Weekend wis wover (for some of us)

Translation of the title: The weekend is over.
It was quite an interesting weekend, what with the winter equinox and World Car Free Day (a misleading name if ever there was one. It makes you think you'll get a car free. Tsk.)
Unfortunately, I was not one of the millions on public transport. And, judging by the traffic and trouble getting parking, neither were the majority of people in the city I currently live in.
Ah well- almost every day besides yesterday is a car-free day for me.
        Do you ever feel like owning a car is a waste? I sometimes think it is. But then I don't actually own one, having not made enough money to achieve that consumerist dream.
Some people have no choice but to use cars. I know-gasp, shock, horror! When we first arrived in Goa, the public transport system was rather bad- it's not much better now. Mum had no choice but to buy a car.
Until mass transit gets better, here's what you can do to make sure you use your car efficiently.

You could carry your cycles with you...

Buy/rent a light-coloured car. (I can't help it if this sounds racist!) It will not heat up as much as a dark car, which means you don't need to crank the AC up as high to cool it down. Definitely important in the Middle East.
Check the pressure of your tyres on a regular basis. Too low and you'll be filling the tank way more frequently than you should.
I've saved the most difficult for last: Drive a small car. The less the mass of the vehicle, the better its fuel efficiency. And anyway, size does not matter. In a world obsessed with grandstanding, we forget that cliche that figures in so many jokes. I'd rather ride in a wee Beemer than a humungous Hummer.

For more information, go here (Wiki) or here (howstuffworks)

Over and out!

#50shadesofgreen

50 shades of green. (I love clovers!)

It seems to me that everybody is reading Fifty Shades of Grey. I've heard all kinds of reviews, all possible viewpoints. Not feminist enough! An expression of female fantasy! Pointless! Groundbreaking! Disgusting! Beautiful!
FSG started as Twilight fan fiction, and- to me- it always will be Twilight fan fiction, even if the names of the characters have been changed. And that is all I have to say about it.

Coming to the point of this post: have you noticed that in both series there is a mysterious male trying to 'save' a clumsy, diffident female?
Here's my analogy: WE are the (not-mysterious, not-necessarily-male) saviours of a force that has been considered female through most of history- our planet. She's not clumsy, and we aren't really saviours. But as far as analogies go, it'll do.
Do you see what I'm getting at? Let me spell it out. Every contribution counts. Every act makes a difference.Even when you don't believe it.

So here's what I'm going to do- I'm going to list 50 things that I personally have done. 50 things that can help our planet. I don't know if they'll be pointless or groundbreaking or cliches. Whatever they are, they'll make the planet a shade greener, I think.
I'll try to cover as broad a spectrum as possible. However, I haven't gone on a paint-splashing, whale-saving spree yet, so that end of the spectrum might not get covered.

The first thing you can do? Use public transport. I do. And so do millions, billions, of other people around the world. Try it for just two days a week. You'll enjoy the break. And so will Gaia. (Go Planet!)

How to get around 1

What's the best way to travel in Goa? That depends on your requirements:
1. Is it a day trip or an overnight one?
2. Is the place near by or far away?
3. Do you have a lot of time or are you in a hurry?
4. What's the parking situation like?

If you picked the first part for the first three questions, public transport is the way to go.
Public transport would also be the way to go if the trip is during the day to a place that's far away and has limited parking options.

PROS:
It's cheap! Depending on where you want to go, it could even be cheaper than a liter of petrol. I shall demonstrate- Calangute to Panjim, return bus fare= 26 bucks. Petrol to cover the same distance?At least 100 bucks' worth.
You don't have to focus on the crazy idiots on the road.
If the scenery is what you really enjoy, the bus gives you a vantage point few other vehicles can give.
No parking problems.
Fantastic for the environment! (Big PLUS in my book)

CONS:
You can't carry too much stuff with you. (So ditch the beach umbrella.)
The conductor might think you are sardines, or might overcharge you. (Remedy: Check the fare table that is supposed to be displayed near the driver's cabin)
Bus timings- not all display a schedule, but you can always ask the conductor when the last bus (or the penultimate one) leaves.
The sheer amount of time spent travelling: Shuttles, 'Express' and 'Direct' buses take roughly the same amount of time as a private vehicle would, but these wonder-buses run mainly between the cities and towns. Think of this as a pro- all that time with your friends and family, all the incessant badinage- you know you've missed it!

PRO/CON:
For you listening pleasure, the music choice of the conductor/driver. (I can now identify/sing along to many songs from Hindi movies I've never watched.Yay! My name is Sheela...)

I try to travel by bus as much as possible. I see more of Goa that way that I would if I were hunched behind a steering wheel.

Next time: Private transport.... oooooooooooh!