life!

The sky is silver

2011-08-26T02:10:00.000-07:00

The sky is silver!

Not gloomy grey, not blinding bright

Just the perfect balance the senses need

They say every cloud has a silver lining

But here I find silver strewn all over!

Oh what a wonderful sight to behold

And every sparkle in the sky speaks to me

“Smile, the dark days of despair are over”

problem

2011-01-05T09:47:00.000-08:00

the problem with me is that i allow people to play with my feelings and break my heart. wonder when and how i can get out of this. really blame myself, and no one else for my worries and sorrows.

(bad start to the new year. shud have written a happier, more positive post! but will do that soon, i promise!! :D )

boredom

2010-12-16T19:53:00.000-08:00

i have discovered that boredom is my downfall. the moment i have nothing to do, i start feeling depressed. all kinds of negative thoughts come to my mind n i start feeling very very demotivated.

i need to occupy myself. i need to get out of the house. i just wish there were more things to do n see. i just cant b staying idle like this n hating myself for having horrible thoughts.

December already?

2010-12-07T04:40:00.001-08:00

its december. really? where did the year go?

Getting old(er)

2010-10-24T08:05:00.000-07:00

Birthdays used to be a lot of fun. Not anymore. Well, of course it's fun to be the birthday girl and get the hugs, gifts, handshakes, gifts, wishes, gifts, phone calls, did i mention gifts?! :P but then, when you realise that you are a whole year older..yeah like a WHOLE GOD-DAMN YEAR OLDER, it takes a lot away from it. sigh....

The best part about birthdays is definitely the (no not the gifts...i'm not that shallow also!) cake. caaaaaaake! aah! i love cake! and i love my birthdays because owing to the sheer number of friends i have, i end up having more that one party and therefore more than one cake. JOY!

friends...yes that reminds me of a very funny fact. every year i have additions to my friends list. this year too i have made some great new friends who would most definitely be invited. sadly though, the one i really, really want to have around wont be there :(

so all in all i guess birthdays are just about OK. they have surely lost their charm...i used to be kicked from october 1 and would actually cross off days from the calender when i was younger. but now i wish i could do something in great contrast to that!!!! so while on one hand there are the gifts, the cake, the hugs, the wishes and the happy-happy spoilt feeling, on the other there is the realisation that i am growing OLD. bloody hell i'll be in my late twenties now!!! how scary is that?!!! i wanted to be so many things before i was 27 and i got nothing done :((( but i guess its ok...i'll survive and if all goes well, i'll be writing a similar post next year and cribbing perhaps a little more :D

till then, a very happy birthday to me!!!!

Confusion

2010-10-21T03:49:00.000-07:00

Where have moralities gone? Since when has the world become so carefree? Why don'y people care anymore? Why is everything acceptable?

I am not a qualified person to comment on moralities, but it shocks me at times to see how the attitudes of people have changed. I, myself, hate moral policing so am not ever gonna comment on anything anyone does. But that doesn't make me stop hating them for doing it. Really, people should start getting a grip over their lives, and if not, they should at least not try to influence the others around them with their ways of life.

Let's start with cheating. And by cheating i mean being unfaithful in a relationship. Cheating seems to have become the order of the day. Everyone I come across is either cheating or has already cheated on their partners! It's the most horrible thing one can do. It's another thing if you agree to have an open relationship. If the other person is aware of what you are doing, it is perfectly fine. But what I feel bad is that the person who gets cheated upon is kept in the dark. And to think that this brings unimaginable pain to them is simply heartbreaking. But what's even more heartbreaking, or rather disgusting is the fact that people say things like "its ok", "big deal he cheated...who doesn't?", and so on. Why doesn't anyone care anymore?

A lot of times I have heard people say that they have just been a part of it, and have not really cheated on anyone. But if you are a part of it (engaging in it with a person who is committed to someone else), I feel you are equally at fault. Fine, you are single, but by doing it you are bringing the same amount of sorrow to someone else. How can you be OK with that??

It's a horrible and scary world that we live in. I repeat myself...I am no one to comment on peoples' moralities coz what may be right for me, may be wrong for someone else. I know I have done a lot of things in life, which by a lot of peoples' standards is considered 'immoral'. But even then I am at peace. This is simply because I know whatever I have done, i have never hurt anyone. I can stand here today and proudly say that no one is this world has ever been hurt by my actions. And I am very proud of it.

At a time when everyone is concerned about world peace, i really feel that there is a greater problem crawling into humanity. And sadly it's a problem that is within us. And unless we deal with that first, we will find it very diffeicult to deal with the problems outside...

A Smile From You

2010-10-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

When I felt it was all over,
A smile from you reinstated faith

When I started to walk away
A smile from you pulled me back

When I knew the end was near
A smile from you proved me wrong

When the pieces began to fall off
A smile from you glued the jigsaw back

When the heart was parched
A smile from you washed the drought away

When my life was in place
A smile from you set madness in motion!

When I thought it wasn’t needed
A smile from you displayed insane love

But just when I needed you the most to smile
A smile from you was nowhere to be found…

Planning

2010-10-02T06:38:00.001-07:00

I have always been a 'planner'. i like planning. it is another thing that life never goes as per plans, but i feel its a lot of fun to plan. so i plan...whenever my mind is idle, i get into planning mode. as a result, i have/had a lot of plans in life, but sadly nothing seems to go as per the plan!

the one thing that i have been planning for a long time (ever since i can remember, i think!) is my own marriage. my plans, mind u, never include faces, so i have never had the 'face' of the groom in it. however, planning the entire event sure has been very exciting!

in-between all the failed relationships and and missed opportunities i have had one thing in common. so i have finished planning where my wedding venue will be, what the decor will be like, who all will get invited, what people will be wearing, what the menu will be, etc etc! whenever i tell someone about this, they ask me a very pertinent question - "who will be the groom?" true, the groom is a very important element, but till he comes along (if at all he ever does...considering the kind of luck i have had in love, i'm starting to have serious doubts about it :P ), i am happy dreaming!

if u think i am monica gellar, u r completely correct! if there is a real life monica, it is me! i am neurotic, love planning, love cooking and love being the perfect host. now i just hope (not plan, mind u!!!) that i find my chandler too someday!

Dance with me....

2010-09-25T21:37:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: Before I begin, let me tell you that this post is politically incorrect. Please do not get offended by what I say. It's just the way I feel, and it isn't necessarily the way it is.

DANCE WITH ME

I went for a dance show the other day. dancing is, and has always been one of my most favourite things. And one of my life's greatest regret is that I never learnt dancing myself. I sooo wish i could dance....sigh!

I have also been attracted to men who can dance. well, not classical dancers, but the 'cool' types, like the hip-hop dancers or basically guys who could move their bodies (mind u in a macho way!). As a result, i've loved everyone from John Travolta to Vivek Oberoi, from the Backstreet Boys to Ranbir Kapoor. If you can dance, you can win my heart! i have had crazy crushes over guys i didnt even know, but just saw dancing!

i always thought that any form of non-indian dance was sexy for men (pls refer to disclaimer before getting offended!). so when i got an invitation for a western classical dance show, i was over the moon. i was told that a lot of guys would be dancing too and so i was really looking forward to it. i dressed up nicely and was on my way to observe these apparently sexy guys who could dance. i entered the venue and was even surprised to see how cute some of them were!! but that was all till the dancing began............

initially i was confused. i didnt know if it was me or just the way they danced. i am sorry, but i found the whole concept so gay (disclaimer disclaimer!!)...i mean, i'm sorry, but there just isnt anything macho in a guy taking graceful steps n moving their hips and butts in an extra smooth manner. the girls doing the same were looking so nice, and i couldnt help but think that some things are just meant for women!!! and that's when it hit me - i find men dancing classical dances effeminate! i'm sorry, but thats just what i feel!!!!

i was upset because i always thought men should be in touch with their feminine side - it makes them sensitive, caring and responsible. but now i feel i know the difference between being in touch with the feminine side and being (or coming across) as plain effeminate!

ok, now that i have written this, i am sure to receive a lot of flack. you are welcome to leave a comment, but before you do PLEASE read the disclaimer once again! :P

Old Posts

2010-08-09T05:53:00.000-07:00

Was going through my old posts and found some particularly funny ones. this one takes the cake tho! take a look

Kisses

2010-08-06T19:47:00.000-07:00

This is the cutest kiddy poem i've read....couldn't find it anywhere on the net. so posting it here for everyone to read :-) Kisses by Ian Souter

KISSES!

Last week
my face was smothered in kisses.
YES - KISSES!
First there was the dribbly-wibbly kiss
when Mum slurped all over me
like an eight-mouthed octopus.
("There's my favourite boy!")
Then there was the lipstick-redstick kiss
when my aunt's rosy lips
painted themselves on my cheeks.
("Isn't he so handsome!")
Next came the flutter-eye, butterfly kiss
when my girlfriend smoochy-cooched
and fluttered her eyelashes at the same time.
("OOOOOOOOOOOOH!")
After that there was the soggy-doggy kiss
when our pet Labrador Sally
tried to lick my face off.
("Slop! Slop! Woof!")
Following that there was the "watch out here I come" miss kiss
when my little sister aimed for me
but missed and kissed the cat instead.
("UUUUUUUUURGH")
then there was the spectacular-Dracula kiss
when my cousin Isabel leapt from behind the shower curtain
and attacked my neck
("AAAAAAAAAGH - suck!")
Of course there was the "ssssssh don't tell anyone" self kiss
when I looked into the bathroom mirror
and kissed myself. (Once was enough!)
But the unbeatable, second to none, zing-dinger of a kiss
came from Gran.
It was lip-sucking, cheek-plucking, Donald Duckling
SMACKEROONY OF A KISS. (She'd forgotten to put her teeth in!)

-Ian Souter

Blessed

2010-07-31T21:16:00.000-07:00

I feel blessed to have so many great friends. this isnt just a 'friendship day realization'. i have always been lucky to have the nicest friends and perhaps that is why my life is so beautiful today. my friends are my true lifeline and i just dont know what i'd ever do without them.

i've also been one of the few very lucky ones to have had one best friend since the time i was 7. i know of a lot of people who've had like 10 best friends...each at a different stage of life and then forgotten about! i also know of best friends who used to be close once upon a time but only stay in touch via emails now. there really r very few people like me who have had that one best friend for 19 years, with whom the equation hasnt changed one bit! what i would ever do without her!

while i have one best friend, i have some very very close friends too. they are equally important to me. but at this point i must mention why i feel so blessed today. there are not one, but three people who consider me to be their best friends. a best friend is a prized title and i feel so fortunate to have three of those! the other day someone asked me what my talent was and i said it was being a good friend. i think thats true, for a friend is someone who comforts u and is there for u. and that, i surely am! i am so happy that i can make these wonderful people feel special and love them the way they love me.

so here's to friendship, friends and JOY!

this or that?

2010-07-21T06:41:00.000-07:00

while travelling by a bus this morning, i saw a mentally challenged boy. he was sitting with his mother and perhaps travelling to some place which....did he even know where?

i was sitting just opposite to him and hence got to observe him for a long time. and though it was a bit disturbing to see such a cute young boy challenged, it was also a wonderful experience observing him.

he seemed so happy, so carefree. he laughed at everything, smiled at everyone and just did what his heart pleased. it made me wonder if he lived in a better world. while on one hand, he surely has to go through a lot of hardships, he also has been blessed to remain ignorant of the worldly worries that plague the rest of us. he is so oblivious to the stares, the whispers and (unfortunately, or annoyingly so) the taunts that always accompany him. it made me wonder if he was happier than all of us were?

and that was when it struck me...who decides what's good and what's bad? what if we are just accustomed to believing that we are the best. who has ever told us that the mentally challenged world isnt perfect and ours is? what if its the other way round?

i dont have answers to these questions, but just sitting there and looking at the boy and occassionally reciprocating his smiles and waves made my day. it was such a beautiful thing. sad that he is different, but great that he is - it gives him a life that we only read of in fairytales. god bless him forever and ever :)

dilemma

2010-07-20T08:13:00.000-07:00

I'm in quite a dilemma. n as usual, its related to my work.

i LOVE my job. i think i really have the best job in the world. teaching is so amazing. it gives u a meaning in life, literally. plus is loads of fun. trust me, nothing can be more funny than watching kids goof around. its a great combination of comedy and innocence n it cheers u up no matter what! i particularly remember one valentines day when i felt the most depressed i ever did. i couldnt get out of bed. n then dragging myself to work was the toughest thing of my life, perhaps. n seeing coochi-cooing couples on the road wasnt helping either!!! but that was till i reached school. the moment i stepped in, i was showered with hugs, flowers, smiles and genuine 'love'. that was when i realised that valentines day was actually a day of love, just love n no particular type of love. it made my day. n undoubtedly it turned out to be the best n most memorable val day of my life :)

this was just an example. being surrounded by kids, i have similar experiences everyday n i cannot explain how much i like that. my job really takes away all my worries and makes me a happier person.

the dilemma then, u ask?

well...its the workplace. unfortunately i work in a place thats full of weird people who only know how to misuse power. the person who runs the school is a 'bully', n quite literally so! he thinks he owns the employees n can do/ say anything to them. then, my immediate boss is a pain. she is so whimsical n literally drives me crazy! but the worst part about it all is the patronising that goes around. it being an international school, we have kids from various countries n sadly the "fair skinned" people are treated differently. it is the most disturbing thing ever. there is open discrimination, favoritism, n partiality. being a teacher who wants all her kids to be treated equally, its rather difficult for me to tolerate this.

so the dilemma lies here. while on one hand i love teaching, interacting with kids and doing what i do, on the other i hate the high-handedness and discrimination that the management indulges in. it just makes me wanna quit the place without giving a thought. but i have to give a thought...my kids r my lifeline n i cannot do without them n the lovely val days!!!!

WHAT TO DO????????????

Hats off

2010-03-01T00:56:00.000-08:00

With weird marriage proposals coming my way now, I was so happy yesterday when I heard about a girl and how she dealt with similar situations. I dont know who she is, i dont even know her name...but I've become her fan. if she reads this post somewhere, somehow, i want her to know that she is officially my role model now n i bow to her!!

so this is what happened:

the guy is a relative. they have been looking for a match for him. now they heard of this girl and approached the family. the guy was then told that the girl would initially communicate thru email and then take things forward. so he mailed her (or his father did, i'm not sure). the girl replied. her reply was just an orkut friend request. she mentioned that she was a bit busy and didnt have the time to write stuff abt herself, so they shud chk her profile, where everything they needed to know was there.

so the guy (and his parents!) log on to orkut to see the profile. the display pic was of a girl wearing a brown leather jacket, huge sunglasses, a bandana and she was kinda sitting on a bike. for his conservative parents, that was the 1st jhatka!!

then, the profile sed nothing much, but there was an album. so they opened the album and wat they fond?? they found tons of snaps of "her". there were snaps of her toe nail, her hairs' split ends, her acne, her elbow and a close up of her teeth!!!!!

at this point, the parents literally fell off their chairs!! LOL!! so the guy, gauging the situation, mailed her back n extremely politely said that he wasn't interested.

u thot that was the end of it?? well, the guy thot so too. but he opened his mail box a while later n saw that the girl had replied...n her reply was "AS IF I CARE"!! hahahaha

this was just such a great slap on the face of everyone who forcefully tried to get her married off or put any pressure on her watsoever. i just loved her guts n the manner in which she dealt with it. n this really makes me wanna try it out too. wish i get to do it. just once! :D

Strange

2010-02-28T06:17:00.000-08:00

strangely, I'm missing some people a lot today, people I should not be missing. no idea why.

maybe the colours have had some sort of an effect on me. strange. very strange.

Going Shopping with Daddy

2010-02-08T04:18:00.000-08:00

I'm going show shopping with daddy! its been a long time since he bought me something. ever since i began working, i've insisted on paying my own bills and (proudly so) have stuck to it.

but now things r a bit different. i'm on living on a shoe string budget and buying anything, let alone shoes, is quite out of the question. i've been saving up for a trip and hence have voluntarily sealed off my bank account. so i have a paltry some of a couple of thousand rupees to spend each month.

anyway, getting back to my shoe shopping, before u say anything, i'm going to buy basic shoes....the ones i need for everyday use. not gonna take advantage of my dad's spoiling spree! hehe! so good i am :P

Then and Now

2010-01-29T08:29:00.000-08:00

I met an ex boyfriend today. He's actually the only ex i'm still fond of. we had had a wonderful time together n the break up wasn't too nasty either, n we both moved on remarkably well. so all in all, it was nice.

he's moving to another country for good and we met for one last time today. it was weird. i dont know why, but somewhere deep down in my heart, i feel a little bad. all the nice memories came rushing back n it made me wonder how unpredictable life was. there we were in the same restaurant one day sitting and enjoying a nice, romantic dinner...and then we were there, in a group, laughing n chatting n at the same time sadly bidding adieu...perhaps forever.

i wonder if anything in life is constant. and even if it isnt, mayb its a good thing. it makes u realise that like the nice times, the horrible, difficult times also come to an end, and there indeed is light at the end of every tunnel!

so here's to memories, romances, sorrows n experiences. and definitely to J....wishing him all the best in life and in whatever he does :)

I Miss

2010-01-23T22:26:00.000-08:00

I miss going out on dates. its been so long that i've been on a date. those simple, silly ones. where u just meet up n go have coffee or take hand-in-hand walks n then he drops you home. those silly movie dates where u just giggle thru the entire movie, the ice-cream afterwards.

i miss getting all excited n dressing up for the date. i miss spending hours in front of the mirror deciding wat to wear. i just miss.....

GOSH!! i havent been on a date for sooooo long!! :(

Little Pooja

2010-01-21T04:37:00.000-08:00

I had the most amazing experience at New Market today. I always love going to new market, as the place makes me happy. just happy. for so many reasons. and what happened today just added to the it.

I met a little girl, who was selling stuff (like hair clips, safety pins, etc) in a basket. we were inside Nahums n she was lingering outside. i ignored her completely while she was waving out to me n flashing her basket full of goodies. but then she started speaking in english n that's when i took notice. no, not because she spoke "english", but because of the way she did it. she wasn't dressed any better than a beggar, n her overall appearance wasn't to impressive either. but she still smiled n took the effort to speak a language that didnt come natuarlly to her. i was so impressed.

i learnt that her name was pooja n she has been working in the area for the last 10 years. she could not have been any more than 11 or 12, n i was told that she used to beg before n now she sells. it was the most wonderful thing i heard in a long time n it really made me happy. i didnt need any of the things she was selling, but i just bought something to encourage her. i had a brief conversation with her n she told me that she goes to school every single day n loves to study. n all the while she spoke in english, n most of it was perfect :)

it really made my day. i was so happy to see a little girl fighting against all odds n doing well too (i would definitely say so coz very few people give up begging n get enrolled in schools, n that too while coming from a background like that).

next time i go to new market, i'll surely hope to meet pooja n ask her how well she is doing in school :)) GOD BLESS HER!!!

once more....

2009-12-21T23:32:00.000-08:00

once more...just once more someone tells me "teaching is the best job for a woman", i'll kill them.

it's so frigging annoying to hear this. its just plain ridiculous. ufffff!! why r ppl so weird?!! i'm so tired of having to hear this everytime i tell sum1 wat i do. "oh ur a teacher...wonderful...thats the best job for a girl.".....like women cant do anything else...like they were only born to cook n clean n reproduce....n they should only hav a job that lets them come back at 1 pm so that they can do all that.

GAWD!!!!

i didnt take up teaching bcoz i thot it was well suited for me, the woman....it was just well suited for ME, irrespective of my gender. am pretty sure i would have been a teacher even if i were a boy. n wat the heck...the best teachers i hav had over the years have all been men....starting from mr ross in class 5 to berty dasilva in college.

ppl, specially the i-have-left-my-brains-in-the-16th-century middle aged indian men (and some women too!), need to grow up. BIG TIME!

Hoola - Hooped

2009-11-17T04:02:00.000-08:00

ever tried hoola hooping? if u havent, u MUST! its just the most fun thing! i was actually inspired by a bunch of 8 year old girls. it always amazes me as to how those little girls twirl the hoops around themselves with so much ease. i, for some reason, never tried doing it. i always had an idea that i wont b able to do it.

that was till today.

all it took for me to get hooked on to the hoop was a little bit of begging from 3 little girls who insisted i play with them too. their toy was...well...the mighty hoop n i only complied. secretly i had been hoping all these days that they would ask me to join them, so wen it happened today i was overjoyed!

it didnt go too well initially. i had a tough time trying to keep it off the floor...but once i got the hang of it, there really was no stopping me. n the poor kids were kinda hoping they didnt invite me to the game! "Ma'am can i please have a turn now", "ma'aam the bell's going to ring...i want to show u a new trick"...they tried it all, but i refused to give the hoop back :D

may sound mean now, but if u were there, u wud have known y i turned a deaf ear to them. hehe! n then when i had to give it up, i went over to the other group n skipped. it was a lot of fun too, but then that's sumthin i've done before...so wat the heck!!

i sometimes envy myself for having the best job in the world. who else gets to (literally) play in the middle of the day....n not just play FARMVILLE! :P

for want of something better!!!

2009-08-06T07:15:00.000-07:00

beginners quiz on my blog » Quiz Maker

questions

2009-07-25T06:48:00.000-07:00

when it was there i didnt value it

when i lost it i wanted it

but i wonder if i really need it

but i am scared i wont b able to do without it

why do i hav to feel so bad

why does the pain make me so mad

wht oh why

2009-07-16T03:11:00.000-07:00

if there is one thing that really makes me mad, its the bandh culture of west bengal. it is so horrible that i cant even begin to explain how i feel everytime i hear there's a bandh. it's like we dont even live in a democracy n some ppl can do whatever they want, whenever they want.

was just watching the news on TV n saw a group of hooligans torching a state bus near sealdah. n then after a few days these very ppl who apparently belong to the "middle class" n cant afford vehicles of their own n so curse n taunt the so called "privilaged few" for owning cars, will complain that the govt does nothing for them, not even prvide enough buses. n wen i see them torching buses like this n destroying property wich their 10 generations put together also cant imagine to own, it makes me so angry. they really deserve to travel under bad conditions...let them have to go to work everyday in the crowded bus, getting shoved n molested. afterall they torched that extra bus that cud hav shared the passenger load. bloody morons!

wen i was younger, i use to like bandhs...simply coz it meant an extra holiday...most ppl still hav the same outlook regarding bandhs. but i really wish ppl took a look at the broader picture. wat good wud a bandh ever do? the unreasonable demands r almost never met wit, or the so called action is never taken agaisnt anyone. so ultimately a bandh becomes nothing but a blatent show of power...how it is openly misused. the political terrorists walk rite into our lives n ruin it, quite literally so. think abt a daily wage earner...where does a bandh leave him? wat abt a rickshaw wala n the others who get to eat if they get work on that day? n lets not even talk abt the industries running away from "waste bengal"!

i really wish this place wakes up to reality. i am one of the few ppl i know who loves this city so much, n now even i wanna move out. i hate this, but i wish things improve. who r we bluffing? we've got nothing, n by the look of things, nothing but disorder will b achieved.

sigh.......................................................................

At the Fish Market

2009-06-05T22:47:00.000-07:00

I like shopping. Be it for clothes at a fancy mall or for fish at the local market. I really enjoy shopping. I went to the fish market this morning and had the funniest conversation ever wit a fish seller. The deal is that I have been going to this market for a long time n the ppl generally know me. I went to buy fish from a fellow who had last time enquired abt where i work n stuff. N since i dont particularly like carrying ahead useless conversations, I must have told him that i work at an office to get rid of his questions! so this time he started enquiring further:

Fish seller - aaj ophish nei? (dont hav office today?)

me - [realising it'll take him a while to cut the fish n there's no way i can escape] na, ami school e chakri kori, r ekhon chhuti cholche (i work in a school n vacations r on)

FS - acha....kon school? (ok which school?)

me - Cambridge [its an international school, affiliated to the university of Cambridge]

FS - gives a look which kinda says...huh? wat...where....why?!!

FS - acha...HS na delhi board?

me - [to desparately avoid further conversation!] HS (west bengal board)

FS - [refusing to shut up!!!] oh...puro baro class obdi ache? (its there till class 12?)

me - [another attempt to cut it short] na, 10 obdi (no, only till class 1o)

FS - govt. ra toh aaj kal teacher diche na, tai tomader moto chhoto school gulo boro hote parche na (the govt is not recruiting good teachers n so small schools like urs r not being able to expand)

me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FS - chinta koro na....thik hoe jabe (dont worry, it wl soon expand)

me - tumi maach ta bari te pouche diyo, amake ekhon jete hobe (pls deliver the fish to my house, i really have to go now)!

LOL!!! i think i was more amused than disguisted by the end of it!!! i laughed all the way back home! was really funny....the colourful bengalis n their even more colourful remarks n advices wl always remain!

not that i mind...it was a lot of fun, really. but i still hid in the bathroom when he came to deliver the fish later at home. I just cudnt handle another round of Q&A!

for want of a daab

2009-06-04T07:47:00.000-07:00

the weather's killing me. literally. i hate it...just simply hate it!! the only thing i like is the fact that mangoes are available. ahh...mangoes - the only reason summer can b tolerated. n mayb daab...though daab is available the whole year, nothings really as pleasurable as sipping a cool daab on a hot, sunny day.

but thats only if daabs r available.

they bloody dont seem to b found anywhere. ki chaap! ur all hot n sweaty n dehydrated n u go looking for a mere daab n u cant find one! n that too in one of the city's biggest markets...how weird is that?!?!

was roaming around new market the other day wit a friend (who strangely doesnt like daab or mangoes :-O ) n desparately wanted a daab. bloody travelled half the city n still cudnt find one! ufffff...was really pissed...pissed enough to write this rather meaningless post abt a daab, n that too two days later!!!

actually i have nothing better to do....school vacations r on n i am basically jobless. one good thing tho is that i'm getting to meet a lot of friends. n since i'm a natural faakibaaj, a paid leave doesnt really bother me too much!! :D

ps - for all those reading this who dont understand bangla (i doubt there wud b anyone....no one reads my blog anyway!!), daab is nothing but tender coconut!

me scott?

2009-04-14T07:33:00.000-07:00

I have a new name! its scott! nice name, isnt it? well, I'm not sure how I got that name, but now that i hav it, i'm quite happy.
ok ok...i'll explain. i keep getting these spam mails n in almost all of them i'm refered to as Scot. ok, here's the deal...i'm very tech challenged n i hav no clue how spammers operate. for all u know, mayb its just one guy whoz sending these mails to everyone from different mail ids n calling all his recipients Scott. but who knows n who cares...i'm jus happy to hav a new name :D

n for all those who r wondering as to what bizness i hav reading spam mails, u'll b happy (read jealous) to know that i hav a lot of free time on my hands. i am often bored to death n thats when i do such useless things!
n while on the topic of boredom, let me tell u why i am bored...i generally hav a lot of (freelance) work. but since i find writing meaningless articles totally disguisting, i hav decided to give up freelancing. oh does all this bore u? is this information of no use to u? well, i dont really care, since its my blog n I get to choose what goes in here! tee hee hee :D

well, here's to my boredom, lack in life, n definitely to SCOTT!!!!

25 Random Things About Me

2009-03-20T20:21:00.000-07:00

There's this note on facebook thats got everyone engaged. a few of my friends tagged me, so i thot i'd post it too. but facebook is too impersonal n i have a few ppl on my list who i dont wanna share stuff wit. plus there r some kids from my school who r added too. wud b weird if they read this!

ok here it goes:

i am extremely disorganised. the word "organised" doesnt exist in my dictionary!
i had a horrible accident wen i was 3 months old n almost died
i'm not particularly scared of anything, except crossing roads.
i REALLY want to meet a ghost. i want to see a ghost atleast once!!!
i love my city n the thot of living outside kolkata makes me sad
i lost my mom wen i was 16
i want to go backpacking across europe all by myself.
i like being alone. i love hanging out wit friends n socialising, but after a while, i cannot stand it if i dont get some time alone. the thought of being surrounded by ppl at all times petrifies me!
as vain as that may sound, i quite enjoy the tag of the "cool teacher" that i have acquired!! :P
n speaking of vanity, i am extremely, severely, completely vain! i love dressing up, taking care of myself n fishing for compliments!!! :D
i am completely dependent on my friends n my life wud fall apart if i did not hav friends
as a kid, i considered myself to be a boy. i hated the fact that i was a girl.
i consider my love life to be jinxed
i am very caring and cannot see a loved one in pain
i dislike fights at all levels
i am a little crazy and very happy abt it. wats life without some random madness?!
i LOVVVVE cooking :)
as a teenager, i thot i was the ugliest person alive, but now i feel its quite the opposite!! :D
i'd rather die than become fat!!!!!
i hate egoistic ppl...i hate the kind who take iffence at the drop of a hat.
i wish i took dance lessons...i love dancing, but cant dance to save my life!
i love getting wet in the rain
i cry a lot, but never in front of other ppl. i cry for stupid things...not necesarilly bcoz i'm sad...i dont get sad too often
i am very judgemental and prejudiced!
i cant believe i could finish this list! wow!! am so proud of myself now!!!!

on second thoughts, i think i will add it to my facebook profile :P

recollections

2009-03-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

went to JU yesterday after a long time...was a weird feeling indeed. the place made me happy, nostalgic n sad. though i just spent a year at the university, it somehow always feels that i spent my college days there. i had the misfortune of going to the shittiest college on earth n hated every bit of it...those 3 years were nightmarish!! n so, quite obviously, JU after that was like HEAVEN!

walking down the roads of the university made me remember the days when i got to really live my life. those days were awesome, in many ways actually. i had just started dating someone (n that probably was the last time i was so thrilled abt romance!) n so was super happy all the time. i had made some lovely friends n also got introduced to a culture (that many hate) that i absolutely loved. overall, my days at JU were filled with a lot of fun n happiness. i loved the course too n so it was really great.

yesterday i felt a little sad while walking down, but wat followed cheered me up. and once i again i realised how immensely dependent i am on my friends. i really am a person who cant survive without friends. i do not need friends to confide my sorrows n secrets in, but i jus need them to b around me all the time. i just feel so alive! bondhura na thakle i'll positively die!! once i met my friends yesterday, i instantly stopped feeling weird, n it was like being back in JU literally - i started having fun all over again!

met a very cool girl yesterday. got a birthday treat. laughed. the day was fun indeed! mayb a little bit of blue is good--it opens the door for more memories that can make u feel blue later on!!!! :P

YAHOOOOO!

2009-03-10T10:41:00.000-07:00

i've always been a great yahoo messenger fan. its so cool! sad that ppl dont use ym anymore :(
google talk seems to have completely killed good ol ym. i hate gtalk for that (i love gtalk too...cant live without it!). but yahoo seems to have done something similar n the messenger can b accessed from the mailbox itself, just like in google. lets hope this brings ppl back to ym.

n i hope my friends get back on it too. ppl...pls get back on ym...its jus so much more cooler n better than gtalk...the emoticons n stuff! am so bored of the silly wannabe blue, cruked "emoticons" that u r forced to use on gtalk!! uffff!

yahoo!....its back!!

ps- this is a really bad post. i am too sleepy n not sure wat i hav written! pls excuse the language if its wrong or nonsensical! i am just trying to promote ym, thats all! :D

....at school

2009-02-17T05:19:00.000-08:00

Since i teach class 3 kids, i get to read a lot of kiddy poems n stories. its usually those silly (shudnt call them silly...they r written by the most famous child poets!), sweet, rhyming poems. its good fun to read them n the kids enjoy them too. but today i came across such a beautiful poem. it was a kiddy poem, but i felt it was very deep. its a pity i had to teach it to the kids, who really do not know how to appreciate poetry. they only read poetry on the surface n never get into analysing them. i wish i taught older students, say class 10 or 11. it wud b so amazing to have them analyse the poem...

poetry has always been my weakness and i loved it all through in school in college. after school n college i never thought i would get to appreciate it as much. suddenly i feel discontented wit my job...i cannot remain teaching 8 yr olds. though its a great n an amazing experience every single day, i want a teaching job thats more challenging.

let me see what i can do about it......

the more i think.............

2008-12-29T19:17:00.000-08:00

i hav a weird habit of thinking too much. well, ok...a lot of ppl think, but my problem is that i ONLY think n then never actually end up doing anything! i think i'll join a class, n then i dont...i think i'll read a book, n i dont....i think i'll bake a cake, n i dont. n this also happens with blogging...wenever i'm doing something fun/interesting, the whole time i keep composing as blog post in my mind. i always think i will go home n write abt it...n thats exactly wat i dont do. if i cud actually show u how much i've "blogged" in my mind, u'd b surprised!!

i was at delhi recently, n quite obviously, i mentally blogged a lot. but now that i'm actually here, i'm not writing it down...sigh...if only i didnt think so much....

i think i'll stop doing this...i wont think... :P

fake fake fake!

2008-12-23T02:07:00.000-08:00

being fake n living a lie is sometimes a lot of fun. well, literally.

my friend roshni needed a fake doctor's certificate, so the two of us were out to look for a doc who cud give us one. it was really one of the funniest things i have done!

i knew of this doctor in my para who wrote fake doctors certificates. so we went to him. but the chamber was closed n we were asked to return after 1 hr. she was tired after a whole days shooting (yes, she is acting in a film) n i was exhausted after attending 3 weddings in 3 days. we both knew that if we went home, we wouldn't b back. so we decided to hang around.

i remembered this other place, a few yards away where fake certicicates were available. we headed there, only to find that the doc wasnt in the chamber. the doors were ajar n we saw the prescription pad lying on the table. i really wanted to steal it n then write the certificate ourselves, but roshni didnt. i donno what came over her suddenly (she is usually a bigger prankster, always willing to do such things). we sat around for a while, we even laughed loudly at how terrible n dirty the chamber was...no wonder there werent any patients around. we decided to have some fun and so called out "daktar babu achen"? n that was it! we split up n cudnt sit there anymore. i still insisted that we steal a page from the prescription pad, but she didnt agree.

anyway, it was almost time to go visit the 1st doc, so off we went. this chamber was better, though we did find a paper attached to the table fan that said "switch e haat deben na...dewale switch tipun"! but we somehow controlled our laughter. tokhon hashte shuru korle, we wud not have been able to control ourselves in front of the doc.

the doc was pretty sweet, tho he was this old man n was quite reluctant to give a certificate without getting into the heart of the matter. roshni was forced to act sick and also both of us lied like crazy! we told him everything from her being awefully sick to her having been kicked out of the house by an evil aunt! it was sooooo funny!

somehow got the certificate n we ran out of the place, laughing like two insane women on the road! it was a lot of fun, n so, like i said, being fake and lying at times can really b a lot of fun!!!

goodbye to u...my trusted phone

2008-11-28T19:24:00.001-08:00

am really upset n pissed as my fon conked off all of a sudden. well, not quite, but almost.

i was very 'close' to this fon of mine...it saw me thru new loves, heartbreaks and even put me on the social map...it was my constant support system, on which i relied for everythin...

but like they say, life is unpredictable and it comes to an end...so my beloved fon had to leave this world someday for its heavenly abode as well. the sad day was thursday, the 26th of November. When i woke up in the morning and glanced at my beloved fon, I had no idea it was going to leave me...i even used it so many times thruout the day...

it was old and its time had come. i was planning a euthanasia for it anyway, and perhaps shud have done so earlier. it wud have saved my fon the ugly death it eventually saw....sigh!

i have a new fon now, but i still miss my old fon...pray for me and hope that i get over the loss soon

vacation...??

2008-11-22T19:05:00.000-08:00

its been almost 4 years since i went on a vacation....of course i went for weekend trips to shantiniketan n shankarpur, but that was abt it. i feel so bored! i so badly wanna travel. i wish i cud go on a Europe trip, all by myself. that wud b so cool!

but europe can wait...i cud go anywhere...i jus wanna get on a train or a plane and go somewhere...i'm so tired of going to the airport to see off n recieve ppl!! ufff...ki chaap!!!
this is strange, considering i am the only person i know who has so many holidays n vacations. i think its time i did somethin abt it...so am planning to go to delhi in december....the only prob is that i have 3 weddings to attend...but my school vacation will still b on (i love my job!) n i think i can manage 4 or 5 days.

yey!

but the prob is convincing my dad. he somehow still feels that i'm a little girl who cant b on her own. uffff! though i wonder why this thot doesnt cross his mind everytime he bugs me wit a shombondho! wat a paradox!!!

but will figure a way out...delhi here i came! yey!

orkut at it again!

2008-11-18T07:37:00.000-08:00

This guy on orkut wanted to "write to me"...well so much for his writing skills. Take a look:

about me:
Hi, i am koustav chakraborty.I find my perfect life partner.i live in kolkata (saltlake).30 years old.i am a graphics designer. At that moment i work pvt.ltd.add egency.I have only sister.My father is goverment service man. my mother is a house Wife. we are living in saltlake and this is my permanent house.I am Master's in (ENV). I believe true. I heat lie.

i particularly liked the "add egnecy" and "i heat lie".

any idea wat that means?!!?!! :P :D

kiddy party

2008-11-15T07:19:00.000-08:00

just had all my kids from school over. had severely over estimated myself. had thought that the kids would be just as well mannered as they were in school, outside it too. but was wrong! had a really tough time managing them, n trying to stop them from fighting with each other.

ppl i need to thank :

1. My brother for letting me use his appartment.

2.My boudi Vivita (for the above reason as well) for helping me arrange the party n being there the whole time

3. My dad for speaking to the parents (he saved me from that...i feel very awkward speaking to parents!!)

4. My dearest friend Pooja for being there and helping me tame the kids! thanks poo, couldn't have done it without u!

so here i am, completely exhausted. Never knew a kiddy party cud b this tiring. we did have a lot of fun tho, with the games, the food, the pinata, the dancing....but am tired!

am ageing...sigh!

BACK (without a bang tho!)

2008-11-01T21:45:00.000-07:00

i donno why, but i have stopped blogging. its strange, considering the fact that i love blogs...both to read and to post. its just laziness i guess!! but i hope to b back now...i hope i have the enthu to write regularly...as my friend pooja says, its more of a habit...so i really need to get into the habit!

n also, i need to be more regular coz i'm getting some very weird comments. my last post got some of the craziest comments! ppl hav apparently "answered" my "queries" (i dont remember asking anyone anything!!!). quite funny actually!

anyway, watever it is, i'm back now! i (am very tempted to write PROMISE, but i donno if i'll b able to live up to it!! :P ) hope to be regular. fingers crossed!!!

chat log

2008-03-14T23:01:00.001-07:00

was down with chicken pox recently and so was really bugged wit life! was cribbing n complaining to everyone possible. n finally wen i recovered, advice started pouring in on how i shud look after myself. it was all good n i appreciate it all. but one stood out n i must share it wit everyone. had a conversation wit a friend on gtalk n here's the chat log. enjoy!

debanuj: huh,but u had pox rite?
me: luckily it was a mild attack
debanuj: u know what mild attack means rite??
me: i hav my doubts abt that also re :P
wat?
debanuj: it means.ull have the attack again aftera week
it happened to 5 of the people i know
!!
me: wat crap!!!!!
ja khushi tai bolchis na
debanuj: im serious!!!!
me: well...then i'm not one of those 5 i guess :P
debanuj: no im sayin...this theory has a 100% truth...
ekhono..all the ppl who've had mild attacks...the pox came back for another mild attack
me: :'(
dont freak me out!!!
debanuj: i aint!!
im just tellin ye
me: i hav a homeopathy medicine that prevents chkn pox...i'll hav that regularly now
hobe na
debanuj: even those 5 ppl were on homeopathy as well
im telling ye....
b careeeeeeeeeeeeful!!
me: ok sir!
i will
:P
debanuj: u shud be careful.....very very careful
me: i willlllllllllllllllll
cud we talk of sumthin else??
debanuj: i can tell u of the only remedy which can cure u now...
its a ritual
me: bol
debanuj: u must undergo a very strenous ritual about controlling ur inner body
me: waaaaaaaaaaat???
this sounds like fun
bol bol
debanuj: fun??...
u have to wake up everyday at exact 5..56 am
me: ok
then?
debanuj: go for a 5 km jog thrugh a garbage dump
and inahle the stink...
me: hmmm
debanuj: and then go home...eat 12 bananas,1 litre of milk and 3 omlettes....
and then force urself to puke exactly after 30 mins
me: ok
then
debanuj: and repeat the same procedure ofr 2 more times..
u have to conitnue this for 5 days
and ull be saved form the attack
me: ROFL
so am gonna save this convesration
debanuj: aint we off the record
me: heheheheheheh
i'll post this on my blog
hehehe
i'll do it rite now
debanuj: dont u dare!!!
me: sorry...too late
:D :D

shankarpur shankarpur

2008-01-29T07:55:00.000-08:00

went to shankarpur over the weekend n to say i had a blast is an understatement! wat a place it is...wow! it took me some time to believe that a place in india (n specially bengal!!) cud b this clean :P

the weather was awesome as well, n tho it rained for one whole day, i cant really complain. if u have been lucky enuf to take a dip in the sea wen its raining n is chilling cold, u'll know wat i'm talking abt! man! wat an amazing experience it was :)

hit the beach in the afternoon once again n was extremely kicked to see the clouds going away! raced on the beach...actually raced after ages n came 1st! yey! a million photos were clicked n we cudnt help but notice the kids around who had the same look on their faces that we did everytime we went on vacations with parents n saw friends having a blast! it was like..."why do i have to hold my dad's hand n take every step, while they get to do watever they want?"! some sadistic pleasure that was i swear! :D

drove down to digha that evening n felt like i was back in bengal!! the dirt, the cheap crowd, the lewd remarks....we got it all. n of course how cud it have been bengal if we didnt get to see some 'bawal'?!? saw some poor guy getting bashed up by the locals for god knows wat!

the night was spent chatting n laughing. my dear friends decided catch the sunrise. it was decided that we'd leave at 5 am. so no one wud sleep at night. well, no 1 did sleep that night...they all just fell asleep at 4 am! so much for the sunrise :P

wen finally they woke up, it was almost 9 n even past breakfast time! so we headed to the beach n were rather pleasently greeted by a clear sky n sunlight. bought a plastic ball n played football on the beach. it was one of those things i always wanted to do (pooja...maybe i'll put it on my list now!!), but never did. n then we played beach volleyball...i was pretty convinced all these years that i cudn't play the game n i just proved myself correct! :D it probably is one of those things that look good only in dil chahata hai!

i was the only person in the whole group who didnt know how to swim, so was feeling a bit daft! n mind u...we had champion swimmers n swimming instructors n all wit us. sheesh!! anyway, the sea made up for it, n only after i started shivering badly did i realise that it probably had been 2 hrs we were in the water!

a quick lunch n several photo sessions later, it was time for us to head back home. the trip was over so fast. wanted the weekend to b longer so badly!

so if u havnt been there yet, go to shankarpur. the place ROCKS!

watchful watchman

2007-12-11T01:46:00.000-08:00

used to think the watchman of our building is pretty useless. but just now he caught a man who was stealing plants n made him do sit ups in the middle of the road! am pretty impressed! once a Nepali watchman had taken out a dagger to kill a thief n we got so freaked, that he was fired!!! think this is a far better approach.

damn! i sound like a teacher already!

the name is miss.mukhopadhyay

2007-12-05T06:39:00.000-08:00

OK...am officially a school teacher now.

hard as it may be for some (including me) to believe, i actually am gonna b teaching a bunch of kids. n honestly, thats a bit scary! was supposed to teach class 7 & 8, but somehow got stuck wit class 3.

but its not really that bad. i had loads of ambitions while growing up, n it ranged from a rickshawala to a doctor! teacher, engineer, CA, banker, writer, businesswoman....i dreamt of being it all at some point of time or the other. so am glad that atleast one has been realised. now lets see if i can achieve the others or not! :P

anger...frustration...and more anger

2007-11-10T06:38:00.000-08:00

wat is going on?? why is it happening? why oh! why?! that was my 1st reaction wen i heard abt the bandhs scheduled for monday n tuesday. i just couldnt belive it. i was sooo desperately waiting for my exams to get over n this had to happen! exams r supposed to start on monday n how i hear its a bandh! now god only knows wen they'll start n wen they'll end :(

am really so so so angry. cant believe this polital drama going on. wat do these stupid fuc**ng politicians think of themselves?? they bloody get elected by us, enjoy the frigging luxuries of life by the damn money we pay as tax n then they have the audacity to do this to us?? wat the fu** has ever been achieved by calling a bandh? if i am not mistaken, there have already been over 10 bandhs in 2007 itself. can the so called "sensible" politicians tell me wat has been the outcome? has anything been solved? have any less lives been spared? in fact becoz of these studid bandhs more ppl die, more property is lost n more ppl r inconvenienced.

i really feel that a certain insane woman shud be executed or at least locked up in a mental asylum for the rest of her life! wat rite does she hav to disrupt lives like this? My exams r getting postponed becoz of this drama. mayb coz she's illiterate she thinks no1 else shud get a degree! bloody bitch.

i really donno wat to do or say. wish the youth of the country cud really stand up n protest. this is no way we deserve to be treated. n as long as such ppl lead the country, one can only imagine wat the future is gonna hold. no wonder even after 50 yrs of independence the country hasnt progressed. i was fiercely against brain drain even a few days ago, but now i think i'm all for it. i dont mind living even in a remote village in africa as long as there's order there. no wonder ppl r leaving the country. if this is wat an industry has to face, ppl deserve to remain unemployed n be victims of poverty n malnutrition. n probably thats wat the politicians want so that they can maintain their foothold.

i just dont have anything else to say. pardon the foul language, but i am way too angry n frustrated. this defies logic n reason.

cool..or cold?

2007-11-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

went to this "cool" new school yesterday where i came across a bunch of teenagers who kinda drove me crazy!...no they didnt do or say anything to me, just observing them for a mere half hr made me realise that either i was too old or that kids today r way too grown up for their age....

u wont believe the things i saw n heard...not only were they dressed to 'kill' (well, their shopping bills r surely to kill their parents!), they spoke n gestured in really strange ways. i always thot i had gone to a pretty cool school....in my school guys n gals often made out under the stage or in deserted classrooms....n that i thot was WOW! but that was till yesterday!

this bunch of teenagers that i happened to see were hardly 15 or 16 yrs old. yet they spoke abt alcohol, sex, used the four letter word at will n showed no respect or concern for the teachers around. i remember wen we were kids anything to even remotely do with sex meant helpless bouts of laughter n sampling alcohol was probably the greatest adventure! (ok...mayb we werent the COOLEST!!). but i guess we had the innocence that these kids gravely lacked.

am not judging anyone or saying wats bad n wats good....but i do, on some level, feel bad for these kids. childhood is suppossed to be a time wen u dont have to worry abt anything. as a grown up i do realise now that there are jus way too many problems that i hav to deal with n these werent there wen i was a teenager...i feel bad that the kids of today r exposed to these problems n worries so much before they shud hav. mayb ours was the last generation that actually went out at 4pm everyday n played hopping catching n lock & key with friends. it sad enuf that kids dont do that anymore...n its really sad how fast they're growing up. or it may just be that i'm getting old n really really "uncool"! but frankly, even if thats the case, i dont mind...i atleast was a kid for long!

heppi budde

2007-10-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

are birthdays meant to make u happy or sad? on one hand its time to celebrate n on the other its really getting closer to death. well, not bad either ways i guess!

had a weird converstion wit a friend minutes before my birthday...for some reason we ended up discussion childbirth n wondered wat wud happen to twins who were born at midnight...rahter if 1 was born at 11.59 pm n the other at 12.01 am...wud they celebrate their brithdays on 2 different days? we also tried to discover the grossest details abt childbirth, but shall not write abt that now, lest ppl fall sick!

my dad wished me at the stroke of midnight n i kinda expected wat he said next....like all (hyper) parents he suggested i shud get married this yr. n that followed the "happy birthday to u"...baba....how can it b happy if ur talking abt marriage?!?! mayb thats another bad thing abt birthdays...specially birthdays in ur mid 20s....it puts immense pressure on u from all corners to tie the 'not'!

oh well! who cares if i'm a yr older or single or anything! as long as i get to eat my birthday cake, i'd b happy. the birthday wen i wont get to eat that, i'd b devastated....but thank goodness that aint this yr! yippeeee!

substitutes

2007-10-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

if exams cud b substituted with chocolate cakes, life wudn't b that bad. just imagine....a chocolate cake everyday for 10 days in a row, a chocolate cake lasting for 3 whole hrs, a chocolate cake that may start losing its charm n taste ( really sad if that happens, but then great too since i'll get off my addiction!) n a chocolate cake that ur forced to eat! wow! sounds good indeed.

wit exams in 3 weeks, i'm going crazy, n this post may just substantiate that!! but i just cant help but think of a yummy chocolate cake on my desk wen i walk into that huge, depressing classroom of mine. n wen manna sir, the 70 yr old prof. we've got who always kinda gives us a look that says "u ppl r so doomed! u hav to take exams! i dont. i am thru giving exams. its time to enjoy now while u ppl suffer n i make u fail" walks in, i cud jus give him the look that says "u oldie....u r so doomed! u r old n diabetic n cant have this cake but i can"!!

aaah! life's good.

2007-10-20T22:15:00.001-07:00

had quite a wacky puja this time! it started off wit the on a horrible note wit the rains on saptami but i guess i more than made up for that on the following days.

ashtami was fun. pooja n i decided to go to north kolkata. we rode the tram after soooo long! n mayb we werent the only ones who dont take the tram regularly anymore, coz we noticed that we were the only ones on the tram (except the conductors) !

we walked, took buses to places didnt know, asked for directions from the north kolkatans who kinda smirked at us 'south kolkatans', walked, took buses n then pooja's shoe snapped! it was probably the highlight of the day (either this or the sadhu we saw clad in a pink dhoti!!). she walked with one shoe on till we found a cobbler! n then she posed wit the cobblers son to take photographs! it was the cutest craziest thing ever!

went out pandal hopping at 4 am on nabami to avoid the crowd. saw some amazing pandals at behala n around. came back n crashed. went out again in the evening.

ever heard of a coffee shop that doesnt serve plain coffee?? n that too wen its called cafe COFFEE day?!! we were so completely disgusted n taken aback wen the waiter gave us this stupid 'puja menu' wich had none of the regular stuff n everything was horribly over priced. shouted at them, ordered nothing n left! headed for maddox square. i was so disappointed wit good ol' maddox. went there after 2 yrs just to find how it had changed. the old charm was replaced by unbearable noise, tv crews everywhere, beggars n wat not! my friends n i concluded that mayb we were becoming old, coz the school n college kids around us seemed to b having a gala time n we cudnt even tolerate it!! sigh!

left maddox n headed for park street. walked out of 3 restaurants. never thot walking out of restaurants cud b so much fun but we just cudnt deal wit the weird weird weird 'puja menus'. wats wit the puja menus anyway? very irrritating it is. finally had soup n starters at golden dragon n as usual laughed at badly dressed ppl around!!

its dashami today n am feeling sad. tho it didnt really feel like the pujas this time (before n during), am starting to miss the festivities. n this puja will b memorable for a no. of reasons...shall write abt that some other time. till then lemme go wish everyone subho bijaya.

the indomitable bengali

2007-10-16T01:53:00.000-07:00

we bengalis are quite a funny race...it doesnt take much to make us happy, it takes even less to make us angry but it takes a lot to make us non-greedy! the typical bengali man (or woman), his pot belly in place, has to have mangsho for lunch on sunday n cannot survive without his daily share of mishti n regular dose of adda. mind u, this adda may range from anything between politics to cricket to global warming to cricket to movies....(did i mention cricket?!!)...!
i shouted at my poor father the other day n critisised him for his "typical middle class bengali mentality" for he refused to buy a pair of shoes from woodlands...the reason? "paashei toh bata ache"! he, like most middle aged bengalis, has never worn a shoe other than those made by bata in his whole life. wats with the obsession u ask? beats me!!
if u want to savor the real bengali spirit, then u have to get into a crowded mini bus. i once happened to be in one n tho the lack of space almost killed me, i had the most fun bus ride of my life! the bus was moving very slowly n the bengalis were in their true elements. after all the abuses, threats n requests to the driver n conductor to drive faster fell to deaf ears, it was time for sarcasm. of the many funny things i got to hear that day, the best ptobably was "janen toh dada...pocketmar der training deoar shomoi khub mara hoi, jate ora used to hoe jai...conductor der training er shomoi khub kore gali deoa hoi jate orao used to hoe jai"!! i just couldn't stop laughing for the rest of the journey!
no matter how opinionated the typical bengalis is, how greedy he gets about food and how seriously he engages in (mostly useless) adda baaji, u cant help but admire him! n i really feel sad for this one particular bengali gentleman i heard abt. he underwent a surgery n the first thing he enquired afterwards was if he could eat the bhog on ashtami (which happened to be 3 days after the surgery)!! it may sound absolutely preposterous, but i could help but laugh for 10 mins after i heard abt this! poor man, how could he even think of sacrificing the ashtamir bhog, even if it was for just this one time?!!
the indomitable bengali indeed!

2007-03-03T10:00:00.000-08:00

What causes loneliness ? Is it the lack of companionship or the lack of a zest towards life…or is loneliness a mental situation, a work of an overactive imagination ?
What is sorrow ? Is it the gloom of grief or the failed search for happiness...or is sorrow a realization of an ultimate loss ?
What is despair ? Is it a sense of hopelessness or is it a defeat by faith ?
What loneliness, sorrow and despair mean, I may not know, but what happiness means I do know.
Happiness to me is my life, the celebration of life around me, the power to see the trivial joys of live and the capacity to be satisfied.
Happiness is accepting the challenges and smiling through my pains. Happiness is realizing that life is beautiful even with the presence of loneliness, grief and despair. Happiness, for me is my lifeline !
What happens when I’m sad ? What happens when I’m hurt ? I don’t get a shoulder to cry on every time, I don’t have an assurance about the good times ahead. But happy memories are my cushion, my shoulder to rest on. My strength acquired in the past to help me find happiness in distress.
So when I experience a moment of happiness, I savor it and then cherish it ’cause its only memories that will remain, long after the moment has passed. The same memories that are my passport to happiness !
No grief is as large as it is conceived to be. It all lies in the mind. Grief is temporary, short lived, but it is happiness that is permanent. So look for happiness in the small joys of life, for unlike loneliness, sorrow and despair, happiness is a gift given by god.
And as Bertrand Russell said, “To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness” !

2006-12-27T23:30:00.000-08:00

Since I was sitting at home and doing nothing, my dad asked me to accompany him to work everyday. He always wanted me to join the business—after all had set it up himself and who doesn’t want their kids to join their business?

I felt a little awkward going to his office as I had been going there since I was 10 years old, initially to play on the computer and later on just as a visitor. Everyone called me by my first name and I was generally treated as a baby there. So when dad told me that I had to be the “boss”, the butterflies in my stomach suddenly transformed into birds!!

Well, having some work experience behind me and a somewhat idea of how the corporate world worked, I walked into “my office”. I got a warm welcome, though a few eyebrows were raised here and there. I was feeling soooo weird...the last time I walked in, ppl had ruffled my hair and offered me chocolates and now those very ppl were wishing me good morning!!!! It was a very strange experience; I felt important, grown up and at the same time very out of place too for some reason I didn’t know!

Its been abt a month now and tho I haven’t really began doing anything major, I have kinda understood the way things work around here. Well, having daddy dear around is such a boon...whenever I’m stuck with anything, he’s there to bail me out!!!

My dad’s gone out of station and I thought I’d bunk while he’s away. But he called me up in the morning and made sure I went to work L So here I am, sitting at work and blogging away to glory! Wish dad never finds out!!!

2006-12-13T01:55:00.000-08:00

i always thought i would get a job where i could exploit my creative skills. so after landing the job of a content writer, i was pretty excited.i thought i could write some great articles that would be both enlightening n entertaining for my 'readers'. but little did i know that all i had to do was get stuff from google, rephase it and jot it down. OK, the job wasn't that bad also...it did give me the opportunity to show off my vocab and my english knowledge. but then did anyone really care whether i wrote "the story is funny" or "the story is indeed laughter provoking"?!! i really doubt it!!!!!
however i did realise that no job is actually GREAT. going to office everyday in a crowded bus, having to worry about getting late and hopelessly looking at the watch every ten mins to see how many minutes to go before its 6.30 are, i guess, common to every job! the only thing u can do is hate your job, or rteally really hate your job. no one can have a 'dream job' coz that doesn't exist, n whoever says it does, lies!!!!
so what we can all do is just stop sulking n look for the good things in the job - bitching about the management with equally disillusioned n bugged-wit-life colleagues, sending the peon out for chips n kurkure, fighting about the AC temperature n of course waiting for the salary.
do i really care whether i am a banker, a content writer or a teacher? nyaah! n i dont think a lot of people i know do either. just the friends u make at work, the money n the fancy office matter.
life sucks, careers suck, n i have sadly accepted that.