aussie term for an anecdote) during his visit to the Brisbane Cricket Ground in 2003. He was told about how pace terror Jeff Thomson kept uttering "my f''k'' brown dog, f''k'' brown dog" after delivering each ball during a spell for Queensland in a Sheffield Shield game at the Gabba in the 1980s. Thomson's teammate Greg Ritchie's mother was at the game and seated near enough to hear Thomson's brown dog mentions. She didn't realise that it was Thomson's way of venting his frustration at not bowling to his set standards. After play, Mrs Ritchie was introduced to Thomson and her first question to him was, "So, how's your brown dog, Jeff?" Thommo had some explaining to do.
Social activist and Sachin Tendulkar's mother-in-law, Annabel Mehta, is penning a memoir about her life in India, which has been her home for more than 50 years now. Annabel left her home country, England, to marry her classmate Anand Mehta in the 1960s, and start afresh in Mumbai, then Bombay. A committed social activist, Mehta has dedicated her life to the NGO Apnalaya as its honorary treasurer and president, and also has been awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire for her work and service to underprivileged communities. Her book, My Passage to India, will be published by Westland Publications and is being co-written with journalist Georgina Brown. "India has been my life. The colour, sounds and smells, the food, the festivals, the frustrations, tolerance and diversity, and above all the people have played an instrumental role in the person that I am today. I am also an optimist, which along with patience and a sense of humour, are the essentials for living in this fascinating country. Thanks to Georgina for making sense of my musings and memories, and to Westland for giving us the opportunity to publish this book that is extremely close to my heart," she says.
Lt Cmdr Abhilash Tomy, who burst into national consciousness in 2013, after being the first Indian to complete a solo circumnavigation around the earth, announced his retirement from the Navy last week. However, the adventure continues for Tomy, who lives in a seaside town with his wife and two kids. The 41-year-old who had participated in the 2018 Golden Globe Race, but faced a storm, which damaged his boat and left him with an injury to his spine, now has his sights set on the 2022 edition of the race, for which he is looking for sponsors. In the meanwhile, Tomy who is also a motivational speaker, has been busy sharing his hacks on how to survive periods of isolation.
