Why this blog is called "Gallimaufry".

gal-uh-MAW-free\, noun.

Originally meaning "a hash of various kinds of meats," "gallimaufry" comes from French galimafrée; in Old French, from the word galer, "to rejoice, to make merry"; in old English: gala + mafrer: "to eat much," and from Medieval Dutch maffelen: "to open one's mouth wide."

It's also a dish made by hashing up odds and ends of food; a heterogeneous mixture; a hodge-podge; a ragout; a confused jumble; a ridiculous medley; a promiscuous (!) assemblage of persons.

Those of you who know me, will, I’m sure, understand how well some of these phrases (barring the "promiscuous" bit!) fit me.

More importantly, this blog is an ode to my love for Shimla. I hope to show you this little town through my eyes. If you don't see too many people in it, forgive me, because I'm a little chary of turning this into a human zoo.

Stop by for a spell, look at my pictures, ask me questions about Shimla, if you wish. I shall try and answer them as best as I can. Let's be friends for a while....

10 January 2009

More post-box madness!


This is the only built-into-the-wall post-box I've seen in my life. I find it most entertaining when I find people peering through the slats trying to talk to a non-existent postal employee! On its part, the Post Office tries to help by putting a little sign near the built-in post-box stating that the sales counters are inside. But to no avail!!



Red, yellow and green boxes. The yellow one is for local mail. The green for mail to be sent all over India and the red one is for mail intended only for Delhi. Ugly, ugly, ugly. Especially when seen in conjunction with the old ones I posted about on 14th December.
What is it about modern India that makes it compulsively create the most unaesthetic, ugliest public utilities?

No comments:

Related Posts with Thumbnails