Recently, a farmer's association from the city had brought samples of neera, a drink harvested from coconut trees, to the city collectorate, seeking permission to harvest and sell it. The drink had been banned as it would ferment into toddy if not refrigerated. When this reporter spoke to an official at the collectorate about the issue, he said he tasted the sample the farmers had brought. "I feel a little drowsy after drinking it," he lisped.
No doctor, please
At an event in the city, where a Union minister was the chief guest, a speaker addressed the minister as 'doctor' in his welcome speech. He was referring to the honorary degree the minister had been conferred with earlier in the day. But the minister quipped that she had not accepted the degree and doesn't prefer to be addressed as doctor. The speaker hesitated sheepishly for a few seconds and repeated his welcome, addressing her only as minister.
Anti-climax
Whenever ministers or other dignitaries visit colleges and institutes for events, it is a given that reporters throng the place and track the personality for news and bytes. But one particular minister, who was about to leave an institute, was guided into a press conference arranged by them. Caught unawares, the minister told press persons that she was seeing such a thing for the first time - a press conference like this arranged after a convocation.
All in the family?
Recently, a family group from another country was here to perform at a concert. The band comprised a male vocalist and pianist, female vocalist and pianist and two children who played the violin, danced and sang. Everyone assumed the male and female singers were married and those children were theirs. The bubble burst when a reporter asked the lead singer about his children's education. In broken English he said that when he gets married he will think. But weren't the children his, surprised people asked. To which he replied with a laugh that the female singer was his sister and those children were hers.
