I looked into her eyes and knew she had secrets, the kind that if exposed could definitely ruin reputations of a lot of people in that crowded room. Not for once did I catch her attention though. Her gaze was fixed upon the ice cubes in her glass as if they held the window to the whole wide world and if only she could escape this darned party she would be getting herself lost in one of its wonders. She was beautiful and successful. Exactly the kind of lady I would like to be one day.
That day was long ago. I don’t even know where Neepa aunty is anymore. Once I had read about her in a magazine. I think she had recorded an album. I remembered her having a remarkable voice and Nazrulgeeti’s always suited her better than Rabindra sangeets. They were my favorite too. And today here I am, neither beautiful nor successful but with only one thing in common – the urge to get away from this crowd into the wilderness of that unknown world of wonders.
I have secrets too. Secrets that have nothing to do with others but myself. About things I’ve done, people I’ve loved, things I’ve witnessed and felt, things I’ve written. And I want to sing too - about all those things unsaid. But instead, I smile at known and unknown faces alike and ask the bartender to pour me another whiskey, this time on the rocks and comply with my host’s request to sing a ghazal.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Picture Perfect
Finally a family photo I LOVE.
For some reason I do not like going to a photo studio for pictures. It was only once that my dad forced me to get an 'arranged marriage' photo taken at a studio back in Kolkata whose caption read 'ek chobitei biye' (transaltion: a single photograph of yours will get you married) and that was enough to keep me away from any future posing at a studio. So unlike most of my friends out here and back at home, we do not have any family portraits that I can hang on walls.
Thus my excitement about this particular photo taken by a professional photographer at a friends wedding a few weeks ago. I love it because it is no natural.
And of course I had to share this one too :)
Friday, October 03, 2008
Its about time!
I finally accepted a job offer and start working at Association Resource Center in Folsom on Oct 13th. The company specializes in association and conference/trade show marketing and management services to state, national and international associations and organizations.
I did realize that it is really hard to get back into the job scene once you've taken a long break. In my case it is a year and the timings couldn't have been worse. There is an absolute scarcity of graphic design jobs in the area. Thanks to my friend Marcy, I got to know about this opening. She has been really supportive and helpful throughout this dry spell and I cannot thank her enough.
I am definitely looking forward to some adult time during my days. Now starts the process of finding a suitable daycare for Evani and having to deal with leaving her every morning in the prime of her separation anxiety phase. That I am NOT looking forward to.
I did realize that it is really hard to get back into the job scene once you've taken a long break. In my case it is a year and the timings couldn't have been worse. There is an absolute scarcity of graphic design jobs in the area. Thanks to my friend Marcy, I got to know about this opening. She has been really supportive and helpful throughout this dry spell and I cannot thank her enough.
I am definitely looking forward to some adult time during my days. Now starts the process of finding a suitable daycare for Evani and having to deal with leaving her every morning in the prime of her separation anxiety phase. That I am NOT looking forward to.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Feast for the Brahmins
I have always refrained from writing about my mother-in-law in this blog. But this time I cannot resist myself as what took place last night is a prime example of how backward most of us Indians are till this day and age. For those of you who don't know, my mother-in-law lives in Sacramento and has been here for nearly 20 years now. So last night she invited the sons of her close friend for dinner who will be leaving for college soon. We were also asked to join. I had just washed my hands in preparation to chop some veggies for a salad, when she requested me to taste the mashed potatoes. I scooped some of the potatoes with my finger , tasted it and told her it needed more salt with no intention of digging my finger back into the bowl. Now she must have misunderstood me and thought I would go for a second round of tasting with that same finger but even then what she said next came to me as a shock.
"Don't touch the mashed potatoes. There are Brahmins who will be eating this food!"
Did I hear that right??? Was I just taken back to the Indian caste system and told that I couldn't touch the food because I was from a lower caste? This was my initial reaction. I was mad and felt insulted on so many different levels not to mention the very basic that she assumed I didn't have manners and also because it might be okay to double dip some else's food if they were not Brahmins. I don't really know what it was but last night as I lay in bed trying to forget what had just happened, I realized that most Indians are this way (please note, I did not say 'all').
This is also the reason why our country finds it so hard to move ahead. Most of it I understand is due to lack of a better education and understanding of our religion. But what about those Indians who are educated, have respectable jobs, traveled around the globe living comfortable lives which do not bog them down with the atrocities of some heinous religious practices like in old days - people like my mother-in-law? I have met so many of them here in the U.S. It amazes me how they are still centuries behind irrespective of how modern their lifestyles might me. I am not saying for a second that being religious is a bad thing. But blindly practicing rituals in the name of religion and condemning others, is not what makes a person religious.
For most people who are acquainted with me might think I'm not religious. I am. Just not in the same way. Thanks to my father, I was never forced into any particular religion. I have always heard him mention the Bible and Quran as he did the Gita. To me, Karma is my dharma. I went to a school founded by one of the pioneers of Brahmo Samaj. Back in those years they fought for the abolition of sati and the caste and dowry systems. They gave great importance to enlightenment and education versus idol worship. They moved us ahead and it seems like now we are moving back again. The educated and affluent Indians are more caught up in donating huge sums of money to build bigger and better temples, gurdwaras and mosques in an age where our country is still plagued with poverty and death.
"Don't touch the mashed potatoes. There are Brahmins who will be eating this food!"
Did I hear that right??? Was I just taken back to the Indian caste system and told that I couldn't touch the food because I was from a lower caste? This was my initial reaction. I was mad and felt insulted on so many different levels not to mention the very basic that she assumed I didn't have manners and also because it might be okay to double dip some else's food if they were not Brahmins. I don't really know what it was but last night as I lay in bed trying to forget what had just happened, I realized that most Indians are this way (please note, I did not say 'all').
This is also the reason why our country finds it so hard to move ahead. Most of it I understand is due to lack of a better education and understanding of our religion. But what about those Indians who are educated, have respectable jobs, traveled around the globe living comfortable lives which do not bog them down with the atrocities of some heinous religious practices like in old days - people like my mother-in-law? I have met so many of them here in the U.S. It amazes me how they are still centuries behind irrespective of how modern their lifestyles might me. I am not saying for a second that being religious is a bad thing. But blindly practicing rituals in the name of religion and condemning others, is not what makes a person religious.
For most people who are acquainted with me might think I'm not religious. I am. Just not in the same way. Thanks to my father, I was never forced into any particular religion. I have always heard him mention the Bible and Quran as he did the Gita. To me, Karma is my dharma. I went to a school founded by one of the pioneers of Brahmo Samaj. Back in those years they fought for the abolition of sati and the caste and dowry systems. They gave great importance to enlightenment and education versus idol worship. They moved us ahead and it seems like now we are moving back again. The educated and affluent Indians are more caught up in donating huge sums of money to build bigger and better temples, gurdwaras and mosques in an age where our country is still plagued with poverty and death.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Olympic Fever
Everyone in the stadium held their breath as she faced the challenge of the obstacle course. It was reported a few weeks ago that she had injured both her knees from a fall during training. But she is the favorite contender this year. Will she win gold and bring glory to her family who have relentlessly supported her in this entire journey? NBC of course refused to cover this event since it did not include four scantily clad women in the beach playing volleyball, but here is an exclusive coverage for the ardent readers of this blog~
She actually got up there and said 'Potty'. That alone won her the gold. She was awarded the most points for immaculate timings. The proud mother later told us in an exclusive interview that her daughter had made the entire family and country proud and all that training in the park had finally paid off. She will definitely be returning in 2012. In between she will be focusing on training even harder. She also bagged an endorsement deal from Huggies Pull-Ups - so you will be seeing a lot more of her in the potty training commercials. Finally, here is a glimpse of the medal ceremony and an example of how Americans are so famous for screwing up names ~
She actually got up there and said 'Potty'. That alone won her the gold. She was awarded the most points for immaculate timings. The proud mother later told us in an exclusive interview that her daughter had made the entire family and country proud and all that training in the park had finally paid off. She will definitely be returning in 2012. In between she will be focusing on training even harder. She also bagged an endorsement deal from Huggies Pull-Ups - so you will be seeing a lot more of her in the potty training commercials. Finally, here is a glimpse of the medal ceremony and an example of how Americans are so famous for screwing up names ~
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Evani update
Its been a while since I last posted an update on Evani. So for all my friends and family who haven't seen her in a while and I know you read my blog but you're just too lazy to comment (you're related/aquainted to me after all), here goes:
She is able to repeat plenty of words after me and can point to fish, tree, igloo, house and camel on her Ikea play mat. I was personally impressed with igloo and camel. She loves playing with cars. She is addicted to her bottle and I am scared she's going to take the longest time weaning out of it. She has learned to hug and kiss which totally melts my heart when she does it without being asked. However, the clever little thing that she is, she sometimes uses that tactic when she doesn't want to go to sleep. She has been climbing up the stairs for a while and has recently learned to crawl down. She calls both Shomeek and me 'baba' which actually means dad. For a 15 month old who can say camel, you would think she would be able to call me 'mamma'. She loves splashing around in the bathtub but hates the process of being changed. She carries my purse around the house saying 'ta ta' and loves being out and about. The cute things set aside, one fine day she woke up and turned into this temper tantrum throwing alien. She definitely lets you know when she doesn't like something or maybe wants to get hold of the keys or remote. Bathroom doors need to be kept close at all times since one day I did catch her in the act of dipping my cell phone into the toilet bowl and then licking it. She thrives on being independent and wants to do everything on her own. Meal times end up with more food on her entire body and floor than in her tummy.
Here is a clip of the calm right before the storm ~
She is able to repeat plenty of words after me and can point to fish, tree, igloo, house and camel on her Ikea play mat. I was personally impressed with igloo and camel. She loves playing with cars. She is addicted to her bottle and I am scared she's going to take the longest time weaning out of it. She has learned to hug and kiss which totally melts my heart when she does it without being asked. However, the clever little thing that she is, she sometimes uses that tactic when she doesn't want to go to sleep. She has been climbing up the stairs for a while and has recently learned to crawl down. She calls both Shomeek and me 'baba' which actually means dad. For a 15 month old who can say camel, you would think she would be able to call me 'mamma'. She loves splashing around in the bathtub but hates the process of being changed. She carries my purse around the house saying 'ta ta' and loves being out and about. The cute things set aside, one fine day she woke up and turned into this temper tantrum throwing alien. She definitely lets you know when she doesn't like something or maybe wants to get hold of the keys or remote. Bathroom doors need to be kept close at all times since one day I did catch her in the act of dipping my cell phone into the toilet bowl and then licking it. She thrives on being independent and wants to do everything on her own. Meal times end up with more food on her entire body and floor than in her tummy.
Here is a clip of the calm right before the storm ~
Monday, June 02, 2008
The Secret
I don't think I've ever been this happy to know anyone's secret as much as I've been knowing Victoria's of late. Ladies, I'm talking about Victoria's Secret and even though I cannot justify bras being that expensive - they have truly made a difference to my post baby body. For all the guys reading my blog, it is a good piece of information to have for current or future gift ideas and please let that be a gift card since I'm sure whatever you bring will be a size too small. You keep forgetting that we are not the woman in your fantasies. So for all my married girlfriends who've always thought like me:(a)what's the point in spending so much money on something that no one's ever going to see except hubby and at this point he's just glad that you are a creature with breasts and (b)I'd rather spend that money eating something criminal or getting a babysitter, I'd like to tell you I was wrong and the shaping demi's are worth every penny, and no, this time there will be no pictures posted. ;)
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Blistering Barnacles!
Its funny how randomly Captain Haddock came to mind after I inflicted more pain on myself this Saturday. When temperatures soared to 105 degrees around 3pm on the 17th, a few of us insane dancers rocked the amphitheater at the Rancho Cordova International Festival. The result: blistered feet, dehydration and some terrible photographs of us dancers squinting and trying real hard to cover the pain. The concrete we danced on was close to boiling point, I'm sure, and I think I can now say I know what walking on hot coal feels like. At the end of it what came out was however, true team spirit and professionalism and an awe struck audience. The pain quickly dissolved when everyone came up to congratulate us for a fabulous performance and many said it was the best Indian Fusion they had ever witnessed. Go TDC!
And yes, I'm able to walk again! :)
And yes, I'm able to walk again! :)
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Mamma Day and much More
Despite suggestions from one of my fellow blogger to (a) piss off another blogger or (b) add some sexual content in order to have someone/anyone read my blog, which none of you have been doing lately, I decided to stick with my own jabberings. And in order to boost my self esteem, I did something really wild this mothers day - I got my nose pierced! Since this was such a spur of the moment thing and having not done too much research on the subject matter, I learned a few things that I need to share.
1. You really need to have a pretty nose in order to make that a focal point on your face by adding a little shiny thing.
2. Having a parrot nose does not enhance your look in any way. In fact, sometime due to the funny shape of your nose, the piercing might not be visible at all depending which angle you are looking at the face.
3. Picking your nose/tickling your brain does not seem to be an option.
4. Planning the piercing so that you get it done close to home seems to be a better option than having to drive far away if anything were to go wrong and you needed to go back to get it fixed. This also is relevant to timing it in such a way so that in case your nose was to swell up, you do not have a social commitment, or even better, a performance, a week after the piercing.
5. Sneezing hurts.
6. Inflicting pain to oneself on occasion of mothers day might not seem to be a great idea after all.
7. You might be blackmailed by your spouse that if you don't listen to him, he will punch your nose.
That being said, here is the new me ~
After the night of piercing, Mothers Day was spent at Napa Valley. Okay, this had nothing to do with getting drunk to ease off the pain. I had a friend visiting and we took her for a tour. The weather was gorgeous and the wine made me feel better in a lot of ways, especially since the pricey lunch left me only half full. All in all, I realized how lucky I am to have such a beautiful daughter and being her 'mamma' is the best thing to have happened to me.
As usual Shomeek captures the moment as is ~
1. You really need to have a pretty nose in order to make that a focal point on your face by adding a little shiny thing.
2. Having a parrot nose does not enhance your look in any way. In fact, sometime due to the funny shape of your nose, the piercing might not be visible at all depending which angle you are looking at the face.
3. Picking your nose/tickling your brain does not seem to be an option.
4. Planning the piercing so that you get it done close to home seems to be a better option than having to drive far away if anything were to go wrong and you needed to go back to get it fixed. This also is relevant to timing it in such a way so that in case your nose was to swell up, you do not have a social commitment, or even better, a performance, a week after the piercing.
5. Sneezing hurts.
6. Inflicting pain to oneself on occasion of mothers day might not seem to be a great idea after all.
7. You might be blackmailed by your spouse that if you don't listen to him, he will punch your nose.
That being said, here is the new me ~
After the night of piercing, Mothers Day was spent at Napa Valley. Okay, this had nothing to do with getting drunk to ease off the pain. I had a friend visiting and we took her for a tour. The weather was gorgeous and the wine made me feel better in a lot of ways, especially since the pricey lunch left me only half full. All in all, I realized how lucky I am to have such a beautiful daughter and being her 'mamma' is the best thing to have happened to me.
As usual Shomeek captures the moment as is ~
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
A is for Abbles...
B is for Ba(ll) and C is for Cowwwwwww. Evani's vocabulary keeps increasing with lightening speed. In fact I thought I heard her repeat 'airplane' after me today, it was more like 'aibay' though.
Its high time I posted an update on what's going on at my end and here it is:
Let's start with corporate America taking over our lives there for a while. A part of Intel's flash division got spun off into a new company called Numonyx and that very clearly spelled LAYOFFS. We found ourselves doing the whole routine all over again, frantic job searching, stress, lack of sleep. Shomeek left no stones unturned in getting interviews lined up. We got mentally prepared to relocate to wherever Shomeek would find a job and finally he landed one right here itself. He starts at HP on Monday as Product Manager.
On another note, our very close friend and my dance partner at TranceFusion is relocating to Seattle this June as her husband takes up a position at Microsoft (no, you may not call him when your computer starts to stop...;). I'm still not sure how I'm going to deal with her move...but I'm trying to convince myself that everything happens for a reason and that change is the only constant.
Which brings me of course to TranceFusion Dance company and its future. We are growing and performing quite a bit now and although Soma will still be at the heart of its functioning, I'm having this feeling that its not going to be the same. Once again, I'm trying to think positive. TDC is our baby and we are going to give it our all to keep it nourished. BTW, while I'm on this topic I would like to mention that we have been invited to perform at the Rancho Cordova International Festival on May 17th - so all you local readers of my blog are invited to come watch us at the Amphitheater at Capital Village in Zinfandel (right behind the new Chevy's there).
Another major change in my life has been the baby-sitting role that I've taken for a friend's 4 month old daughter. Before you shriek, I had a very valid reason to do it. Since Evani stays at home with me all day, she has become very clingy and used to undivided attention. Since we don't plan to have a second (there, now its in writing!), I figured it would be great to have another kid at home. It has been a week now and has been going great. Evani loves having 'baby' around (yes, she can say 'baby' too) but it still having a hard time getting used to me carrying Wren. I think it will be really good for her...a lot of work for me though! Oh what parents do for their kids - now I know what our parents meant when they said that...;)
Last weekend we went on an impromptu trip to Seattle and guess what - we were lucky enough to see the sun. Surprisingly it was not raining and we had a blast while I fell in love with the city. Here we are being tourists at Space Needle.
Its high time I posted an update on what's going on at my end and here it is:
Let's start with corporate America taking over our lives there for a while. A part of Intel's flash division got spun off into a new company called Numonyx and that very clearly spelled LAYOFFS. We found ourselves doing the whole routine all over again, frantic job searching, stress, lack of sleep. Shomeek left no stones unturned in getting interviews lined up. We got mentally prepared to relocate to wherever Shomeek would find a job and finally he landed one right here itself. He starts at HP on Monday as Product Manager.
On another note, our very close friend and my dance partner at TranceFusion is relocating to Seattle this June as her husband takes up a position at Microsoft (no, you may not call him when your computer starts to stop...;). I'm still not sure how I'm going to deal with her move...but I'm trying to convince myself that everything happens for a reason and that change is the only constant.
Which brings me of course to TranceFusion Dance company and its future. We are growing and performing quite a bit now and although Soma will still be at the heart of its functioning, I'm having this feeling that its not going to be the same. Once again, I'm trying to think positive. TDC is our baby and we are going to give it our all to keep it nourished. BTW, while I'm on this topic I would like to mention that we have been invited to perform at the Rancho Cordova International Festival on May 17th - so all you local readers of my blog are invited to come watch us at the Amphitheater at Capital Village in Zinfandel (right behind the new Chevy's there).
Another major change in my life has been the baby-sitting role that I've taken for a friend's 4 month old daughter. Before you shriek, I had a very valid reason to do it. Since Evani stays at home with me all day, she has become very clingy and used to undivided attention. Since we don't plan to have a second (there, now its in writing!), I figured it would be great to have another kid at home. It has been a week now and has been going great. Evani loves having 'baby' around (yes, she can say 'baby' too) but it still having a hard time getting used to me carrying Wren. I think it will be really good for her...a lot of work for me though! Oh what parents do for their kids - now I know what our parents meant when they said that...;)
Last weekend we went on an impromptu trip to Seattle and guess what - we were lucky enough to see the sun. Surprisingly it was not raining and we had a blast while I fell in love with the city. Here we are being tourists at Space Needle.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
The Bong Connection
Nope, I am not daring to write a review on Anjan Dutta's movie titled the same - it is finally the vacation post you have all been so eagerly waiting for - ya right! As I savor the stillness around the house with Evani napping and me not engaged in the vicious cycle of loading and unloading the dishwasher, I finally descend upon my journey to start blogging again. What I enjoy most is however my throat giving me a break from the life wrenching coughing spasms that I've been living with for the past week. My voice still seems to not have found me.
As I lay in bed last night with the eternal feeling of something being stuck to my throat, I craved the sour taste of the tamarind water that goes oh so well with 'puchka' or 'golgappa' or 'panipuri' as all you non-bongs would like to call it. There is however a distinct difference between 'puchka' and 'golgappa'. puchka tastes way better than the non-bong golgappa. There I've said it. Last time I had asked the puchkawallah at the Victoria grounds, while devouring his puchkas like there was no tomorrow, whether the water he used came from the neighboring container from which the ponies were quenching their thirst after having tugged along the very healthy uncles, aunties and their healthier Chotus or Pappus from the Marwari clan of Kolkata sightseers. I had gotten no answers. That did not stop me then and it definitely did not make me the 'Bisleri water in my puchka eating in stainless steel plates at an air-conditioned joint' kind of puchka faker. This time however, I went to my favorite puchka and chaat joint at Vivekananda Park to devour a greater number of puchkas after a 2 year break. Now you see, I am the true puchka connoisseur. I like mine from street vendors, who use their 'who knows where they've been' hands to mash the potatoes and chole. I think THAT is what brings out the flavor. For those who know me, know very well the spice level I can handle - which is like none at all. So, I like a little sweet chutney along with the regular puchka water and my puchka escapades always end with a round of 'churmur'..ummmm....This time my pseudo-umrican hubby was bold enough to join me on this venture. His request for a spicy filling had him visiting the bathroom more often that he would have liked. I on the other hand was really impressed that U.S.A. had still not played havoc with my immune system.
The immune system part did not hold true overall. I had a severe allergy attack which lasted me my entire Kolkata trip. I seemed to have lost control over my itchy and watering eyes and nose and I had to do something that I used to loathe every NRI (Non Resident Indian) for - cover my nose and mouth when out on the streets. Now my friends can finally mock me as being one of 'them.'
Vacationing back home is all about friends and family and being stuffed with food till you're ready to burst or literally throw up, is the typical Bong custom of love and affection. It always amazes me on how much things change between our trips. Sometimes I do not even recognize my nieces or nephews as they've grown so much. Its always a treat catching up with everyones lives. There is one thing in common between all though - they all seem to think we have better lives than them based on our location and vice versa. How I crave to have someone cook, clean and drive me everywhere. My friends crib about how it is so hard on them when their maids have conflicting schedules - the audacity I say!
And it is not only people, but the place in general that has changed so much. Kolkata is no longer the place where I was born and grew up in. I'm sure it is the case with all major Indian cities these days due to the economic boom that's taking place there. But my overall study of Kolkata proved quite disheartening. On taking a closer look I realized the majority of Kolkata's economic growth was coming from call centers and not from real industries. In fact the infrastructure in Kolkata does not encourage big companies to open their offices there. Road conditions are still bad. Even the new ones are crumbling down. Law and order is actually chaos and the pollution has reached new levels. Civic sense is remote. The new upper-end housing developments that are coming up are already stained with 'paan' residue. The talk of development has all Calcuttans pointing towards the glitz of the malls or nightclubs. On visiting a few of both, I wondered what percentage of the real Bengal population could really afford that stuff. The IT sector of Kolakta, Salt Lake, is piling up with call centers which has become recent hubs for sex and drugs. People find it hard to remain healthy with ongoing night shifts and education takes a back seat.
On the brighter side, Kolkata is still the cultural capital of India hosting the pioneers of creative arts. Fine and performing arts have reached a new peak and Kolkata continues on its trend to encourage both traditional and contemporary artists from all over. I was honored to spend some time with Sutapa Talukdar, the famous Odissi dancer and Sudarshan Chakravorty of Sapphire Dance Creations. At the latter meeting, my path also crossed that of one of India's leading fashion photographers, Ranjit Sinha. I'm glad I had taken Shomeek along with me. Both Ranjit and Shomeek spent most of their time talking about cameras while I enjoyed the sun and rhythm watching Sudarshan teach his new dance class geared towards stay-home moms.
This trip was special for many reasons. It was of course our first trip back home with Evani. But it was also kind of a first trip together for both me and Shomeek. During our stay there I hooked Shomeek up with a photographer friend of mine, who is now a photographer for Times of India and Shomeek did something he had always longed for. He went out with his new-found friend, once during the wee hours of morning and the other into the darkness of the night to capture some special heart-felt moments of the city. At the end, one of his morning shots got published in Times of India and and the ecstasy on Shomeek's face made my trip worthwhile.
What moved Evani however was totally different. Windows that looked out into the streets which in turn were filled with people, cars, rickshaws and of course cows. Evani would hold on to the window 'grill' and shout out 'bhow bhow' and/or 'kaak' at the crows dominating the smog filled sky. She loved the taste of fish which in turn filled my Bong heart with joy and bonded very well with our maid Manju.
And I come to the other special part of Cal. Its people, especially the ones that form the core. Not the snooty upper middle class, so called educated and wanna be 'goras' like us. Manju di has been our maid for the longest time. She had started off with being an 'aaya'/nurse taking care of my grandfather when he fell very ill. She stayed on long after he passed away to make sure my dad was taken care of. She takes care of everything for us there - the cooking, cleaning, laundry and almost everything as I mentioned. She was also the best friend my daughter had during her stay there. Manju di left no stones unturned to take care of Evani allowing for me to enjoy my vacation any way I pleased. She not only took care of Evani but made sure all family members needs got met. The best part however is she did all of this out of love more than money. That reason however stems from my dad and how he looks after her family in times of need. Baba has placed all her children in careers and given them a roof above their heads. He continues to guide them through every aspect of life just like he would do for me and my brother. I will admit sometimes it makes me feel jealous. But when I look back, I haven't done half as much for him as they do. In that respect, 'Kite Runner'. will always be a very special book as I'm sure all of us would relate to it in some way.
Having said all and so much more left unsaid, Kolkata/Calcutta remains to have a special place in my heart. Its every nook and cranny has some sort of memory that has made me what I am today.
This post ends with Shomeek's eye of the city which I feel really captures the heart and soul of the City of Joy.
As I lay in bed last night with the eternal feeling of something being stuck to my throat, I craved the sour taste of the tamarind water that goes oh so well with 'puchka' or 'golgappa' or 'panipuri' as all you non-bongs would like to call it. There is however a distinct difference between 'puchka' and 'golgappa'. puchka tastes way better than the non-bong golgappa. There I've said it. Last time I had asked the puchkawallah at the Victoria grounds, while devouring his puchkas like there was no tomorrow, whether the water he used came from the neighboring container from which the ponies were quenching their thirst after having tugged along the very healthy uncles, aunties and their healthier Chotus or Pappus from the Marwari clan of Kolkata sightseers. I had gotten no answers. That did not stop me then and it definitely did not make me the 'Bisleri water in my puchka eating in stainless steel plates at an air-conditioned joint' kind of puchka faker. This time however, I went to my favorite puchka and chaat joint at Vivekananda Park to devour a greater number of puchkas after a 2 year break. Now you see, I am the true puchka connoisseur. I like mine from street vendors, who use their 'who knows where they've been' hands to mash the potatoes and chole. I think THAT is what brings out the flavor. For those who know me, know very well the spice level I can handle - which is like none at all. So, I like a little sweet chutney along with the regular puchka water and my puchka escapades always end with a round of 'churmur'..ummmm....This time my pseudo-umrican hubby was bold enough to join me on this venture. His request for a spicy filling had him visiting the bathroom more often that he would have liked. I on the other hand was really impressed that U.S.A. had still not played havoc with my immune system.
The immune system part did not hold true overall. I had a severe allergy attack which lasted me my entire Kolkata trip. I seemed to have lost control over my itchy and watering eyes and nose and I had to do something that I used to loathe every NRI (Non Resident Indian) for - cover my nose and mouth when out on the streets. Now my friends can finally mock me as being one of 'them.'
Vacationing back home is all about friends and family and being stuffed with food till you're ready to burst or literally throw up, is the typical Bong custom of love and affection. It always amazes me on how much things change between our trips. Sometimes I do not even recognize my nieces or nephews as they've grown so much. Its always a treat catching up with everyones lives. There is one thing in common between all though - they all seem to think we have better lives than them based on our location and vice versa. How I crave to have someone cook, clean and drive me everywhere. My friends crib about how it is so hard on them when their maids have conflicting schedules - the audacity I say!
And it is not only people, but the place in general that has changed so much. Kolkata is no longer the place where I was born and grew up in. I'm sure it is the case with all major Indian cities these days due to the economic boom that's taking place there. But my overall study of Kolkata proved quite disheartening. On taking a closer look I realized the majority of Kolkata's economic growth was coming from call centers and not from real industries. In fact the infrastructure in Kolkata does not encourage big companies to open their offices there. Road conditions are still bad. Even the new ones are crumbling down. Law and order is actually chaos and the pollution has reached new levels. Civic sense is remote. The new upper-end housing developments that are coming up are already stained with 'paan' residue. The talk of development has all Calcuttans pointing towards the glitz of the malls or nightclubs. On visiting a few of both, I wondered what percentage of the real Bengal population could really afford that stuff. The IT sector of Kolakta, Salt Lake, is piling up with call centers which has become recent hubs for sex and drugs. People find it hard to remain healthy with ongoing night shifts and education takes a back seat.
On the brighter side, Kolkata is still the cultural capital of India hosting the pioneers of creative arts. Fine and performing arts have reached a new peak and Kolkata continues on its trend to encourage both traditional and contemporary artists from all over. I was honored to spend some time with Sutapa Talukdar, the famous Odissi dancer and Sudarshan Chakravorty of Sapphire Dance Creations. At the latter meeting, my path also crossed that of one of India's leading fashion photographers, Ranjit Sinha. I'm glad I had taken Shomeek along with me. Both Ranjit and Shomeek spent most of their time talking about cameras while I enjoyed the sun and rhythm watching Sudarshan teach his new dance class geared towards stay-home moms.
This trip was special for many reasons. It was of course our first trip back home with Evani. But it was also kind of a first trip together for both me and Shomeek. During our stay there I hooked Shomeek up with a photographer friend of mine, who is now a photographer for Times of India and Shomeek did something he had always longed for. He went out with his new-found friend, once during the wee hours of morning and the other into the darkness of the night to capture some special heart-felt moments of the city. At the end, one of his morning shots got published in Times of India and and the ecstasy on Shomeek's face made my trip worthwhile.
What moved Evani however was totally different. Windows that looked out into the streets which in turn were filled with people, cars, rickshaws and of course cows. Evani would hold on to the window 'grill' and shout out 'bhow bhow' and/or 'kaak' at the crows dominating the smog filled sky. She loved the taste of fish which in turn filled my Bong heart with joy and bonded very well with our maid Manju.
And I come to the other special part of Cal. Its people, especially the ones that form the core. Not the snooty upper middle class, so called educated and wanna be 'goras' like us. Manju di has been our maid for the longest time. She had started off with being an 'aaya'/nurse taking care of my grandfather when he fell very ill. She stayed on long after he passed away to make sure my dad was taken care of. She takes care of everything for us there - the cooking, cleaning, laundry and almost everything as I mentioned. She was also the best friend my daughter had during her stay there. Manju di left no stones unturned to take care of Evani allowing for me to enjoy my vacation any way I pleased. She not only took care of Evani but made sure all family members needs got met. The best part however is she did all of this out of love more than money. That reason however stems from my dad and how he looks after her family in times of need. Baba has placed all her children in careers and given them a roof above their heads. He continues to guide them through every aspect of life just like he would do for me and my brother. I will admit sometimes it makes me feel jealous. But when I look back, I haven't done half as much for him as they do. In that respect, 'Kite Runner'. will always be a very special book as I'm sure all of us would relate to it in some way.
Having said all and so much more left unsaid, Kolkata/Calcutta remains to have a special place in my heart. Its every nook and cranny has some sort of memory that has made me what I am today.
This post ends with Shomeek's eye of the city which I feel really captures the heart and soul of the City of Joy.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Spring is in the air
Okay, this is more of a disclaimer than a real post for people who are wondering whether I ever came back from my vacation. My two nephews, a 9 yr old and 5 yr old are spending their spring break with me this week. So, I hardly get time to be in front of a computer or do anything with 'me' time in it. And once they are gone I will take couple more weeks just to get back into the normal groove of things - so please bear with me. In the mean time we are all having lots of fun, enjoying the gorgeous outdoors and eating lots of yummy food.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Calcutta - here we come!
I am so excited to be going back home after two years. This will also be Evani's first trip there and she gets to celebrate her first birthday with family. We leave on Monday , Feb 11th and return March 2nd. I hope not to be blogging while I'm gone - but if I can't resist sharing pictures with you, I might log in. :)
Ciao!
Ciao!
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
And then there was LIGHT!
Or maybe it was 'aight'. I any case, officially it is Evani's first word...yoohooooo!!!
Friday, January 25, 2008
A peek into Evani's world
Below are a few clips of Evani that pretty much covers the major part of her daily activities.
Here is Evani trying to feed herself from the bottle right after I changed her diaper. Her expression when she loses grip of the bottle is classic and cracks me up each time I watch it.
It has always been Shomeek's dream that his daughter will be a soccer player (I have no idea why!) and it seems he doesn't want to waste any time in the process. So, when Shomeek spotted the soccer ball at Ikea, he had to pick it up. Soccer training has officially kicked off. Beware my dear friend Conor - you will be needed pretty soon. (Conor is a very good friend/ex-colleague who is also a soccer coach:). Btw, here is a little secret: Shomeek likes playing with the soccer ball more than Evani does.
Evani is drawn to the remote like a magnet. However much I try to put a variety of toys out for her, she will automatically get drawn to the remote on the couch and ignore the fact that we spend money to buy her toys and that she should be putting them to use.
Here is Evani trying to feed herself from the bottle right after I changed her diaper. Her expression when she loses grip of the bottle is classic and cracks me up each time I watch it.
It has always been Shomeek's dream that his daughter will be a soccer player (I have no idea why!) and it seems he doesn't want to waste any time in the process. So, when Shomeek spotted the soccer ball at Ikea, he had to pick it up. Soccer training has officially kicked off. Beware my dear friend Conor - you will be needed pretty soon. (Conor is a very good friend/ex-colleague who is also a soccer coach:). Btw, here is a little secret: Shomeek likes playing with the soccer ball more than Evani does.
Evani is drawn to the remote like a magnet. However much I try to put a variety of toys out for her, she will automatically get drawn to the remote on the couch and ignore the fact that we spend money to buy her toys and that she should be putting them to use.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Cheap Entertainment
It did involve a big screen and lots of unknown people, yet it had nothing to do with cable or internet. It was the monitor at SF international airport that allows you a viewing of the arriving passengers right before they actually get out into the arrivals lobby. The intention of that might be for you to get ready to receive, whoever you are there to receive, with a broad grin or something of that sort, but for us Pauls it was better than comedy night on NBC.
The best part is that most passengers do not know that they are being watched by herds of unknown people. So, their actions and emotions are absolutely genuine, and for some, pretty embarrassing if they ever found out that they were being displayed on a huge screen. I wonder if their friends or family ever let them in on the amusement.
We were there on Saturday to receive my mother-in-law, who was returning from her vacation in India. As usual her luggage was amongst the last to arrive and hence we had a pretty long wait out there. With Evani keeping herself entertained in her stroller, we resorted to observing strangers around us, especially on the screen. It was a Cathay Pacific flight that had just arrived from Hong Kong. It was intriguing to watch all the passengers. We started weaving stories on their lives based on how they were dressed for such a long flight, the luggage they carried, their facial expressions. It was fun to watch the first timers arriving in SFO trying real hard to suppress their excitement before coming out of the gates. There were the occasional nose pickers as well oblivious to the fact that they were on camera. The stilettos and freshly applied makeup of a few after the 14 or 15 hour flight put me to shame and reminded me how shabby I looked after the early morning (which is 8 am, btw) 2 hour drive from Sacramento.
The one who most caught our attention however was a guy who was at the receiving end. An Indian guy sporting a formal jacket over jeans - seemingly not an ABCD (American Born Confused Desi), who clutched a laptop with his dear life waiting for someone to arrive. The reason he had a laptop was the object of curiosity for us. He must have had a very reasonable cause for it but the fun lay in the conclusions we came up with:
1. His newly-wed wife must be arriving to the U.S. for the first time and he carried the laptop to impress her
2. He was a geeky software engineer who felt insecure without his laptop
3. He was meeting a client for business and had to start working immediately upon their arrival at the airport - nah! (this was ruled out by Shomeek)
After much discussion on him we named him 'laptop da' ('da' being colloquial for 'dada' which means 'elder brother' in Bengali) and was eager to catch a glimpse of the person who he was there for. However, amidst all the other strangers who were entertaining us, we missed that most important moment and he was gone. It reminded me of the power cuts that were bound to happen in the middle of our most favorite shows back home and so the mystery remains forever.
You writers can be on strike for as long as you want - we don't need you or your characters to keep us entertained!
The best part is that most passengers do not know that they are being watched by herds of unknown people. So, their actions and emotions are absolutely genuine, and for some, pretty embarrassing if they ever found out that they were being displayed on a huge screen. I wonder if their friends or family ever let them in on the amusement.
We were there on Saturday to receive my mother-in-law, who was returning from her vacation in India. As usual her luggage was amongst the last to arrive and hence we had a pretty long wait out there. With Evani keeping herself entertained in her stroller, we resorted to observing strangers around us, especially on the screen. It was a Cathay Pacific flight that had just arrived from Hong Kong. It was intriguing to watch all the passengers. We started weaving stories on their lives based on how they were dressed for such a long flight, the luggage they carried, their facial expressions. It was fun to watch the first timers arriving in SFO trying real hard to suppress their excitement before coming out of the gates. There were the occasional nose pickers as well oblivious to the fact that they were on camera. The stilettos and freshly applied makeup of a few after the 14 or 15 hour flight put me to shame and reminded me how shabby I looked after the early morning (which is 8 am, btw) 2 hour drive from Sacramento.
The one who most caught our attention however was a guy who was at the receiving end. An Indian guy sporting a formal jacket over jeans - seemingly not an ABCD (American Born Confused Desi), who clutched a laptop with his dear life waiting for someone to arrive. The reason he had a laptop was the object of curiosity for us. He must have had a very reasonable cause for it but the fun lay in the conclusions we came up with:
1. His newly-wed wife must be arriving to the U.S. for the first time and he carried the laptop to impress her
2. He was a geeky software engineer who felt insecure without his laptop
3. He was meeting a client for business and had to start working immediately upon their arrival at the airport - nah! (this was ruled out by Shomeek)
After much discussion on him we named him 'laptop da' ('da' being colloquial for 'dada' which means 'elder brother' in Bengali) and was eager to catch a glimpse of the person who he was there for. However, amidst all the other strangers who were entertaining us, we missed that most important moment and he was gone. It reminded me of the power cuts that were bound to happen in the middle of our most favorite shows back home and so the mystery remains forever.
You writers can be on strike for as long as you want - we don't need you or your characters to keep us entertained!
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Welcome '08
Happy New Year!
I know...I know...my first post in the new year has long been due. Initially I had thought that the holidays would be more of us just chilling out at home but eventually it ended up being pretty hectic. The highlight was our Tahoe trip. It was Evani's first snow experience and she seemed to enjoy every bit of it.
The holidays being over, I find myself back into the daily groove of things. 2007 was a very special year with the birth of Evani, Wacker Design Group and TranceFusion Dance Company. These all came with a huge responsibility as well. I just hope this year I am able to balance every aspect of my life.
2008 started off with Wacker Design moving into an office space in Roseville, thanks to some wonderful friends - YAY! We're not fully functional there yet, but that's not too far away.
TDC has been invited to perform on Jan 26th at a fundraiser for the cyclone victims of Bangladesh. We have also set ourselves in full gear for offering classes to adults and children.
I am continuing to knock on doors to find someone in India who can help Dr. Ernie Bodai introduce the Breast Cancer Stamp there. All efforts in this regard is seeming futile, but I will keep trying as long as I can.
On the home front, Evani has been growing rapidly. She is a burst of energy and is trying to take a few steps if you hold her. We will finally be making our trip to India with her mid Feb. Cleaning poopy diapers is just getting worse by the day due to the stench. I seem to smell poop everywhere. Shomeek's huge nose is finally coming in handy - he seems to identify that Evani has pooped from miles away. I continue to watch crappy movies that Shomeek gets from Blockbuster as that seems to be the only form of entertainment for us. We have been trying hard to control our urge to eat out, which results in the fact that I am having to cook regularly...uurrghhhh!!! From the onset of '08 I have been craving chocolate brownies with vanilla ice-cream. The craziest thing I did however was meet in person a friend I made online (I have not heard the end of this from my other friends). Thankfully he didn't turn out to be a criminal or a weirdo. In fact I am really glad I met him. He seems to be a wonderful and talented person and he has become a very good friend (okay, you know who you are, I deserve to be treated for saying such wonderful things about you on my blog:).
All in all, 2008 has started off pretty well. Lots of things to do and greater heights to be achieved. Thanks to all family and friends for being around and supporting me in every endeavor of mine. I hope to spend some more time with all of you this year.
I know...I know...my first post in the new year has long been due. Initially I had thought that the holidays would be more of us just chilling out at home but eventually it ended up being pretty hectic. The highlight was our Tahoe trip. It was Evani's first snow experience and she seemed to enjoy every bit of it.
The holidays being over, I find myself back into the daily groove of things. 2007 was a very special year with the birth of Evani, Wacker Design Group and TranceFusion Dance Company. These all came with a huge responsibility as well. I just hope this year I am able to balance every aspect of my life.
2008 started off with Wacker Design moving into an office space in Roseville, thanks to some wonderful friends - YAY! We're not fully functional there yet, but that's not too far away.
TDC has been invited to perform on Jan 26th at a fundraiser for the cyclone victims of Bangladesh. We have also set ourselves in full gear for offering classes to adults and children.
I am continuing to knock on doors to find someone in India who can help Dr. Ernie Bodai introduce the Breast Cancer Stamp there. All efforts in this regard is seeming futile, but I will keep trying as long as I can.
On the home front, Evani has been growing rapidly. She is a burst of energy and is trying to take a few steps if you hold her. We will finally be making our trip to India with her mid Feb. Cleaning poopy diapers is just getting worse by the day due to the stench. I seem to smell poop everywhere. Shomeek's huge nose is finally coming in handy - he seems to identify that Evani has pooped from miles away. I continue to watch crappy movies that Shomeek gets from Blockbuster as that seems to be the only form of entertainment for us. We have been trying hard to control our urge to eat out, which results in the fact that I am having to cook regularly...uurrghhhh!!! From the onset of '08 I have been craving chocolate brownies with vanilla ice-cream. The craziest thing I did however was meet in person a friend I made online (I have not heard the end of this from my other friends). Thankfully he didn't turn out to be a criminal or a weirdo. In fact I am really glad I met him. He seems to be a wonderful and talented person and he has become a very good friend (okay, you know who you are, I deserve to be treated for saying such wonderful things about you on my blog:).
All in all, 2008 has started off pretty well. Lots of things to do and greater heights to be achieved. Thanks to all family and friends for being around and supporting me in every endeavor of mine. I hope to spend some more time with all of you this year.
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