Winters are here!!

Winter is here in Kolkata. ya ya i know Kolkata is in the plains and all that. but trust me when i say that this kinda of chill in kolkata is the first, because just when we think the winter is receding, it rains in February and then it becomes chilly for a few days and then disappears. yesterday was oh so perfect a day. foggy mornings, really really chilly, no sun all day and the cold was almost chilling to the bones of all the Kolkattans who really don't know what cold is. it was a Sunday, a perfect day to stay home, get into a blanket and chat with family and friends over coffee and pokoras.

Just imagine my luck. Instead of spending a lazy morning in bed, and then chatting with that special someone from the blanket and then plans of meeting up; i woke up yesterday with the alarm at 7 and had to wake Samik up and reminded him that we are meeting in an hour and half and then went off to do my daily chores. now dad was surprised, he wondered out aloud where i was going that early in the morning, and i couldn't really avoid it and had to tell him that it was samik's sisters birthday and we had to pick up the cake from Kookie Jar, that too half way across the city. but oye hoye! what a morning yaaar! truly... worth the embarrassment i had to face from dad. biking across the city was so much fun in the morning and this was the first time we both met up so early in the morning. it was a time to romancing, to think of nice warm and cuddly thoughts.. but no.. with our teeth clattering and our face numb we walked into this warm and yummy smelling cake shop and god! we both could pass out..


But despite being interrupted and being at his place for his sisters birthday and all we could hardly sit close and chat but then we had a perfect afternoon. we were watching TV in his room while everyone smuggled into their chosen corners for a nice nap in the afternoon, and we were huddled on the sofa of his room sharing a blanket and chatting, until the sleep and the gloomy chilly weather got better of him and he too felt sleepy. then when his folks found us, he was on his bed sleeping and i was on the sofa, must have dozed off and the family was amused to say the least!! lolz

So you think I'm having a gala time? well no i have sinus and so the headaches are here to take the life out of me. i have managed to catch a bad case of cold where i cough all day and head hurts; despite the multi layered clothing. did i ever tell you guys i hate winters??and i cant stand cold? god! I'm allergic to the C word.i wish i could hibernate until the summers!! someone wake me when the winters over or i might dies of pneumonia.

This happens only in India!!

I was walking by one of the busiest streets of Kolkata.. it was one very foggy and chilly morning. Everyone was hurrying to their offices or schools.Traffic was packed and a police were there trying to ensure the citizens an easy passage. There on one little corner of the busy street was a polio booth, where an elderly lady was accompanied by a younger woman was trying her best to ask women with kids to come and get their kids the drops that are essential for the well being of their children. a young rag picker was called and she haughtily walked by and on being repeatedly called she turned back in anger, walked to the elderly lady abusing her with words that can make your ears burn, and all this because the lady was offering to help her child out that too for free. this wasn't the end. this rag picker couldn't be rationalized how important it is for kinds below three years to take the polio drops, instead she spat on the elderly lady and walked off, as i stood there stunned.

* THIS happens only in India*

Where one can never do good for others, in bargain one will get disdain and disregard. where the lower strata of the society gets so dehumanized that they cannot accept tokens of human affections at its face value, where even the most genuine concerns are frowned upon.

Infidelity

I've never really understood infidelity. being the principalistic kind, it never made sense to me but then i have realized in due course of time, right or wrong for whatever reasons; infidelity is not that rare it happens every now and then, most relations suffer these phases when one of them cheats on the other.

what i want to ask is when a person cheats on his/her spouse doesn't one weigh the consequences? i mean a marriage of many years can break, a relationship can fall apart, if there are kids they get affected and what about the whole world who jeers, laughs and looks on, being specially harsh on the one who was being cheated on?

Suppose the person who had cheated on his/her spouse, is being confronted by the issue? how should that person react, according to you? should the person confess and ask for forgiveness or should the person just avoid the whole issue hoping it will die down?

If your friends are faced with this problem, [where you are the third party and you are indirectly involved in this issue and will suffer the consequences too] You suspect one who is closer to you, is cheating your another friend [his wife] you know the fate of children are at stake, even if they are old enough now they are bound to be affected. and your friends wife is unwilling to forgive and forget and your friend refuses to admit to the whole affair even if there are enough witnesses. the relationship seems to be heading to an end.what do you do? you dint want the relationship to break, nor do you want the kids suffer, you somehow are in a denial of your friends infidelity and neither can you live with the guilt on your conscience that despite he being your friend he was wrong yet he lied to get away with the crime he has committed.

what would you react to this given situation??

*this bears no resemblance to me or anyone related to me.*

this is an idea i got while watching some abstract movie... would really love your feedback's in this given situation...

TAG!!

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
not really!! btw! my name is raka and not phoenix.. someone was asking me few days back..

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
been awhile i guess

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
yes i do :)

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH?
hmm tadka, roti and a bowl of boiled veggies with mayonnaise

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
no but will have two some day :)

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
surely or i would have missed out on a great friend..

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
*gasp* sarcasm and me?!! :)

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
:O uhuh? what?

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
hmm yea maybe.. :)

10.WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
kellogs chocos

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
yea why wont i? weird question!!

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Chocolate brownie sundae

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
almost everything.. they become my guinea pigs for whatever time im in their company

15. RED OR PINK?
Red

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
im overtly critical

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST ?
childhood friends

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
anytime!!

19. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
pink slippers or is it mauve?

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
chilli chicken and fried rice

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
moms yelling

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
blue

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
earth after the rain, Chanel No.5, axe.. soapy smell of the skin after a recent shower..

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
samik

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
hmm yeah..

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
cricket anyday

27. HAIR COLOUR?
Black and brown

28. EYE COLOR?
Black

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No

30. FAVORITE FOOD?
Zinger burger

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy endings for sure

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Dostana

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
A white frock with blue flowers on it

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
summers!!

35. HUGS OR KISSES?
yummy both [but kisses restricted to someone special only]

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
anything chocolately

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? ??
arey chap keno niccho boss!! [why are you taking tension]

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? ??
aww sweetheart.. come to mama

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Zahir-paulo coelho

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Mouse pad is missing :)

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
i dont remember watching tv at all :P

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Beatles

44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME???
on my own.. it has to be delhi

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
Talent and me?? you suggest something

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Kolkata

47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
Everyone

anyone who likes this tag can take it up!!
~~btw my lunch with the relatives today.. went just fine!! no unwanted comments!! :)

Rotten Relatives!!

i hate socializing with my relatives. maybe i am a bit allergic to them or plain anti-social. but for me primarily the reason is their haughty nature and the tonality and choice of words. i don't really get into conflicts just avoid them like plague.

damn! this holidays, which i had carefully planned so that i could have "me"-time but instead I'm being forced to acknowledge that i haven't been active in the social circuits and that it is earning me negative marks [as i care!! :P] man! no matter what i do i cant seem to make some other plans and avoid it. I'm being grilled. no wonder i hate such relatives who force people away from them with their atrocious behaviour and then they bitch at their absence and snap when the person is forced to put up an appearance. damn!! damn!!

i don't know whats with these nosy people who are good for nothing and yet claim that they are relatives and demand attention!! really!! why this agitation you ask? well these are those pesky relatives who tell me, when are you going to do us a favour by completing your grads?as if they fund me and are my moral guardians. these people are the ones who tell me that I'm haughty because I'm studying in one of the best colleges in the city and that i choose not to spend time with them.. ludicrous!! i haven't seen people complaining because someone values studying to trivial social gatherings..

really!! :x what really bothers me is, these cousins who are almost 15-20 years my senior never bothered about me when i was younger. in fact they would not include me in any of their meets despite me begging them to allow me, saying I'm too small. and now that I'm all grown up they demand respect and attention! I'm raging here to even imagine tomorrow i have to go out to lunch at these peoples place because a cousin of mine has come down from Alaska for a few days and he will be leaving soon. because college is off now and i have nothing much planned I'm trapped into attending a social do despite not wanting to.. damn my fate!!

guys if you have such relatives..shun them or simple run away!! they are a pain in the A$$!! and do pray for me that i can endure this tyranny tomorrow without being my usual outspoken self and be the perfect darling daughter to my overtly emotional mom, who thinks the world of these trashy relatives!! :P

JU Memories

The year is coming to an end. With it so many plans and dreams and i'm inching closer to leaving
home. college too is almost over. what with the exams ending the 5th semester, a new semester will dawn only briefly, to end. college life in Jadavpur University [JU, where i study] too will see and end, and an era too will end.

our building as viewed from the parking lot.




Jheel in our college and the hanging bridge

I have grown up hearing stories about JU and its various places and things available from dad [my dad was a pass out too of my college] but i never really loved it for what the college stood for. in fact i never even considered applying for the college let alone wanting to be or not to be, in it. Not getting through Xaviers was a huge blow to my dreams and to my ego too, despite my grades and my extra- curricular activities. then dad entreated me to go with him to fill the forms in JU, reluctantly i followed him. and the first look of the campus i fell in love with it. the natural beauty, the greenery, water bodies, the ambiance and the vastness; to say the least. i couldn't believe my luck that i got through in JU when dad called home and announced! what joy it was!! and what irony!

My class-after vizaq trip

My college life until now has been a period,when i grew up from the naive lil girl freshly out of school. life to me, was almost an empty canvas with its bright patches, hint of dark impending ones and those not so happy grey ones too. first semester will always be the sweetest memory of the lot. i made friends and quite a few good ones, emotions ran very high and high voltage drama winded it up, with me loosing out on a very close friend. second semester, ensured a whole lot of healing and forgetting, with new set of friends, adda sessions and lazing around, life was almost bliss;until i realized how futile and fake it all was. then came a semester of bitter truth,revelation,hurt,pain and disillusionment and complete retreating into my shell. from there rose a new me, battered bruised but one who could rise from her ashes true to her name. things from then on was a lot more dull and shabby until the trip happened February this year. i got back my friend whom i had lost. and life fell back into place. sigh!

friends- during one of our hangout sessions in CCD

Just a few more months and the ordeal will be over for good. i know im looking forward to the ending of my days at JU but there is an inherent sense of loss for the campus that has witness all things good and bad. it feels bad to even think that i wont have the same profs anymore. there wont be the trips to the departmental library, or the chats on the ledge, not those brief yet jovial conversations with our profs; classmates wont be missed much except maybe one or two but the rest will be,in its entirety. my years in college taught me the essential lessons that one needs to learn in this struggle for survival.maybe they were tad bit harsh, maybe a part of me has died, but the lesson is well learnt.

memories of unwanted faces will be forgotten with vengeance.
links to them will be de-linked
but those, that stood above the rest
will remain forever cherished
engraved in my mind and heart
as the happier times spent.
JU will remain a symbol
of all that i learnt and all that i earned,
and all things happy
and nothing more.

Back To School

Today I went back to where I started out. I went back to play school where my education and this struggle in life began. My prof’s [the one who is my favorite. I thought you'd like to know :D :P] daughter applied there too and i had gone along as i had been an ex student of the play school and its the best in the city. Thankfully salsa [sir's daughter] got in, without a hassle :) it was nothing short of an achievement for all of us present there.. we saw salsa being born, her first toddle and then her very first birthday and now to see her go to school. Man! These days’ kids grow up real fast!! *sniff*

Getting in through the gates, I walked in to the place that is monumental in my being "me". I went back there almost 17 years after I had left it. Memories of my first school is a lot hazier now, cobwebs are preventing it from it being more clear but the essence it there. I was almost feeling a sense of timelessness over take me. As I sat opposite to my ex princie who is Kusum Bhandari of Graphiti of Telegraph Zodiac Column’ fame; I was just overcome by this all consuming feeling that almost rendered me helpless. What or what it was its hard to explain. There were so many lil toddlers who were moving around in chains and holding hands, little knowing that the race to survive to succeed had begun. Each would go on to fight for their seat in one of the reputed schools of the city and would secure a bright future for themselves.

Really going back to school was something and has made me so nostalgic!! It’s weird how I was looking forward to this year ending as if my life depended upon it and now when its here and now; I feel this apprehension pulling me back from actually fully enjoy it. I had never anticipated a lot of changes that are about to rock my world but here they are, staring at me. In my anticipation of the goal I forgot to look out for the means to reach it and the changes id have to make to meet it. So it’s a sudden impact that hit me. There is a lot of soul searching to do now, loads to prepare myself. So if you find my next few posts all senti and nostalgic, you’ll know what to blame.. I hope I haven’t bored you to death? If I have.. then don’t even tell me about it ! :)

AWARDS Shower

There have been award shower all over me. Divs did a damn good job giving PJ a stiff competition :) thank you so much babes and Yamni too for a beautiful award and The Lover too for the amazing award, for thinking me fit to receive such an honor... and im about to pass them off to other lovely people... in case you already have these awards please dont mind :)

Next set of awards are the recent ones from PJ and yamini
And id like to forward the following to- Divs, Harshita, Richa, Trina, Anwesa, Tara,The LOVER,mayz and Ria
this goes to PK, The LOVER and Mayz
These next set of awards were given to me by DIVS :)

This one goes to-PK, Yamini, PJ, Aqua girl, Mehreen, Akshat,Crystal, Mithe,Ria

PK, Pj, Harshita, Tara, Richa, Anwesa,Ria,Yamini, Preetilata,Mithe, Ria
Harshita, Divs, PJ, Preetilata,Pri,The LOVER, Mayz, Ria
Harshita, Divs, PJ, Preetilata,Pri, Hemz, Sam da[ sumit da], valencia, Ria, Mithe,akshat,HEMZ

Harshita, Divs, PJ, mayz, Richa, Sam da, Valencia,hemz

Harshita,Divs,Hemz,PJ,Mayz, The Lover and Divs
PJ, Hemz and Harshita

this one is from The Lover :) and id like to give it to Divs and Harshita


Do check out my new update on my photo blog. its the pictures of my visit to the zoo with samik and family. lemme know how you liked it... link is here

FUN post!!

I had this pending for a long long time now. and since im just taking a lil break and cant seem to manage to think of something to write.. just imagine ive been blogging daily during exams and now when they are over, i seem to have a writers block :) anyway happy reading and hey! do answer them too as your comments :)

1. Name the thing you sleep with.
my cellphone :) and my dreams

2. The best excuse you ever gave to your parents to miss school.
hey! i never missed school!! i used to get attendance certificate :)

3. Your dream man/woman ie the qualities you expect in your life partner.
maturity. ettiquetes, sensitivity, loyalty and honesty

4. The first boy/girl who asked for your phone no.
there was this sexy neighbour, we infact dated and then broke off [i was under false impression that i was in love!! :P]

5. The worst quality in boys/girls.
boys- no matter what you need you will never get 'all' of the guys, there will still be some ambiguous corners that you can never ever reach out to. [exceptions are there]

girls- are inhibited and are big time spoil sports with their frills and furs. [exceptions are there]

6. The moment of life you felt proud of yourself. Please put up the incident also.
when i won my school elections to win the vice house captian of Yellow house [in class 9 you become the vice captain through elections, first major post in school] then i went on to being house captain the following year and then again the prefect in 11 and 12, occupying all the major positions in school, that too through voting where the whole school had to participate. and the bliss came when both the two years of my [vice &] captaincy my house won!! :D it was a great moment to raise the cup and my best friend being the loudest person cheering for me! bliss!


7. The worst habit/quality in you.
im overtly critical, the first person i criticize is me. :D

8. A thing you always wear except clothes.
my confidence

Thats all.....so have fun in answering them.

Updates

So finally exams are over!! time to rejoice...my last exam was rocking and no guesses for this one.. yup it was my favorite prof's paper :) so now that my exams are over i have a 'to do' list waiting.. loads of laundry,reorganizing my cupboard, some serious thinking and loads of fun needs to be done ASAP!! a small little trip is in waiting and wow I'm excited about it... and then there are a lot of social do's to attend to. Sunday I'm supposed to go out on a picnic to the zoo with Samik's folks and two adorable kids, Mohor Samik's neice,aged 2 and Rishu Samik's brother[uncles son]aged 4. i get along well with both hence the request was made.. boy wont it be fun to be with kids and visit the zoo after more than a decade of my last visit. there are a few marriages i have to attend to, not that i look forward to it but then Samik and i need to attend it nonetheless, his office colleagues after all.

This time i have planned to take time off from the 20Th-4Th of January from all the pesky kids i teach. i ll be on total rest, and hopefully loads of fun and entertainment will come my way and the way things look breathing will be the last thing on my mind :) but hey the first and foremost i need to catch up on some solid sleep. Ive been deprived of sleep. in the last 42 hours, i have slept for only 2 and a half hours. been up since 3 today, had exams then a tuition's and then this royal event i will just come up to. needless to say I'm dog tired and what i need now is to slow down and simply rest.. sigh!

Okay now for the royal news. my friend is the coordinator of our college for NDTV and he ensured that i was among those who could be on the sets of NDTV's Kolkata round of 'Indian Of The Year' program. it will be aired and as an audience i was there in both the Hindi and the English edition of the program. i even got to rub shoulders with the creme de la creme of Kolkata's social circuits, Usha Uthup, Bikram Ghosh, Dolly Basu, Derek O'Brian and few others were present. what was best about the English edition was, that we discussed the war on Mumbai in depth and the comments and solutions that came up were a proof of politically radical Indians who really care and follow events instead of just turning a blind eye to it. in the Hindi episode we had a discussion on 3 major categories in which there were nominees and if we were to vote from each category then who would we vote for? what was most interesting was that people actually came up with the modifications that could be made in the list of nominees; but what was important was the desire to see a common man who has reached the zenith to be the Indian of the Year, and almost everyone voiced spontaneously that all those who were a part of the rescue operation in the war against Mumbai deserved to be the Indian of the Year.

I got some first hand knowledge of the journalism that takes place, the nitty ghitties of shooting, the camera angels and how this whole system works. i was fascinated how the whole episode was shot spontaneous without rehearsals or any script. the mark of a great journalist is to man any given situation and here Mr Vishnu Som excelled, not only with the interaction with the crowd, the powerful throw of the words but most importantly how he weaved the statements of commoners and the celebrities alike into a whole, and moderating the whole episode. I'm totally floored by the professionalism and finesse. man! what an experience this is!! *Sigh*

Time to hit the sack or i might just collapse here...

Have a happy weekend..

Cheers!!