home and back!

Just returned from a short trip to home....

It was a never-ending feast for me.... And also had some friends as guests... we all came to attend our batch-mate Nimisha's wedding! Quite a break for me... Now back to usual work.....

a glimpse of the sky

Our terrace is my favourite place in our office. Amidst all the routine office work, its so refreshing to catch a glimpse of the sky above....

The gentle breeze so soothing and the sunlight gently caressing....
Always makes my day!

Friday the 13th

Its Friday today and my 13th post! But I really don't feel 13 is unlucky for me.... I spent an entire year in Hostel 13 in IITB and was quite at peace (the room had a lovely view to the beautiful Powai lake)!

Anyways.... been quite hectic for me recently..... With a new project and my first client interaction! But went fine so far... just a few extra hours at office!

But I still managed to squeeze time to make the ZaBond poster... for the Nov star employee of Kuliza (hope u get where the 'Za' comes from)....

My Oasis

When I first looked at it... It was almost a ramshackle! Got it repaired, painted and ventilated.

Now its my home... my room.... my oasis....

Headless Mike

Its a true life horror story.... A rooster beheaded for meat actually survived without its head for 18 long months... The owner took pity and kept feeding it using a dropper! It finally died when it suffocated with a corn kernel which got stuck in its slit throat.

Mike became quite a celebrity because of his persistence to live! One would have expected that this would have lead more people to feel the cruelty and turn vegetarian. But the reverse happened! People celebrate a Mike festival gorging on the staple fried chicken!

This really shows how insensitive many humans are.... As a child I often had to accompany my Dad to the daily morning market in Kolkata. Its usually upon a footpath on the roadside - with many temporary stalls selling fresh fruits and veggies. The non-veg section used to totally gross me out! All the blood splattering... the helpless cries of chicks and fishes gasping for last breath! Oh the horror....

It made me want to be a vegetarian since childhood. But it was impossible at home, as being a vegetarian is like a disgrace to a typical Bengali family... And slowly I acquired the taste of flesh and became fish-loving bong!

When I finally left home to study at college, it was the first time I could freely try being a vegetarian. Initially I struggled a lot... had acute cravings. Tried to compensate for the taste with chips, chocolates and ice-creams. It lead to rapid weight gain sadly. And I cheated with eggs and meat often... specially when my friends kept teasing and tempting me with their guilt-free diets! I now realize that changing to vegetarianism is as tough as changing one's religion and support (not mocking that I received constantly) is crucial for success.

Anyways.... I m still trying to stick to a vegetarian diet and being in Bangalore now has been a blessing for that. The vegetarian options here are limitless, delicious and healthy!

Heaven

I started writing this blog post when I woke up at 2am today. I hit bed early yesterday night after I had plunged into minor depression and consequent binge eating (been struggling with food addiction since childhood). I even have a theory that I must have been a 1940s Bengal famine victim in my previous life. The temporary despair was triggered by a chat conversation with a friend that reminded me of my rather tragic-comic non-existent love life!

But nevermind, now I am up before dawn thinking about vague things... Like the relation between the infinite and the void!

Does heaven really exist? If it did how would it be like? The only idea of heaven I have is the vision I get every time I listen to the inexplicably beautiful Norah Jones song ‘Toes’.

Love Thy Neighbour

But its easier said than done.

Specially if you are living in a PG far from home where residents often encroach on each others personal space! Actually its very different from a college hostel where you live amongst friends. Here the only words I seem have with my neighbours is - "Has the mess food arrived?" or "The bathroom tap is leaking".

Its really hard to keep calm, when few PG-mates lacking basic etiquette keep clogging the basin by dumping leftovers. And when your immediate neighbour plays Pakistan TV channels in loud volume till 2am. Sometimes I wonder if he is a spy in disguise....

There is an acute sense of apathy when the landlord avoids fixing leaking taps to save money!

But everything is not as horrible as it might appear.... Our mess cook is a very pleasant gentleman who cooks with genuine care, and always smiles when he serves us! I have to communicate with him using expressions and signs since he neither speaks English or Hindi.

And there is a sense of belonging and security which makes up for all the negatives!

Jo Bole So Nihaal!!

A salute to the Man of the hour!

Truly admire your guts!
I omitted the kripal, because he never meant to use it. And I don't believe in bloodshed either.....

Mr. Blabber-mouth

I have this terrible terrible habit... I just talk too much.... Its an addiction for me and pain for all others who know me!

blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah....

Sometimes I feel the pinch too.... When my friends get tired of me & stop responding to my chat msgs.

I was discussing about this with my best friend Hemali, like how there is a void in our lives.... And we constantly feel the urge to fill it up with something substantial.... In my case its been talking and eating!


In my quest for Inner Peace, its balance which is needed now.... To accept the void and let it grow..... so that there is space for some harmony in the usual humdrum of life!

The Inevitable Truth

Death is the unavoidable truth. A few moments really reveal how fragile life is.

A few weeks ago while exploring a nearby mall I bought an indoor plant – a tiny thing sprouting five small leaves in a plastic cup. I was excited to have companion with me at my office desk. I carefully watered it and kept it in sunlight. But slowly one by one each leaf withered away....

Reminds of the time in college when my friend Geetanjali bravely rescued three abandoned baby squirrels. But in spite of her loving care they couldn't survive for long.

Isn’t it the same with most of our dreams and aspirations too...

On the way!

One of my best experiences as I came new to Bangalore was the trip to Shivsamundaram waterfalls organized by my batchmate Dhyan. It was an awesome get-away as well as get-together for our IDC friends in the city....

Its been quite a while now and what remains etched in my memory is the long drive, the rainy weather and lush greenery and the ecstatic dip in the waterfalls.... Lead me to make a quick sketch... Its more about the feeling rather than being an accurate description though.....

 

'Pagla' Drummer!

'Pagla' (mad) drummer was the name given to me while I did my engineering studies. I indeed was crazy those days... I took up the responsibility of organizing a bunch of chaotic individuals into a coherent 'college band', repaired the college drum kit and other musical equipment, and used to bang the drums so violently that I had almost wrecked the entire drum kit once at our college fest (duly taken back to the shop and repaired by me again).

Those were the days, I loved to wear head-bands and arm-bands on stage and flipped my head so hard playing that I regularly broke my glasses! Here's a pic of me behind the drums on a college fest performance....

My career(:-P) as a drummer began when I had just completed my class 12 board exams and was waiting for college admissions. My elder brother had a few months before joining his new job and got me drum kit! He played guitars and we played a lot together before he drifted away....

Then thankfully the drumming frenzy continued as I did my post grad in IITB. This time I could play better kits that our hostel music rooms provided....

Even now the bug haunts me and in spite of staying in a tiny 8foot by 8foot room in a PG in Bangalore I ended up buying an electronic drum kit! It plays like a dream and I hope I can continue with my passion further with it!

the Royal feeling!

A month or so ago my company Kuliza took a few of us to an off-site trip. There were some products to be developed in a strict (rather impossible) deadline. We stayed at the Royal Orchid hotel - Metropole. It used to be the Maharaja's guest house long back. The food was breath-taking (everyone from the waiters, to guests, to colleagues were taken aback at my tremendous appetite - forgive me....but two years at a govt hostel and 4 months at a Andhra mess was my previous track record)! But the work pressure kept us indoors, (we went out only once in the entire week long trip) and my collegues kept saying we had actually entered the Big Boss house!


It was indeed royal treatment with lavish rooms and excellent service, but I kept feeling a bit out of place in my shabby drawstrings and loose t-shirts.... The hotel was beautiful and I longed to make a painting....


So one evening I completely ditched my responsibilities and painted the courtyard! The painting was very well received by my colleagues and seniors and well worth the effort (quite a few hours and mosquito bites)! Here's the final thing....

Caricatures!

I have always loved drawing people... and specially people close to me. In fact sometimes I find deeper the connection I have with a person, easier it is to draw him or her! But then some people have very distinctive features and are indeed easier to draw. Others are rather 'portrait-shy' lets say!

I recently got to make a series of caricatures for some company employees..... More of a recognition of their perseverance and shall be put up in a large banner in office reception! The last one amongst them is my own....
Surprisingly it came quite well, and blended with the theme of bliss.... Though the contrasts are stark too, because personally I feel that I am still struggling to find balance in my life!

from a room without a window

Its just been a few days since I landed up in Bangalore. So far so good - I joined my job found a place to stay. The weather is really poetic, and brings a dreamy mood....

Reminds me of my first film concept, 'Threshold' where the protagonist experiences being in a new city surrounded by high walls and loneliness.