Mangaluru is seated at the junction where the Netravathi and Gurupur rivers join the Arabian Sea. But this is not your typical laid back, seaside town. Offering a contrast to the beautiful beaches and scenic coastline is the nightmarish traffic on city roads. Call it Mangaluru’s own Jekyll-and-Hyde act. But, the cheerful people, spicy seafood and stalls selling steaming neer dosas are the same across town.
If you are a tourist in town, there is the Pilikula Biological Park, the Milagres Church… and do look for the 99-year-old traffic warden. One can find him at traffic hotspots and busy areas in Hampankatta. He always has a smile for those who obey traffic rules; others receive a polite nudge and some suggestions, kindly put.
“I am not 99-years-old, I am 99-years-young,” says Joseph Gonsalves, aka Joe, the chief traffic warden of Mangaluru. Somehow, it sounded similar to the new catchphrase that Arnold Schwarzenegger mouthed in Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)—“I am old, but I am not obsolete.” Joe was ready to spill his life story in the first phone call itself, but it was a tale of intrigue; the kind that called for a visit.
Esta historia es de la edición March 14, 2021 de THE WEEK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición March 14, 2021 de THE WEEK.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Trump And The Crisis Of Liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
