I spotted this near Rabindra Sadan in Kolkata. Will someone tell me what this means? Sign of the Times?
I spotted this near Rabindra Sadan in Kolkata. Will someone tell me what this means?
Showing posts with label Kolkata. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kolkata. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
I spotted this near Rabindra Sadan in Kolkata. Will someone tell me what this means? Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Notes from Kolkata I
The first thing you notice about this city is the smell, not really a stink, but a very pungent aroma. I think it is the food. My office smells of it, the pantry smells of it, and the parts of the city I have visited over the long weekend smell of it. Another strange thing - no perfumes. Nowhere did I smell the pleasant odors of 'agarbattis', 'attars', and other assorted sweet smelling things that are so prominent in Mumbai. But then I didn't smell sewage either, or maybe I haven't travelled enough yet.
Another thing I miss is the 'Udipi' restaurants. I hated being tired and hungry and not finding a Udipi place to tank up at. Come to think of it, I never saw any restaurants catering to the middle-class (that's me) at all. They're either shabby, dirty sheds with a few tables, or air-conditioned joints that charge you a bomb for a plate of 'idlis'. But I will keep looking; the Shettys are a shrewd and persevering lot. There has to be a cheap snack restaurant around.
Another thing I miss is the 'Udipi' restaurants. I hated being tired and hungry and not finding a Udipi place to tank up at. Come to think of it, I never saw any restaurants catering to the middle-class (that's me) at all. They're either shabby, dirty sheds with a few tables, or air-conditioned joints that charge you a bomb for a plate of 'idlis'. But I will keep looking; the Shettys are a shrewd and persevering lot. There has to be a cheap snack restaurant around.
A different Diwali
How much more different could this festival have been? An alien city, no friends, no distant relatives, and a bare minimum telephonic contact with home. Couldn't see the lamps decorating my porch, mum's abstract rangoli designs, and no home-cooked sweets. I shopped for books and music and I read them as on any other day. I bought new clothes and wore them with no one noticing them. I had the same things for dinner that I had for the entire past week.
This post is entirely too sentimental.
This post is entirely too sentimental.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Notes from Kolkata
This time tomorrow, I should be in Kolkata. I have come back after a prolonged self-imposed blog-exile to announce that I should now be blogging more frequently. Apparently Kolkata's a lazy city, and there's not much to do after dark. [If anyone can recommend places I 'should not' be visiting, now is the time to let me know.]
I shall be spending some time in the city, work of course, and frankly, I have no clue what Kolkatans [I hope I've got that right; I would have said Bongs, but that is possibly derogatory] do for entertainment. Rasgullas are the last thing on my mind, so please let me know about the night life there. [And yes I am quite aware that not all Bangla women look like Bipasha Basu and Sushmita Sen, thanks.]
I shall be spending some time in the city, work of course, and frankly, I have no clue what Kolkatans [I hope I've got that right; I would have said Bongs, but that is possibly derogatory] do for entertainment. Rasgullas are the last thing on my mind, so please let me know about the night life there. [And yes I am quite aware that not all Bangla women look like Bipasha Basu and Sushmita Sen, thanks.]