মন বলে চাই চাই গো...

১। সরু কোমর, সরু হাত-পা। (মারুতির কাঁচে নিজেকে দেখলেও রোগা লাগবে এমন।)

২। পুজোয় পরিষ্কার আকাশ। পরিষ্কার ঘরদোর।

৩। এই গানটার প্রেমে যার জন্য আবার করে পড়েছি, সেই লোকটার “তাসের দেশ” দেখতে।

৪। বিদ্যা সিনহার মতো মোটা বিনুনি। (সিনহা শব্দটা লিখেই ‘জয় বাবা ফেলুনাথ’ মনে পড়ে গেল। পুজো এসে গেছে!)

৫। ট্রিঙ্কাসে দাঁড়িয়ে মাইক হাতে “আও হুজুর তুম কো” গাইতে (মনে রেখে, ঠিক জায়গায় হেঁচকি তুলে তুলে)।

৬। পাশবালিশের নতুন ওয়াড়। কুশনেরও।

৭। চা খাওয়া কমাতে। জল খাওয়া বাড়াতে।

৮। নখগুলো পুজোর আগে খেয়ে না ফেলতে। চকচকে লাল নেল-পলিশ লাগাতে হবে...কারিনা কাপুরের মতো।

৯। “The Lunchbox” আবার দেখতে। বারবার দেখতে।

১০। সাউথ সিটি মলে, pose দিয়ে ছবি তুলতে, মোবাইল ফোনের ক্যামেরায়। (airconditioned Victoria তো! যত না কেনাকাটি, তার চাইতে অনেক বেশি হাহাহিহি আর গায়ে ঢলে পড়ে ছবি তোলা, সেই সঙ্গে তৃপ্তির হাসি। কত মানুষের ওইটুকুতেই আনন্দ। আমারই বা হতে বাধা কোথায়?)

১১। ওস্তাদের মার শেষ রাতে-মার্কা শেষ মুহূর্তের কেনাকাটা। রান্নার মেয়ের পুজোর শাড়ির matching ব্লাউজ, আমার matching কানের দুল, তোয়ালে, লাল নেল-পলিশ।   

১২। আলপনা দিতে শেখা… “উৎসবের” মতো। বড় জায়গা জুড়ে।

১৩। ঋতুপর্ণকে “সত্যান্বেষী”র জন্য ক্ষমা করে দিতে...এক মাস তো হল। (সুখহীন নিশিদিন আর অর্পিতার নিজের গলায় গান – এই দুটোকে খারাপ বললে পাপ হবে; বলিওনি।)

১৪। ভাইকে দেখতে।

১৫। আমার লাইফ ইনসিওরেন্সের Nominee বদলাতে। (আমি – “পিঠে খুব ব্যথা”। জনৈক –“ঠিক করে দিচ্ছি”। বলেই আমার পিঠে জোরে দুম দুম করে কিল। আমি – “এটা কি হচ্ছে? কেন করছ?” জনৈক – “To kill a talking bird”)। 498A ও আছে। সেটা নয় পরে ভাববো।

Awesome Blog Content (ABC) Award

Yahoooo!

No, ‘chahey koi mujhe junglee kahein’ won’t follow, folks. I won something! One of my favourite bloggers has nominated me for this award.

Thanks, hugs, chocolates, bubble wraps, sunny days and starry nights to you, TheWhitescape. I am so happy!     

Here are the Rules:-

1.   Add the ABC logo to your new blogpost.

2. Write a word or a phrase about yourself that begins with each alphabet.

3.   Nominate as many blogs you want.

4. Once nominated, let them know about the award and make them happy. : )

Here is my ‘About me’ list:-

1.                 Audacious, adequately adorable.

2.                 Bizarre.

3.                 Colourful.

4.                 Day-dreamer.

5.                  Energetic.

6.                 Farhan-fanatic.

7.         Gorgeous (I so wanted to write generous, giving, good-hearted etc etc but some invisible force typed this word. Not my fault.)

8.           Happy (the same invisible force came up with words like horny, hyper and hungry, but this time, I outsmarted it)

9.                 Imaginative, impulsive.

10.           Jovial.

11.        Kolkata, Kookie Jar. (Because my heart and my stomach are my most precious organs).

12.            Lazy.

13.        Marvelous (The first thing that came to my mind was ‘modest’. Then I remembered two things: (i) Just because you are a lawyer, you don’t have to lie all the time and (ii) I am not even getting paid for lying. So bunk it)

14.     Nawazuddin Siddiqui. (No, that’s not my pet name. If I ever have a harem of my own, this is the person who shall be the 2^nd to qualify. For all of you who are cringing in curiosity regarding the 1^st position, refer to point No.6 above)

15.          Outgoing, outrageous.

16.           Pragmatic, pompous.

17.           Quirky.

18.           Ridiculous. (God promise, it is the first and the only word that came to my mind, sat there taking up all the space, ate tea and biscuits and just refused to leave).

19.           Sensitive, sentimental.

20.           Talkative.

21.           Uber cool.

22.        Vivacious, vibrant, vindictive. (I thought V will be one of those difficult letters with which I will have trouble finding words. I found three. *yayness*)

23.             Weird.

24.      XXL – Husband’s T-shirt size, XL – Husband’s shirt size, XS – my brain’s size (because I could not come up with a single word starting with X *bangs head on the wall*)

25.           Youthful

26.      Zestful. (I hate how both the last two words end with ‘ful’. But then, today is my ‘I-wont-use-Google-for-anything-and-everything’ day. So….)

And here are my nominations:-

·         Anwesha Ray
·         Mandira Arnab Aich

·         Diptee Raut

·         Debosmita Nandy.

·         Sunil Namboohiri

·         Srimanti Gupta.

·         Biju Namboothiri.

·         Priyanka Roy Banerjee

·         Artsy Craftsy Mom

·         Kroswami

 It’s two and a half more days for the weekend! Yay!

Roses in September…

My brother wrote these words in one of his status messages. “Roses in September”. Just the three words filled my nose and my head with fragrance and memories. Septembers do smell of roses. When your mother is a teacher, your house is filled with this flower in abundance. Red, yellow and pink. Not the expensive variety, but the 5 rupees kind. The roses are encircled by a tuft of furry leaves which I assume, are leaves of Jhhau gaach. The arrangement is wrapped in silver foil at the stem and cellophane at the top. At Bengali weddings, the guests are often greeted with roses of this variety and at times, they accompany Menu cards at the buffet tables. These tiny flower arrangements adorn our rooms on the 5^th of September and the following few days.…accompanied by countless greetings cards with “Happy Teachers’ Day” written all over them. Ma’s school bag used to get overloaded with gifts. When we were young, it was Cello Ball point pens that outnumbered the other brands. I always used to crib about the dominance of red-ink pens over the black and blue ones.  Ma, I am sure, used to feel secretly happy that she didn’t have to share her gifts with her children.  But I was born greedy. I used to stockpile a few red pens for underlining important portions of the text books, draw hearts at the last page of school notebooks, fill them with red (finishing touch being an arrow drawn across it) and write on birthday cards and gift tags. When I was younger, I used to play ‘teacher-teacher’ and used those red pens up to the hilt (I used to correct old exercise copies from my previous academic years and what fun it used to be!).   

I visited Ma a few days back. The gifts have become a little more expensive. Cello is replaced with Linc and Uniball. Gifts include artificial long stemmed roses decorated with brightly coloured Thermocol balls and wrapped in a thicker variety of cellophane, scented candles, terracotta Ganpati idols, cute little teddy bear-key chains, letters and cards. Ma, like all the yesteryears, still stacks all the wrapping papers partially for the emotional value and partially for recycling. The fun of scanning through her gifts still remains untainted. (And, with a ‘whooooosh’ sound, my age goes downhill).

Teachers’ Day lesson:

A student in junior school did not bring any gift for the teachers. On 6^th, he came and gave a parcel to Ma saying that he is a day late because his mother ‘goes to office’ and she did not get the time to get him gifts for his teachers. He also added that he was heartbroken the other day to see almost everyone else in his class handing over presents to the teachers. Ma felt sad. (I’m sure her eyes glistened, given the fact that she was a Rudaali in her previous birth). She told Baba. And Baba gave her an idea. He asked her to carry an assortment of about 10 gifts in her bag on every Teachers’ Day. In case, a child forgets to get a gift, she can quickly take out one from her bag and give to him/her. He/she can thereafter gift it to a teacher of his/her choice. (He also taught her how to strategise the entire act so that the child doesn’t feel humiliated.)

Ma was happy.

I was happy too, realizing all over again, that I have the best set of parents in the world.

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Teachers’ Day thoughts will be incomplete if I don’t mention someone who meant a world to me when I was in school. My Mathematics teacher, Mrs. Arundhati Mukherjee. Straightforward, firm, honest, often politically inaccurate, strict, loving and a gem of a person. I didn’t know she loved me too until I introduced her to my husband. Her first reaction was: "তুমি পরমাকে বিয়ে করেছ? তুমি তো খুব সাহসী!"  (You married Parama! You must be brave.) She added that I can eat one’s brains by my unrelenting blabbers and I am quarrelsome. In school, every time, she deducted marks, I would fight with her, asking for explanations, demanding justice, adding drama etc etc. In short, if I could fight with teachers, she could well imagine the condition of the husband. (She also added, that she loved me for whatever I was and she remembered my surname and sections, inspite of there being numerous Paramas in our batch! *the collars-up feeling*).

I updated a post for her on Teachers’ Day to which she replied. It gave me smiles and tears and the idea to flaunt it to the whole world by saving a screenshot of the same. Teachers are precious. So are their words….  (Yes, remembering “X-A” after 13 long years takes the cake.).

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Since I am in my narcissist spree, I would want to flaunt something else as well.

Last year I bought a saree from their store, wore it, showed them a picture later from my cell phone. This year, when I visited them again, the store manager at Bhumisuta tells me, that they have named that particular saree after me. At first I did not believe him. Then I saw this, made a ‘Susmita-Sen-after-winning-Miss-Universe’ face and left the store happily. Did I say ‘happily’? Well, it is an understatement.

And more happily thereafter, something more happened. Singapore based journalist (and a very lovely human being), Deepika put up this as her status:

“Today, like the best of things two of my saree dream girls showed up on the same page and the moment I had been waiting for, was here. 

Sadee Saree is about putting the saree back into real settings, real places and seeing her on real women who are really beautiful. It will have a bit of stardust but that will never be its driving force. There are other folks who are doing that already.
Which is why, I am delighted to introduce to you, the cover girls of the page -Parama Ghosh & Nithiya Laila. There are several more women you are about to meet. This is as good a day as any to like the page… …”

Kaleidoscope of butterflies danced in my stomach when I saw this.

  

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Parting tips:

I tried this the other day. Try the rose tea at Café The on the ground floor of ICCR at 9A, Ho Chi Minh Sarani. You will thank me forever.

Yes, Septembers do smell of roses.

Get set go.....aaaah!

I am, like any other true blue-blooded Bengali, blessed with all their divine qualities: perpetual acidity, unmatched sarcasm, bolster-lovingness, believer of “eating fish = breathing” and “Sourav Ganguly =/> all-Hindu-deities-taken-together”, an overdose of narcissism and the everlusting wander-lust. Yes, “lust” is the keyword here. We don’t just love to travel. For us, travelling is a way of life, just like food, clothes, oxygen and orgasm. For any normal Bengali, 40% of his savings is reserved for travelling. If you check the names of tourists detained in Kashmir, or those alienated from the rest of the world by devastating landslides in Darjeeling or the sweeping cyclones in coastal Orissa, you will find 90.8% of them are Bengalis.

For me, travelling is a bundle of happy feelings….the thrill of drinking the favourite brand of Vodka raw (Dev-D style) and singing “Intehaan ho gayi intezaar ki” loud, the delight of watching “Sholay” and muttering the dialogues even before the actors could deliver them, the excitement of discovering a white creamy moustache after a glassful of lassi and an orange tongue after gobbling an orange-flavoured popsicle, the fun in ringing your neighbour’s doorbell and running away…..the solace of a detangled ear plug.

From blood pumping trekking on the mountains to the soul-soothing succor of the seas, from the magnificence of mighty monuments to the crowd and chaos of the cities, from the dancing dunes of the deserts to the flora and fauna of the forests…..travelling allures me endlessly. And some day, I would love to travel the length and breadth of my country…..a country that orchestrates its bewildering diversities and creates a soulful symphony of sights and sounds, smells and savours.  

They say, all good things come in small packages. No, I am neither talking about my height nor my bank balance here. I am talking about Goa. I read somewhere that Goa stands for three things: it’s green, it’s glistening and it’s gorgeous. For me, Goa also stands for the sun, sand, sea and sossegado (meaning laid-backness).

Before I visited Goa, I had certain preconceived notions.

1.      Goa stands for “dope, drink and die.”

2.      Goa is very expensive and it can carve a hole in your pocket.

3.      Goa is for the young.

4.      Goa is unsafe.

A single visit had put all my ideas in a washing machine on a high speed mode and washed them clean. Goa is for ALL….irrespective of age, diverse tastes, culinary preferences and sizes of their money belts (Yes, Goa pleases all pockets with its accommodations ranging from a humble backpacker’s lodging to extravagant star-rated hotels). It is equally enchanting for the adventurous and the lazy, for lovers of colonial architecture and for lovers of pomp and parties. The feel of wet sand tickling your feet, the overwhelming smell of spiced teas and Feni, the marvel of century-old cathedrals, the serenity of the rivers and the turbulence of waterfalls, the array of vertebrates from the bounty of Arabian Sea adorning on your platter, the mouth-flooding spicy Pork Vindaloo, the quaint desolate beaches and the bustling flea-market will enthrall you alike. 

From childhood to this present day, whenever I lay my eyes or nose on something beautiful, I am reminded of Ma. "I wish I could show her what lies ahead". Goa was no exception. And, I had decided that if I ever plan a vacation for my family, it has to be Goa. Yes, they will freak out for the same four reasons given above, but I will convince them. I got married when I was in college. When I started working, I was already much-married. Planning a vacation for my family never happened as such, because for me, it was never about sponsoring one for them. I wanted to be a part of it, holding their hands, showing them around, telling them stories about each destination, suggesting to them the local cuisine and clicking several photographs. And with Goa, I not only want to weave for them a boulevard of beautiful dreams, but would also fulfill my long-cherished desire of planning a holiday for my parents.       

The journey to and from Goa can easily be done by air. However, if I have to plan, I would squeeze in atleast one train journey (Mandovi Express) in the itinerary because (i) the landscape of the Bombay-to-Goa stretch is punctuated with shades of green, the Western Ghats and waterfalls and is breathtaking, (ii) Baba loves train journeys, (iii) Ma loves train-food, (iv) I love sleeping in bunk beds.

Once we reach there, I would prefer South Goa for their lodging. South Goa is tranquil and peaceful and ideal for a couple on the wrong side of fifties. Of all the beaches in South Goa, I loved Colva the best. It is a perfect blend of serenity and exhilaration. I would choose the same resort where we had put up. The room had a glass wall facing the sea (not sea facing balconies and windows, but an entire wall!) Baba can laze on the bed, drown in a book while the sea can play its music in the background. The Man, Ma, bhai and I are the enthusiastic kind. We can go for long walks bare-feet on the sea-kissed sand, collect sea shells, bask in the hue of the setting sun, sip Feni cocktails and sing our favourite songs.

Colva has a wide assortment of eateries ranging from beach shacks to bistros. Sea Pearl-Sea Food Specialty Restaurant, Tate’s, Mickey’s, Silver Sands, Dominique’s Beach Shacks, Lucky Star-Goan Specialty Restaurant (all in Colva) and Pedro’s Bar & Restaurant (on Benaulim Beach) are some of the options. While the rest of the world may eat to live, Bengalis live to eat. My family is no exception. We plan meals the first thing in the morning (and eat before we pray). We go to bed with the anticipation of what to eat on the next day. So my research has to be precise and accurate when it comes to the eating joints.

And, Goa is a foodie’s paradise which boasts of succulent prawns and fiery-red fish curries, sea food delicacies, mouth-watering confectioneries and cheap Tax-immune alcohol. What amazed me was not only the taste of Goan food but also their names. Here are some:

Soups: Sopa Grossa, Bolinas Queijo, Canja de Galinha, Caldo Verde, Sopa de Cebola and  Sopa de Ervilhas are the most popular.

Fish Curries: Sorak, Amottik Fish Curry, Oyster Pie, Prawn Temperado, Fish Recheiado, Langouste Balchao, Portuguese Sardines, Fofos de Peixe, Baked Caranguejos (Crabs) and Caldeirada are some of the many.

Meat: Sorpotel, Cabidela, Pork Balchao, Pork Baffado, Pork Vindaloo and pickled Pork are dishes one must have before they die. (As I write this part of the post, I may die of short circuit if the charging wire reacts to my overflowing saliva).

Sweets: Coconut macaroons, Dodol and Neurios are Goan delicacies where coconut is the main ingredient with generous helpings of cashews, jaggery, cardamom powder, vanilla essence and almonds.

Cars are easily available on rent. Since all the three men can drive, we can get an entire car to ourselves. The South Goa itinerary would include beaches of Loutolim, varca, Cavelossim, Mobor, Betul, Agonda and Palolem. The texture of the sand, the colour of the sea varies from beach to beach and I am sure that would be a goosbump-evoking experience for Ma who is a Geography teacher. I can just contemplate the glitter in her eyes and the eagerness of a 10 year old in her heart. Of all the beaches, I mentioned Palolem is the prettiest…(so pretty that you would plan in advance: “When I die, please please God, see to it that I die here”). I plan to take my family for a boat ride to the Butterfly beach, Green islands and Patnem-Colomb beach from Palolem.

The North Goa trip will be planned with a day’s gap in between keeping in view their age and health. The main attractions in North Goa are Fort Aguada on the Sinquerim beach (we will click our own ‘Dil chahta hein’ family pictures there), Candolim beach, Calangute beach, Baga beach (where we can eat like gluttons at Brittos and I can arrange foot massages for the their weary feet), Anjuna Beach (strategically plan the day on a Wednesday so that we get a glimpse of the flea market and shop to our hearts’ content), Chapora Fort on Vagator and Dona Paula on the way back at the time of sunset.   

On another day, we can visit the old churches, stroll in the streets of Panaji, take a river cruise on Mandovi, have a hearty meal and come back. I will not plan a hectic tour. In between busy travelling-days, they can gulp the freshness of the sea breeze, savour the essence of the Portuguese culture, watch the sea for hours or just do nothing.  

  

Other than the stunning destination that Goa is, another reason for choosing Goa is to gift my parents an exquisite beach-holiday. My father is a Government servant and my mother is a school teacher. If you pose them with a question like “What is your idea of a perfect beach-holiday?”, their inevitable reply would be “a long weekend in Puri”. They have visited Puri atleast 40 times, if not more…yet, their relentless subjugation to the charm of the coastal town is unparallel. And lodging in Puri would be “Puri Hotel”. A sea-facing room would earn a 3-star status from them, a set of clean towels and a clean bathroom with a tiny red Lifebuoy soap or a tiny green Medimix soap would elevate the hotel to a 4-star level and if by any chance, the hotel has a swimming pool, my parents would be convinced that the place is 7-starred.

It’s time their ideas change. It’s time ideas change their lives.  

Goa, see you soon…

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This post is written for the "Creating Happy Travellers!" contest hosted by IndiBlogger and Yatra.