a memoir of etchings and wanderings
Whenever I was asked the casual “So, where are you from?” question, I found myself debating the answer in my head. Should I say Calcutta, where I was born? Or is it Oman, where I spent over two decades? Eventually, I always launch into a lengthy explanation which probably made the person asking the question immediately regret it! Ha. The beautiful, yet relatively undiscovered Sultanate I grew up in is … Continue reading “Ma’salama” →
They say that the friends you make at school and college are the ones who last a lifetime. I wasn’t so fortunate during school, but met the most wonderful people during my years in Pune and Gurgaon – and I am ever so grateful. When Ankita and I lived and worked together at Edelman, things were not always painless and tranquil, given our limited means, but I think of those … Continue reading “Paris of the East” →
As the years are going by, most of us can find ourselves being absorbed in our lives leaving little time to reflect and lesser opportunities to do impulsive things. But those days were the best, weren’t they? The living on a hilltop, the pathetic excuse of food that the mess served us, the small joys of a cancelled class, samosa-pav, the absolutely random conversations and the people – who kept … Continue reading “A Wedding & A Reunion” →
Sisters are a blessing. I imagine if I had one of my own, I’d never feel the need of a best friend. As far as memory takes me, the word always made me think of Pooja. She’s my first cousin and I met her once a year while on summer holidays. Those memories will last me a lifetime. Spending afternoons listening to the radio and giggling. Devouring watermelon and pomegranate … Continue reading “The Nikaah.” →
A couple of months ago, on weekend family movie night, the parents and I were watching this Satyajit Ray classic – ‘Agantuk’. Translated into English, it means ‘The Stranger’ and is about a family dealing with the sudden visit of a long lost uncle. In the film, this uncle, having travelled the world, educates us about wanderlust (Did you know that this term is an English loanword which was already extant … Continue reading “Hrvatska!” →
The weekend before last I was in Dubai and met friend/classmate/bench-partner Yukti after almost a decade. And of course, we talked about school. I don’t remember having spoken about it in forever. There was never an opportunity to. Except when people asked – and the whole cycle of laughing at a school named ‘The Indian School Al Wadi Al Kabir’ began. I don’t blame them 🙂 I consider myself one … Continue reading “I.S.W.K.” →
2013 has been so good to me Had to pack my bags every couple of months The travel folder in my Mailbox has been alive and kicking Almost exhausted myself writing travelogues I’ve had to fight opinions and advice about spending on travels. And this is exactly what I had to tell them. I’ve already got a couple of ideas for the next year: Buy a new backpack Meet some … Continue reading “A New Backpack” →
The festival of lights is here And there is no better place to be than home This year, the Rangoli is almost perfect The refrigerator is stocked with sweet delights Happy Diwali, everyone! Thank you for the tip, Naween Bhaiya! Ma, attending the finer bits Supervising. The prayer room Just like last year’s one 🙂 Chakrabortys say “Happy Diwali”
Getting started with the November project, I wanted the first post to be about something happy that I am thankful for. When I first heard that the Eid-ul-Adha holidays in Oman were going to be a week long (Yay for living in Oman – UAE only got three days 😛), my first reaction was to pledge that I wouldn’t stay in and mope about the lack of exciting things to … Continue reading “Delhi October” →
After spending over six years in Maharashtra, the festival of the beloved Elephant God has almost become a part of me. I remember being told to stay away from the maddening crowds that Ganesh Chaturthi brings, because there is a certain level of craziness involved that not all of us can digest. But I recollect being a part of a visarjan party in Pune and even observing one from a … Continue reading “Moryaaa!” →