The Indian fixation with film stars!

A few days ago I was at some eatery, waiting for my parcel to be packed, when I overheard a conversation the staff was having. They were talking about a film stars' oncoming visit to Calcutta. This is how it went :

" Shahrukh will be coming to Calcutta!"
"Maybe Salman too," piped in the other.
"Both won't come together. Don't you know they're enemies? Salman and Sanjay (Dutt) are friends.Haven't you seen them hosting?, he explained, referring to Salman and Sanjay's stint together as Bigg Boss hosts.
The other nodded his head knowingly, agreeing to the speculations!

Shocked, smiling to myself, I collected my parcel and went my way with a new realisation. At least the efforts of the paparazzi to spread fantasy stories and rumours of Bollywood don't go waste! Someone, somewhere believes it all!

***

While I was walking today I saw two young boys, dressed in school uniform and bags on shoulder, staring at the posters of a new release 'Desi Boyz'. As I walked past them, I heard them comparing the two posters and declaring which one is John Abraham and which Akshay Kumar. I simply absorbed what I'd just heard and kept walking ahead. Only I know how difficult it was for me to resist turning around to take a picture! ;)

Ever come across such incidents?

The Shades Of Nature

It's been a long time since I've posted something on my blog! Exams and office left me too tired by the end of the day to even think.

But I'm back! :)

And presenting to you a collection of pictures clicked by me over the months...

Depicting "The Shades Of Nature" :

Enjoy! :)

A smile doesn't cost much! :)

One of these mornings on my way to office a school girl was travelling alone on the same bus as mine... Generally school kids take a seat thanks to their heavy bags! This one stood towards the front and kept relaying all of the conductor's shouts of stop, slow down, etc to the driver, which often get lost in the din of the crowd. She was relaying them loud enough for the entire bus to hear! At first I found it irritating but then I got used to her. As her stop approached she told the driver to stop. When the driver started slowing down immediately she said in Bengali, "No, no not here! I'm getting late today! Drop me right in front of my school please!" This brought a smile on the faces of many!

As she was getting down, she went on to say, "Don't drive now, 'people' are getting down", while she was the only one getting down at the stop!

The best part of the entire incident was that after she got down and started walking towards her school, the driver actually slowed down and shouted a bye to her! Looking around perplexed the little girl realized where it came from and waved back to him, ensuring a smiling start to my day! :)


One of those rare incidents which makes me love Calcutta all the more! :)

It's beautiful...

Though I'm not a big fan of Rabindranath Tagore, living in Bengal for the past years has brought me in contact with his writings a lot of times, resulting in distancing me all the more from Tagore. I'd always heard the Bengali version of his songs and poems and I admit I didn't like them much!

However recently I came across a verse written by him, which had been translated in English. It goes as follows :

Through many years,
At great expense,
Journeying through many countries
I went to see high mountains,
I went to see oceans.
Only i had not seen
At my very doorstep,
The dew drop glistening
On the ear of the corn.

A great truth written in such simple words!

Maybe that's one of the reasons he's hailed all around the world! :)

Marketing "magic"!

On the way to office yesterday, a street vendor got on to the bus I was traveling by (which happens pretty often here) to sell little booklets of general knowledge. The way he appealed to the passengers saying these books have information about all things and for all ages was amusing. Citing that his price was cheaper than the Rs. 3 the shopkeepers charged (he was selling it for Rs.2) and that questions from his booklet appear in all sorts of exams caused many passengers to reach for their money bags. He sold it to as many as 6 customers right in front of my eyes, before I started forming this post! He further went on to say that a cup of tea costs more than his bundle of knowledge and that prospective customers can go through the booklet before buying.

Keeping in mind the literacy level of India and the fact that he was a male one can assume he has been to school at some point in his life. But I'm sure he has not had any lessons in marketing unlike most of the educated lot. Still he's good at it, in fact very good.

These wonderful and unusual things keep happening all around us. We need to notice them more often.

Let's keep trying! :)

Elephants have a retirement age now!

The Tamil Nadu forest department framed rules for elephants recently. Elephants in the state will work only five days a week and will retire at the age of 60! They will be given a three-hour bath every day and an annual vacation during the monsoon!

Further, during their last tenure, the Jayalalithaa government had organized an annual health camp for elephants where they were given herbal bath, oil massage and medicinal food!

Isn't this a bit over-enthusiastic and impractical?

Spellbound!

I came across this ad a few days ago...
I couldn't find a better example of an ad which combines beauty, elegance and simplicity! :)

The background score is one of Mozart's pieces...

It captures your imagination at once!

A job well done, indeed :)

'Why?', I ask...

Why do independent, career-oriented women want their men to be chivalrous and gentlemanly rather than treat them as equals? Why is the guy always expected to pay? Why do people think love is free for women? Why is the burden to run a family still on the man's shoulders? 'Why?', I ask...

Why are women taking the easier way out? Blaming others for the state they are in.

If we don't speak when we have to, work when we deserve to and lead when we need to, the future still seems very bleak!

Of course there are many exceptions to the rule but I hope a time will come when working women are seen as the rule and not the exception.

Genuinely, there is no need for quotas and reservations for women. Such reservations simply underline the fact that women are not considered equal! Its easy acceptance among women surprises me!

It's always been : Behind every successful man, there's a woman. Let's make it : BESIDE every successful man there's a successful woman!
I'm not in anyway insulting men or women. It's often because of a few that the entire clan gets blamed. But if we really want to be treated as equals and not called so, a long stretch needs to be covered!

I accept that in the past it's always men who've taken decisions. Because that is how our society had been. But now when times show glimpses of change, women should grab the opportunity! Yet, today we see many educated women turn to home-making after marriage rather than continuing with their job. Why? The question remains unanswered.

Signing off with the hope that times will change...

Puja Revelry (with a twist!)

With the Pujas in Calcutta coming to an end and the city going in a temporary slumber, I present to you some photos taken in the middle of the night, literally (at 2 am!). Photos which do not feature Maa Durga or the beautifully created pandals of my city.

The crowds seem never-ending as we wait for them to pass our car...

The dogs were also awake at 2! Whether enjoying the Pujas or cursing us humans remains a mystery! ;)

At 3 a.m., work for the next day has already begun for this flower-seller...

Even at 3 am the little girl has the zeal to bounce around the streets of Calcutta

The Puja celebration brings along a lot of mess to clean up

To the one who means a lot to me!

This 3rd day of October marks the birthday of someone very close and special to me. Ritika Biyani. I’ve known her since I first joined school and the friendship still continues!  Over the years I’ve seen a lot of friends come and go, but she’s been rock steady.

 

I’ve seen friends fight for stupid reasons, back-bitch, drift apart, walk away. But not us. I hope it remains the same forever. it wouldn’t be wrong to say that she’s more of a family to me…

Ritika, I feel lucky to have shared such a bond with you.

 And thank God you have a sense of humour… otherwise our list of fun moments would have been so few! ;) Don’t bother if others don’t understand your jokes…! They’re missing out on a lot…:p

To my friend of 15 years and my newly-declared step-sister (pun intended!), 

 

 Happy Birthday!

Wish you all the love, success and happiness in the world!

You deserve the best of everything and much more!

Love you loads!