...ringing in the new year - 1414!

Shubho Naboborsho!
Happy Bengali New Year, 1414!

I've just finished clearing all the cobwebs that were clinging on to this web-page. I guess it still needs a bit of 'starch' and 'ironing', but that's something that I'm going to have to follow up and work on in the months that follow.

We rolled onto this 'brand new year' just about a week ago, but it took me six more days to take the initiative to actually type this out. The word 'procrastination' is very aptly defined through the phrase - ' the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak!'. Hey! That's me! ;-)

[Left/Below: Lakshmi and Ganesh idols]

While we're on the subject of spirits (not the ones that come in attractive, alluring bottles!) - there's, of course, that divine something else that we're not normally supposed to be able to see or hear or smell or touch (unless we're just that extra bit special, or we feel just that extra bit special... hint: spirits in bottles!), but profusely believe in, fear and love nonetheless - God. [No, please don't throw down a bolt of thunder & knock my lights out for good. Not just yet. Still lots left to do...] ... Anyway, I digress... coming back to the point - the arrival of this new "bangabdo" (new year) is a total 'feel bengali' event. I mean - seriously speaking - in this day and age of total confusion and multiple-identity crises, its a nice opportunity to get in touch with who you are (without actually having to go and watch 'The Namesake').

[Right/Below]: Puja in progress]

God (which is what I originally intended the previous paragraph to be about) -- we had a lovely Lakshmi-Ganesh puja on 'poila baisakh' (the first day of the first month of the calendar - Baisakh) for the 'shanti' (peace) and well-being of our family and the world that surrounds us all. Full marks (and a pat on our own backs ;-)...) for the ambience, as well as the 'cha' and 'singaras' that followed. Finally, a bit of singing (read: Tagore) to seal the deal. Thanks for everything, Atanu-da (every 'para' should have an Atanu-da!). No, he's not on Wikipedia just yet :-)

This was preceded by a 'shopping' series - I am clubbing together 'all' the activities when I say this. Determined shoppers (mostly women - primarily our adorable moms and aunties) fighting it out for the best deals and discounts in the bazaar (buy1, get 2!). Wearing "new" clothes is supposed to be mandatory. From a shopping perspective - this is the pre-Durga-Puja fever all over again, scaled down a few factors. Meanwhile, the other family members (read: the male contingent, by default) run from pillar to post, bringing home bags full of everything from pots and pans to incense-sticks, potatoes and watermelons - based on an almost never-ending 'list' (made via several rounds of consultation with the family elders and the 'pandit') . :-)

The post 'khichuri--aloor-dum--begun-bhaja' (Mom always works wonders in the kitchen!) period saw us engaged in a serious session of family 'rooftop cricket'. Brushing our disappointment (thanks to India's 'brilliant' world-cup performance) aside, we sweated and battled on - every man for himself... and woman (my sisters were participating in this rare event) too! We had our own set of rules (e.g. 'one-drop-one-hand', for those who've been there before), some of which were harsh and unforgiving! The action continued till we were forced to call off play due to bad light. But, no worries - another attraction awaited us a few floors below - Mohun Bagan vs. East Bengal. A few 'ghoti' vs. 'bangal' duels (each of these camps is convinced that they are the "real" bengalis! :-)...) were taking place dangerously close to the television, whilst the match dribbled on. In spite of the fact that FIFA thinks we're 'ancient' when it comes to football, I thought the match was pretty good. To our delight (and Atanu-da's dismay), Mohun Bagan emerged victorious!

And now... a bunch of 'anothers'. This marks - another financial year (originally). Another chance, after 1st Jan, to rethink and renew any resolutions that may have gone astray over the past few months. Another reason to celebrate. Another day spent basking in the glow and warmth that come free with being in a typically bengali family. :-)

All in all - a good start to the 'notun bochhor' (new year) at my end. Here's wishing you the very best in all your endeavours! Shubho (belated) naboborsho once again.

May your dreams come true.
Preeti o subhechha-soho...

Sourav

life could be a book…

Life could be a book that's being written
Every single day and all the while;
Hurriedly scribbled paragraphs and sketches
Just as we progress from mile to mile.
Aided by fancy wooden bookmarks,
We keep turning back to pages from the past -
The colours – bright, vibrant, sometimes morbid
Suck us into the mystic spells they cast.
Events – those recorded in great detail,
Trigger off a ‘rainbow’ of emotion;
Even seemingly harmless, little acts
Are equipped to cause quite a commotion.
The chapters - perhaps repetitive, monotonous…
Are then revived by a bolt from the blue.
And old scenes from a long forgotten script
Replay themselves again - ‘tis deja vous!
Some of us wait patiently and watch –
Hoping for divine intervention…
Whilst the rest, we unfold our own stories;
Driven by ambition and intention.
The pages-full-of-laughter are multi-coloured,
And love is almost always a loving red;
But of course there’s no hard-and-fast convention
Feel free to use your own shades instead!

As the exuberance of youth wears thin,
With pen-in-hand, we're no longer as steady;
And the ink runs dry whilst the pages revolt,
Regardless of whether or not you’re ready.
Who 'decides' the “end” could be a matter of discussion –
Opinions may cross swords in a debate.
Do us mere mortals get to write our final chapters?
Or do the mighty 'Hands of God' pen down our fate?
Some books tell tales of ‘birds of promise’ -
Abruptly, unfairly shot down in flight!
But most stories have ingredients in proportions -
A fizzy cocktail of Sorrow and Delight.
Clockwork - soon, an epilogue is in place.
On the covers – a number assigned and engraved.
An alignment is then made - to a rack on a shelf
Based on what parameters? How you’ve behaved?
The “dead you knew” could perhaps recommend you!
You could throw in a few good deeds as well;
You’re book? Well, it’s either in the “Heaven” section
Or in the crowded space below, marked “Hell”!

"travelogs" - episode IV - Bicycle!

The Dutch have wheels attached to them almost from birth. Two of them (yes, I said 'wheels'... no, no 'inner meaning' intended). It's as if they learn how to ride bicycles before they can even walk! I've heard that a lot of kids are comfortable on two wheels from the age of two! Whatever happened to tricycles?

Anyway, so alongside the characteristic windmills, wooden shoes and Gouda cheese, another distinctly Dutch 'item' is the... (drum-roll)... bicycle! And, of course they come complete with their very own traffic lights - little red, yellow and green bicycles!

Going from one place to another is a piece of cake - 2-lane cycling paths almost everywhere. So, I thought it would be a real shame if I didn't 'join the bandwagon', even if it was just for a while.

But first - a feasibility study of course. All of a sudden. I was this 'pioneer' of sorts - 'no other IT guy from India in Breda' (what an amazing distinction!) had done this :-). So, I rented a bicycle for a week to see if I'd survive. It would be my sole mode of transport - wherever I went, I'd be pedalling there!

On Day One - the trip to work was a killer and my unfit 'machinery' struggled to come to terms with the 14 km (7km each way) trip! When I got back home, I was dead :-(

But I kept at it. In a couple of days, after the rusty joints and indolent muscles had begun responding to this 'wake-up' call, I really began to appreciate the 'quality' of the journey. The cool breeze (the fresh air!), the greenery, the beautiful houses... a small bridge, an uphill climb and an express-speed downhill stretch... and presto - I was at work.

This was definitely a good idea! :-)

I rode at sunset...

And I rode at dawn...

When the sun was rising,

And when the moonlight shone.

"Blue skies, green grass",

Smiling faces, pretty flowers...

The weather was good,

And I rode on for hours...

I never thought that my first ever 'set-of-wheels' would be a second hand 'fiets' (bicycle). Thanks to a colleague (Dank u wel, Jeroen), we found one that was just right - and I bought it off an elderly gentleman living in a cosy-looking house right outside the city.

Slowly but steadily, the 'biking fever' caught on. Sujeet would accompany me to work at times. Soon enough, after a considerable amount of marketing (it was just a matter of time), some of the others were talked into a biking trip. The destination - a lake just outside Breda - Galderse Meren.

The trip was simply extraordinary - it took us a lot of pedalling to get there, but the journey through the countryside was 'super' - picture postcards all along the way. Quaint houses, mini-mansions, the woods, colourful fields, really healthy cows and the intoxicating smell of strawberries (from the fields) were just some of the several things we came across along the way.

[Pic (right/below): Borderline! On our biking trip. At the Belgian border with Sujeet and Chandrani]

Mid-way, we needed a breather and coincidentally, we stopped at a bar which was on the Belgian border! Interestingly enough, the border split the bar in half and the 'Men's' was on the Belgian side :-)). Somehow, I found that very amusing. :-)

However, the so-called lake in itself (which I learnt later was 'artficially' created) was a bit of a disappointment - Galderse Meren was more of a 'swimming hole' and we had come unprepared. :-( By the time we were back home, we had easily travelled a good 25-30 kms (!) and were overcome with a major sense of achievement :-)!

So far so good. Brought my bike into work this morning as well. Will really miss this when I head back home...

Kring! Kring!...

...follow me

These leaves, they go from green to gold,
And are raked away when Autumn comes...
The boy and his band, they sang their song,
With just a guitar, 'cos they had no drums.
But these autumn leaves and 'wannabes'
Quickly travel from ‘now’ to ‘then’...
Like a distant dream, in another life...
And it starts to make you wonder when...
When did we stop living our lives...
And start dying slowly inside?
And where's that pretty blue-eyed girl,
That I was sure would be my bride?
Nowadays, your smile, like mine,
Doesn't reach your eyes,
And the words we exchange are borrowed lines
From someone else's lies…

I think its time we took a walk,
Back to where we're from...
To "take it from the top" again,
In our brand new, old kingdom
Beneath the tree, where we used to be...
Just us and our guitars...
We'll sing away from dawn to dusk,
And sleep under the stars.

Follow me...

You used to play those songs we sang,
But did they pay you for that gig you did?
Someone told me that you sold your six-string
To the drunkard with the highest bid.
It hurts to see us like this now,
Much more than that black-eye I got...
When I walked up to her with a withered rose,
And told her what I really thought! ;-)
But, when did we stop living our dreams...
And start dying slowly inside?
And where's that "happy place" we had,
Where we'd run away and hide?
Meanwhile, the clocks just kept on ticking;
Times have changed and so have we;
And its a tug-of-war between myself
And who I used to be...

I think its time we took a walk,
Back to where we're from...
To "take it from the top" again,
In our brand new, old kingdom
Beneath the tree, where we used to be...
Just us and our guitars...
We'll sing away from dawn to dusk,
And sleep under the stars.

Follow me...

"travelogs" - episode III - Paris - Day II (14th May, 2006)

"India?"...
"Yes..."
She was ecstatic. After all, we were from the same country as 'Amita-bashan', 'Kashol' and 'Shahroo Kaan'! This young lady had spent the earlier part of her life in Morocco and jumped up and down (in joy, I think) as she recollected the names of the Hindi movies she had seen. We learnt that Bollywood flicks are really popular where she comes from. Top of her list was 'Veer Zara'!

At that point, we were on Champs Elysses and had stopped at a small roadside stall selling beverages and snacks. Interestingly enough, 'Veer Zara' (as we soon found out) was still playing at one of the movie-halls on this very street! But this discovery was towards the fag-end of Sunday.

[Above/Right (Photo): Veer Zara @ Champs Elysses!]

Rewind.
An alarm was set for 7:30AM. This was ignored completely and eventually the four bengali sleepy-heads rose from their (much-needed) slumber at a few minutes past nine. By eleven, we had checked out and were headed towards the Louvre museum...

There was just so much to see and absorb here. All of a sudden, The Palace of Versailles was reduced to 'just another palace' in comparison... this was the 'real' thing! :-)

We travelled through time. I was reunited with my childhood heroes - Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael ("Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles")... well, some of their works at least. I realized that some apparently famous Italian artists/sculptors were named after these popular cartoon characters ;-).

Quite honestly, its possible to go on about the Louvre for pages on end. I'll keep this short. For most people, some just run-of-the-mill tourists, others with that 'extra insight' (read: The Da Vinci Code), the most sought after display is still the Mona Lisa. I think we spent a good half-hour just staring at the painting... and then decided to buy a poster each, so that we could stare at it some more at leisure.

[Right/Above (Photo): Outside the Louvre Museum]

My left foot. My sprained left foot. My severely overworked sprained left foot... was making lots of 'noise'. No, actually, I was making the noise everytime I used the foot. This was... not good. But a visit to the first-aid ward took care of things for the present. I spent the rest of the day with 'cold' crepe bandage wrapped around it and made much less noise to the delight of my company. :-)

We ate lunch there like we had never seen food before (burp!)... and then 'rolled' out of the Louvre onto the walkway. Reaching the Arc de Triumph was quite honestly, a triumph indeed, of mind over body (read: long walk, with fatigued feet)!

[Left (Photo): Taking a break... L-to-R: Sujeet, Chandrani, Avishek et moi]

Meanwhile --> The Concord Square (in between the Louvre and the Arc) is sort of bang-in-the-middle of these 'touristy' places - surrounded by the Louvre, the Parliament, the Palace of Invalides, the Eiffel Tower and the Arc. While we were there, a couple of white limousines pulled up infront of us, followed by a dozen other cars. It was a Japanese invasion! Two hi-fi 'just-married' couples (sans entourage) had stopped by to click some 'fo-to-grafs' :-)

[Right (Photo): At Concord Square. The Arc de Triumph is behind us]


After the Arc, it was another long walk down to the River Seine for the final item on our list - a relaxing, refreshing boat-trip on the Seine - just what the doctor ordered. :-)

Finally, with tired legs, heavy bags and Chandrani's roly-poly strolley, we made our last journey within Paris - to Gallieni. By dawn the next day, we would be back in Breda. Yes, the fun was over. We would have to be at work tomorrow. :-(

Nevertheless, all in all, a splendid trip!
Au revoir!

"travelogs" - episode III - Paris - Day I (13th May, 2006)

The trip to Paris was both a 'very good idea' and a 'tremendous mistake' rolled into one! I will try to explain this as we proceed.

Paris is labelled as one of 'the most romantic cities in the world' and, keeping that in mind, in a way, we - the four of us - were like mud-wrestlers in a Russian ballet (?!)... or something like that anyhow :-). I think we all secretly promised ourselves that we would return one day, under different circumstances, with a different ''cast" ;-)

But meanwhile, we were here to do the 'tourist thing' and just have a great time... which we did! :-)

Avishek (the man with all the maps) can be credited with having planned this trip down to perfection (well, nearly). Its actually surprising, in hindsight, how much ground we covered in just 2 days!

The bus that we booked ("Eurolines'') left a few minutes after midnight on Friday night. This wasn't the most comfortable option but cost-effective nevertheless. It travelled all the way to the East of Paris and dropped us off in Gallieni at the crack of dawn on Saturday!

This is when we started fine-tuning our day-plan. Soon after, we were at the Notre Dame (cathedral) built in the early Gothic style of the 12th century. The digital cameras had their first glimpse of Paris...

[Right/Above (Photo): Alongside Notre Dame]

[Below (Photo): The Eiffel Tower!]

Now we catch 'da big pheesh'! Eiffel Tower! This part was exciting (and maybe a bit silly), for me at least. It was like being a kid again. After we climbed out of the 'Champ de Mars' metro-station, my radar was on. "Where is the tower?" Ironically, I was probably the last one to spot it :-(. But, when I did - I was mesmerized!

It is truly magnificent! The trip was already worth it... and I wore a permanent, exaggerated ear-to-ear smile! :-) ... The number of Indians we saw at the base of the Tower was surprising. I was tempted to sing our national anthem to see how many people actually joined in. The only thing missing was a 'tea-stall' and a 'phuchka-wala' (phuchka = pani-puri = gol-gappa = well, if you haven't had it yet, your life has little or no meaning!) ;-)

[Right (Photo): Infront of the Palace of Versailles]

During the course of the day, we would be seeing more of the Tower, but for now we had to make a move. Next stop - Versailles... The palace of Versailles! By now, Chandrani's strolley had turned into a major headache and we were all taking turns to lug it around from place to place. We breathed a little easy when we deposited it at the entry point, but our visit wasn't all that 'smooth'. First, I lost my ticket (The authorities were however, nice enough to give me a replacement). And then, there was rain! (We bought flimsy umbrellas with 'Paris' written on them) This cut short our trip around the gardens. I choose not to elaborate on the grandeur and splendour of the palace - it is but obvious. The painted ceilings in every room tell you a story, which is part of one continuous story (if you pay enough attention). It is a miracle how I did not bump into anyone! :-)

Post Versailles, we retreated back to the centre of Paris in search of our hotel – about time we checked in and got some rest. This was a nice and comfy 'bed-and-breakfast' near the Opera-house, on Rue Cadet. All of us were tempted to sink into our mattresses and get some 'shut-eye'... but better sense prevailed - a nap at this juncture would have been disastrous! So, after a quick 'refresh' we were out and about once again - Eiffel Tower, Take Two.

This time we would climb to the top... that is, eventually... when we got our turn. The queues at each of the four entry points were somewhat less menacing than the ones we saw earlier in the day. As we ascended, the view went from 'great' to 'wow' to (finally) 'breathtaking!' when we reached the summit.

[Left (Photo): The Eiffel Tower... in lights!]

The sun was setting and cast its glow on the entire city. In a short while, the city lit up as did the Eiffel Tower!

Just when you thought that things could not get any better... they just did! The Eiffel Tower was already shining majestically when it decided to start 'sparkling'!

At this point, we were stationed on the 2nd floor. Numerous bulbs along the length of the Tower blinked on and off for a good fifteen minutes... and the Tower took the form of a massive piece of golden jewellery studded with diamonds! Almost guaranteed to leave onlookers spellbound...

[Right/Above (Photo): The Eiffel Tower - dazzling in the darkness!]

This part is strictly for Hindi-movie buffs - as we walked away from the Tower (looking back from time to time), over the River Seine, the 'Kal Ho Na Ho' title track was playing in my head and seemed very appropriate... :-)

Hot Chocolate! Delicious chocolate crepes! And we marched on towards Champs Elysses. Mid-way, there was some 'action' - we bumped into this 'foreign' gentleman who tried to make conversation with us. In a matter of seconds, the police arrived! Apparently, this strange fellow was a 'money-changer' and just to prove that we were not linked to him in any way, we had to display our passports and show the cops our wallets! Thankfully, this 'ordeal' was over in a few minutes and we were 'free to go'... (phew!). A word of caution (from a lesson learnt): If you're a foreigner in the EU, always keep your passport handy.

Champs Elysses - lined with shops and showrooms of the 'who's who' of fashion - where handbags cost the same as cars back in India (Louis Vuitton anyone?)! Anyway... it was already close to midnight, and we were starving. We ended up having pizzas and spaghetti with red wine at this rather 'expensive-looking' Italian place. Pretty good :-)

Henceforth, some more action! Sujeet was nowhere to be found. He was lost! Then again, if you ask him, he'll probably tell you that the three of us were lost... although we hadn't moved an inch. This led to panic, anxiety, acidity, text-messages, attempted phone-calls (incoming calls were barred on his phone... how convenient!) and the exchange of 'compliments' (that is, when we were finally reunited); a little 'masala' as a finishing touch to a choc-a-bloc and very eventful day! :-)

We cruised down to our hotel and promptly dived into our beds. Tomorrow would be another 'non-stop' day...

double disaster (Paris curtain-raiser)!...

Today, I accomplished a 'disastrous double' in really quick time!

First, it was the 'bad' haircut; I got my hair done (or, in this case, 'mowed') at this really 'sidey'-looking place, owned and run by mysterious middle-eastern men who do not speak English and are fans of Salman Khan!

Communication was a slight problem, as was the fact that my vision is somewhat poor (read: blind as a bat!) without my glasses. So, the haircut was iterative - every 5 minutes, I would put my 'goggles' back on and check their progress. Accordingly, I would give them my valuable feedback in a language in which 'action spoke louder than words'. In fact, the words really didn't say anything at all!

This was particularly frustrating for my barber who would probably have 'accidentally' clipped one of my ear-lobes off had I not come with a solid recommendation. Lucky me - the local Pakistani cyber-cafe owner (Yousuf-bhai) had put in a good word. Oh well... I still have some hair on my head. Next time (if there is a next time), I'll just let the guys do their own thing.

On my way back, I went past the Indian convenience store ("Avtar Stores") and thought about dropping into the Afghan '24-hour-shop' near my place. Interestingly enough, even in a tiny place like Breda, I managed to spend the better part of the evening speaking Hindi (or in some cases 'Urdu'... to be 'politically' correct) :-)

Right from childhood, I have this uncanny ability to injure myself with minimal effort. (Ask anyone who knows me even remotely, and they'll tell you...). This 'talent' has withstood the test of time! I sprained my left foot as I headed home. :-((

This was just hours before we were to leave for Paris! :-(

... my brother gets married! (Dundee, Scotland - 30th April, 2006)

Above (from top to bottom): I was the best man at my brother's marriage-registry and thus, I was also the ring-bearer. The second photo captures everyone - family and friends - who was witness to this occasion. Finally, we have the happily married couple - Suman & Minha. :-)

Stay tuned for the Indian edition - the elaborate, desi wedding is scheduled for later this year!

Don't they just look lovely together? :-)

... And they lived happily ever after! God bless them.

"travelogs" - episode II - 'slideshow' (till 29th April)...

"I can see clearly now, the rain is gone..."

Soaking in the sun-rays on a 'sunshine-ey'-day.

The gang at Centruum in Breda.

--------------------------------

Below: A common feature of many or our 'adventures' - Vidya behind the wheel - a picture of total concentration ;-)

Below: At the City Centre in Brussels... history and magnificence all around!

Above: DCH in Brussels? Well, we tried... :-)

Above: Dundee, Scotland - Don't be fooled by the sunshine :-) ... we went on a family picnic to Piperdam Park on Easter Sunday when the clear skies and apparently 'good' weather were plagued by gale-force winds! 2nd photo - the 'cast'...

Above: Keukenhoff, NL - The 'Silsila' pic... :-). What? Did you say DDLJ?

Above: With the members of 'Sangeetmala' at their programme - 'Badalte Mausam' in Edinburgh, Scotland on 29th April, 2006

"travelogs" - episode-I...

When you put things off... the things you put off... end up putting you off! Newton's Third Law? he... he... (feeble smile)

Ok, I admit... that was rather lame...
Right... I'll get straight to the point without 'putting-it-off' any further -- the idea is: before I forget what I've been upto over the past few weeks, I think I ought to write 'em out. So, bear with me. Here goes...

"amsterdam-by-night" (march 31st, 2006)
-----------------------------------------------------

Raised eyebrows? Trust me - don't read too much into the heading.

Amith and Vidya had rented a car, in order to make their lives easier, and in the process discovered, over the next few weeks, that they would end-up doing all the driving while the rest of us had all the fun. :-)

The thought of visiting Amsterdam suddenly came into being after we had all left work on Friday evening and had absolutely nothing to do. There was a sense of desperation - it was Friday! We had to do something worthwhile! However, eventually, the trip turned out to be nothing more than just a harmless, 'drive-through-the-city' with some very brief stops for junk-food from time to time. By then, I had already realized that, in this part of the globe, "Parking" is very often your greatest enemy! :-(

But, before we left, we did catch a few 'interesting' glimpses of Amsterdam's (in?)"famous". red-light district. I leave the rest to your (wild?) imagination... ;-)

We picked Abhishek up from Amsterdam and he spent the weekend with us in Breda. In the car, on the way back, we made a lot of noise and tried to impersonate some very famous people... all in the name of 'antakshari'! ;-)

Honestly speaking, I need to revisit Amsterdam. This one can hardly be counted as a visit. :-(

mini-holland and the gates that 'lock' the sea (april 2nd, 2006)
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Abhishek is far better at planning than Amith is at handling his 'new' handycam. His videos paint an interesting picture; a tale of bravery - four determined adventurers romping around the Netherlands in the middle of an earthquake!

[Photo: Infront of the Schiphol-replica in 'Madurodam', with Amith, Abhishek and Vidya (L to R)]

Madurodam or 'Mini-Holland' is a place near The Hague (Den Haag). As the name suggests, here you'll find models and miniature-versions of all the 'must-see' landmarks and important destinations in Holland. What was worth noting was the attention to detail. Schiphol Airport (Amsterdam) was, in particular, very impressive! There was also a replica of one of the 'engineering wonders of the century' - the 'sea-locks' that actually 'lock' the sea out, so that it doesn't flood the bay/Euro-port (Europoort) at Rotterdam. It has only had to be put into action five or six times since it was built.

[Photo: Atop 'Bungee Tower' with Abhishek and Amith, at the Pier, Den Haag, NL]


We decided to devote the next half-hour or so to research :-)
No, actually it was a bit of an endurance test - when we set out for the pier at Den Haag, the intention was to go bungee-jumping! However, this was a cruelly windy day and the authorities had other ideas; thus, we were forced to 'customize' our experiment to this new situation (this was NOT Bungee-jumping season :( ...).

Location: The pier. Time: 30 minutes (of parking). The aim: To run all the way across the surface and up the stairs to the highest point in the... surrounding area - the upper-most rung of "Bungee Tower" (background: appropriate 'scary' music)!

The volunteers (and initiators) of this experiment were a handful of severely unfit software professionals (burp!), who were impaired by inappropriate clothing, large pot-bellies and too many cameras! :-(

But wait - we actually did it! Vidya was the first one to reach the car and he settled into the driver's seat just as the cop-around-the-corner arrived on the scene! :-)

Our next stop was the 'Europoort' where we got up-close-and-personal with two fishermen... and the Sea lock-gates (we didn't plan to meet the fishermen). I think they are best described by the word 'massive' (the 'lock'-gates and not the fishermen). On the way to the gates, we feasted on some delicious, fresh salmon nuggets! After another dozen photos and a small, voluntary demo on 'how-to-catch-fish'(how to lazily throw a line into the water and just sit there... forever!), we moved on... Abhishek keyed the words 'Euromast' and 'Rotterdam' into our GPS and we were on our way again...

[Photo: In front of the 'Euromast' in Rotterdam, NL]

The Euromast is this bee...ee..g tower! Well, actually its just a 198 metres high, but if you click your photos from the right angles, it could look enormous! The facts: It is the highest building/construction in Rotterdam and was originally built as a viewing-gallery to admire the beautiful gardens that surround it. When we were 'up-above-the-world-so-high', the view all around was breathtaking! But, at the same time, it was literally windy enough to knock us off our feet! Nevertheless - we braved the forces of nature yet again and took another zillion snaps in all sorts of ridiculous poses. :-))

In another hour, we started out towards our respective 'dwellings'... Abhishek had to go an extra-step further (to 'Oss'). The rest of us were Breda-bound. Tired, exhausted but happy, we headed home just as the sun went down…

Over 'n out. (Burp!)
:-)

... pre-"Mo": middle-aged maniac-on-wheels & "Boudi" to the rescue!

There was a green-man at the other end of the street.
We were all crossing from one end to the other...
I had gone on a little further ahead of the others,
Too far ahead to have seen exactly what had happened.
But, then... in quick succession:
a. the sound of brakes...

b. Bang!
c. Thud!

"Shu-mone!"...
[Car accident!]
My brother was on the ground...

With his head right next to one of the front-wheels of the car!
I took me a little longer than I would've liked

To actually assess exactly what had happened.
In fact, I think all of us were kind of 'frozen' with horror at that point...
All except Minha ("Boudi") [For the uninitiated: Boudi=Bhabi; in case of any further queries, please revert back to me].

By mixing and matching what I had seen

With what had actually happened,
We get:
The car hadn't stopped completely at the red-light and rolled along past the dotted white line...
All the way onto the striped white lines!
And that is where the brakes came in.
'Bang!' was when my brother was hit on the knee, and
The 'Thud!' soon after was when he fell -
Elbow hits car-bonnet, body follows suite! :-(

Now,

If this was good ol' Kolkata, right or wrong, the driver would've been dragged out of his car, collar-first, and given a proper 'dholai' he wouldn't forget as long as he lived...

(If he lived!).
But, of course,

We were still in London...

Fortunately, it was Minha to the rescue!
By this time, my brother had made a semi-recovery from the accident; it was a lucky 'escape' for him!

The good thing was that Boudi was in 'Durga'-esque form and gave the 'not-so-gentle'-man more than just a piece of her mind!

The man, apparently in his fifties,

did not think it wise to stick around and face the consequences - :-(

As soon as the lights turned green,
He was no longer to be seen!
But, Boudi noted down his number (car/plate),
Before he left the scene... :-)

Police.
Statements.
Unfortunately, we couldn't file an official complaint because of

The 'lack of any visible physical wounds or gashes'

(Thank goodness for that!).

However, the cops did reassure us that they would definitely take action.

We would like to think that the man behind the wheel was at least stopped and warned.

------------------------------------------------------------------
Therefore, boys and girls,

... (on a lighter note) We can conclude by saying that...
One must 'always' look both ways before crossing the road :-)

pigeons, horses & "Mo"...

[Photo: Thames by night]

"My trip to London was a blast!," is what I told Abhishek when we got talking...
And, in response, he said, "Oh, that's nothing... During my trip to London, there was a blast!"
[Prolonged silence...]

No, but seriously - I had fun! :-)
Met almost everyone who was on my list (yes, :-( ... I actually had one), ate plenty of good food (burp!) and watched a 3D-movie ("The Polar Express") at the I-MAX just outside Waterloo station! And I even managed to pull one over the British Government - I travelled without a ticket from Zone 4 to Zone 1!! :-) [International "Khiladi"!]

Did any of you know that the pigeons have completely disappeared from Trafalgar Square? I was a little disappointed but, the way I heard it was that: some important people (after receiving complaints from many other important people) thought that they should 'relocate' these 'rats' of Central London so that they could blah-blah the blah the blah-blah. Apparently, the daily clean-up effort after the pigeons 'did-their-thing' was getting way too expensive...

I suddenly had this image of all the "Trafalgar-pigeons" being put into this high-security facility; they would have to get through a mandatory, intensive 'toilet-training' programme, which would end in a certification exam of some sort (in order to benchmark their new-found skills) before they could make their way back into the open... something like the Java training we had in Chennai when we joined the company ;-)

But, I did see one though - maybe it was 'the-one-that-got-away'! :-)

On Saturday night, we had walked down to China Town from Leicester Square, for an advanced "Mothers' Day"- dinner-celebration. But Mo, our waitress at the Golden Dragon was in no mood to 'celebrate'. Something had ticked her off severely earlier in the evening; I tried to analyse the possible causes... but then, the food was so good that I dropped the idea soon after :-)

Returning to Holland on Sunday was... heartbreaking, in a way. I guess, if I'm still here for a while, I might make another trip to the UK [If I can afford it!].

Meanwhile, back in Breda, my problems at the Amgen-canteen continued. After 3 weeks in The Netherlands (the 'low-lying' lands), I have realized that the Dutch eat most things that move... after they've stopped moving that is. And the tags next to each item are always in Dutch! So... one has to be particularly careful during lunch-hour... :-(

Just thought you should know - horse-meat is a little tough, but very tasty nevertheless! :-))

... conversation with a cabbie/ en route to Rotterdam airport

Another day, another cab-driver; this guy was Czech but he was born in Poland (or was it the other way round?) from where he migrated some years ago to the Netherlands. Net result? Well, to start with, he can't speak English... and apparently he doesn't even know any Dutch! We communicated via animated hand-movements and through the use of certain "key"-words. Here are excerpts from our 'cave-men-like' conversation, five minutes into our trip:

Cabbie: ... Mama-Papa... Czech.... I Poland... you? (inquisitive expresson)
Me (taking a leaf out of his book): Me? India... Mama-Papa... India also... (smiling/beaming in fact!)
Cabbie: [He's trying to ask me what on Earth I'm doing here]
Me: (trying to tell him that I'm here on a short-term onsite assignment is not a good idea at this point, so...) I... (pointing at myself)... Holland (pointing out the window)... holiday... then, back (hand-movement)... India ("Comprende?")
Cabbie: [He got it...] (smiles)

We seemed to have a couple of things in common - we were both working a fair distance away from home, and neither of us knew Dutch... :-)

Our (rather painful, yet challenging) conversation continued in the same vein for a while, until I finally reached. Thankfully, he had understood the first thing that I told him when we met - "Rotterdam Airport".

Before we left, we exchanged the names of our villages and promised to send each other smoke-signals from time to time...
[Ok, I admit... bad joke. :-( ]
---- ---- ----- ----
I was travelling to London, to spend the weekend with family and friends. :-)

from Bangla to Breda...

Friday, 10th March, 2006 (wasn't home for my parents' anniversary) :-(
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jack was waiting in front of Burger King at Sciphol Airport, even before my KLM flight from Paris had touched down on Dutch soil. Amsterdam wasn’t exactly welcoming me with open arms – it was freezing cold and overcast; it had rained all morning and even my luggage wasn’t spared. Things were taking longer than expected – by the time my soggy suitcase made its way towards me on the conveyor belt, a good 45 minutes had already passed; Jack called Saby and Saby kept trying my number… but my SIM card was safely tucked away in a small compartment in my wallet. Meanwhile, My parents were worrying (as expected) back in ‘Incredible India’ (http://www.indiatourism.org/) [:-)]. Finally, all the finger-nail chewing and confusion was put to rest after I bought a calling card and made a few phone calls. By the time I hung up the receiver, a plump, middle aged Dutchman had stationed himself behind me.
“Are you Soo-rav?”
“Jack?”
He smiled.

According to Jack it was “rather warm right now” – the temperature had risen to around 4 degrees Celsius. Not that it made much difference to me… I was sh-sh-shivering as soon as we were out of the airport. In a few minutes, we were cruising down the highway towards Breda. Jack has a whopping 2,569 (?) CDs and DVDs at home – arguably one of the largest collections on the planet? Some of them are also in English (such as the “Ring of the Lords”!).

Kolkata to Mumbai.
Mumbai - Paris.
Paris - Amsterdam
And then...

Breda. My final destination. I learnt later that this town was named after the river that once flowed through it. However, when the folks here started building the place, they decided that it should flow along its outer periphery. So they did some digging and stuff… and soon enough, the river was re-routed and everyone here was happy. They celebrated this by wearing weird, colourful clothes and drowning themselves in gallons of beer (hic!). Then… many many years later (read: now), perhaps out of sheer boredom, they decided that the river should once again flow right through the town, or rather, across it. So… they did some digging and stuff… and… well, they’re still digging…

Picked up Saby and Antara from Amgen’s Lego-building (my workplace for the present) and had lunch at the 'main-building'. Jack dropped us off at Veemarkstrat and Antara showed me the way to our apartment. It’s a fairly big place, although the design is rather peculiar to say the least. After a while, I was on my own, left to ‘settle down’ during the rest of the day. The gentleman who had last occupied what was now my room was… a pig! Maintenance would not be here till the weekend ended and that was simply too late. The rest of the afternoon was spent fishing out underwear, socks, cigarette packets and a variety of other garbage from the various corners of the room. Eventually, I found the vacuum cleaner. By the time the room was ‘somewhat inhabitable’, I was dead-tired.
Bath.
Nap…

As I tucked myself in, several thoughts crossed my mind simultaneously; I was homesick and relieved at the same time. This trip was really a bit of a surprise. The week that had just gone by was one of the busiest in recent times. The weeks ahead would be full of new challenges. I thanked Mom, Dad and my stars... 'cos everything had gone smoothly thus far... and dozed off soon after…

Oh and by the way... Happy Holi!

[Pic: 'Cognizant in Breda' - Suvendra, Saby, Sourav and Antara]

...

... I've been thinking.
I need to change my approach... in general... towards... towards almost everything. Even this page!

...determination

You can knock me down a hundred times,
During the course of this bout...
You can throw me a million punches...
... But you cannot knock me out!

(P.S. Sourav takes on the company's appraisal-system!)

patience...?

My career has rolled onto a rather awkward juncture.

I’ve come to a stage where there isn’t much I can do from my side… except ‘wait’. For the last three months, all I’ve been doing is waiting in the 'wings' - waiting for the ‘next big thing’ to happen.

Promises have been made… and delayed… indefinitely, and I’m left in this ‘suspended’ state, floating around… aimless.

I need to ‘break free’,
run out of this building…
speak-out…
make headlines…

I need a new job… or maybe I just need something new in this job.

But alas! There is this (false?) sense of security… this ‘comfort-zone’ that I’m living in that’s holding me back.
Steady job.
Steady pay.
The same ol’ bus-route…
Known faces.
…
…
Monotony.
Stagnation.
Progress?

I need a plan.

new year's eve...

Another cigarette was quietly meeting its end between his fingertips. He was seated next to a huge glass ‘wall’ and meanwhile, the Sun was slowly but steadily melting into the horizon. His mind was in a tumult of thoughts centering on and around the pros and cons of the ‘year-that-was’; the ‘maybe’-s and ‘what-if’-s, decorated with a few ‘I shouldn’t have’-s, closely followed by a series of silent ‘sighs’ of regret.
But, then, thankfully, there was loud music playing in the background.
A welcome distraction, under the circumstances.

“Would you like another drink, sir?”
He nodded in approval.

A number of uniform-clad men strutted up and down the length of the floor shouting complex instructions into their mouthpieces.
Everyone was ‘rehearsing’. This was just a trial run.
Soon this ‘hangout’ would turn into THE ‘place to be’ this new year’s eve.
There would soon be a thousand-odd strangely dressed ‘wannabe’s crawling all over the place, trying to ‘move wit’ da beat’!
Trying to be ‘somebody’ in an alien crowd…

And then, he broke into a wry smile…
The very thought that people would burn holes in their pockets to ‘pretend’ to be ‘happy’ for just a short while seemed quite amusing.
It was all one big hoax… a drama… an illusion…a…
He glanced at his watch and then promptly finished his drink.
A rather nervous, middle-aged gentleman in an ill-fitting black-suit walked up to him rather anxiously.
“Sir, we’ll be opening the gates shortly… and… well, perhaps you should…”
“I know, I know… relax”, came the response.

The Sun had now all but vanished, leaving behind an interesting multitude of colours. The cigarette lay crippled and crumpled in a pile of ashes.
He picked up his jacket and made for the door that led to the green-room.
An hour-and-a-half later, he would take centre-stage…
5,4,3,2,1… Happy New Year!

once upon a time...

Once upon a time…
I thought I’d walk these roads alone…
I was sure that I had nerves of steel
And a sturdy heart of stone.
For a while the path was smooth and proper,
My confidence intact…
I, Me, Myself were missing home,
But they’d quietly signed a pact.
I started off quite boldly,
And at a fairly hectic pace.
Shook hands and bowed, smiled and laughed
As I went from place to place.
Now and then, I’d miss a step,
But I didn’t really care.
I had to reach a destination,
‘Was determined to be there.

Once upon a time…
I thought I’d walk these roads alone…
But, gradually, I kept moving into
An unfamiliar zone!
Though I was still sure-footed,
Complications did arise.
And often, despite all my efforts,
I was taken by surprise!
I was lost… and in a tizzy,
And knew not what to do…
Hope was hanging by a thread…
When along the path came You! :-)
I began to put my faith in You,
Although You were a stranger;
You, in turn were a Friend and Guide
And steered Me clear of danger.

Once upon a time…
I thought I’d walk these roads alone…
I was sure that I had nerves of steel
And a sturdy heart of stone.
But there were oceans that I couldn’t cross
And rivers that were too deep,
Valleys that were daunting,
And Mountains that were steep.
With You, however, by my side,
This journey’s a vacation.
Together, we celebrate “life” –
Every day is an occasion.
I haven’t yet said ‘Thank You’,
But I guess its now or never…
Once upon a time, I met You
And You changed My life forever!

(Dedicated to my friends and family)

Monday!

(A series of 'snapshots' taken on what is arguably the worst working-day in the week)

16th May, 2005
10:00am

Homesick!
It has been nearly four months since I was in Kolkata... but it seems like a decade has passed between then and now...

In almost a year, I've just been on 'home-turf' for a little under two weeks!
(Sigh...)

This continuous, practiced 'absence ', to me, is analogous to holding your breath underwater (!). Initially, its a tough ask; you find yourself 're-appearing' and gasping ever so often. But with time, as your 'stamina' builds, you learn to remain below the surface for longer stretches of time with lesser difficulty... or something like that anyhow.

Now, if only I had gills...

****************
2:15pm

There are times when you're immersed in work and that is, perhaps, a good thing. It tends to make you impenetrable, impervious, invincible!

Ok... maybe that was little far-fetched (maybe I got a lil' carried away...), but my point is: it enables you to shut-out everything else that is a part of your life... sometimes even 'important' things.

Unfortunately, today is NOT one of those days. Today is about making silly mistakes. It is about staring blankly at the monitor. It is about your eyes glazing over and about being transported to some faraway-place... you are having the time of your life... you are with a 'cool' bunch o' people... no, in-fact you're 'high' and riding a roller-coaster... rocketing down a steep decline at break-neck speed.... whoo-hoo... yippee.... wheee..... with 'Comfortably Numb' (extended lead version) playing in your head...!

This and so much more, until you are rudely 'interrupted' by one of your neighbour's (extra-talkative cubicle-mate's) "latest", "ultimate", "jhakkas" polyphonic ringtones ("It is cool, no?"). And, before you know it, that pencil you were holding is suddenly broken (snap!) into two...
(#!@$*!#)

But, when approached, you are still nodding in agreement and smiling (feebly)... Hypocrisy personified!

You are 'celebrating work' (the company catch-phrase).

****************
3:30pm

Three cups of coffee this afternoon... thus far.
There is caffeine flowing through my veins, but surprisingly none of it is reaching my brain. I am still yawning (Yaaaa....wwwn!). Any bright ideas? I MUST do something...!!

For starters, my playlist needs a serious makeover. It has suddenly dawned upon me that I have been listening to the same songs over and over again... for the past two months!!

***************
6:15pm.

Not a very good day, I must say... but work-wise, its almost over (I think...)!

However, as the sun dips below the hills in the distance, and while I drink more coffee (cup no. 5) it finally hits me... today is MONDAY. The week has only just begun!