After 8 years I managed to make time to visit Calcutta. And what a great trip down memory lane it was!

Met dear relatives, my cousin Bhagu (who is also expecting a baby) and visited old haunts which I would visit during the 4 years I was studying at IIT Kharagpur.

I spent a half a day on Park Street with Soubhik Dawn.

We intended to meet over breakfast at Flury’s, but it was insanely crowded at 11:00 AM. So we skipped that and headed to Barista just across the road, which seems to be languishing though it’s on a high street. We recounted our lives from the time we last met, giving and taking updates, advice, and frustrations.

Post that we headed to the Oxford Book Store on Park Street. It used to be my favourite haunt while at IIT Kharagpur, as it gave me access to a world of books. I really enjoyed spending time there, sitting on the beautiful wooden benches and reading/reviewing books.

That accomplished (and after I made a customary purchase – The Big Short by Michael Lewis), we headed to Esplanade. I had wanted to check out my regular haunts such as New Empire Cinema, The Globe (it shut down some years ago), Sriram Arcade and the Dominoes inside New Empire Cinema. We took a walk around the block, all the while talking/discussing/sharing.

We then ended up at Peter Cat for lunch. After all these years, I found the experience to be lacking/hyped, possibly fed by my standards and memories of visiting it as a student.

Soubhik Dawn then proceeded onwards, and we parted at Cammac Street. I decided to walk down Cammac in search of Vardaan Market, which I found.

This place allowed me to shop to my heart’s content for Ninaad’s clothes. Got him some good indian traditional as well as western outfits.

I then took a taxi to Suresh Kaka’s place, and we got sweets and visited most of our relatives in celebration of the birth of my son, Ninaad.

The rest of the evening was spent chatting with family at home. The next morning, I left for Bangalore.

Some photos from my trip can be found in my facebook album, Calcutta Chromosome.

… is what I want to do. Too many things happening at one time:

- Random people trying to hook me up with some female at my cousin sister’s wedding ceremonies.
- Having this feeling that I am at a turning point in my career, and what I do next will either make it or break it (well not really). Not that I know this is that point.
- Paying all my bills in time (jus the on-time part.. not the money part).
- Getting my tax papers in line so as to submit and clear it all up by 31st July.
- Setting up the new laptop I got from work (it’s light as hell, or should I say heaven?).
- Getting enough rest and exercise in.
- Wanting to read enough books.. currently reading Bono in conversation with Michka Assayas.

I’m out this post, but I’ll be back. Hasta la vista, baby.

So we decided to go out yesterday, me and my cousin Rahul. Started out with a dinner plan and snowballed into something completely different. WE got dinner, me and him separately. Pray how, one might ask? He was busy helping his friend and I was hungry, so while I waited the half hour for him I had my dinner.

After he came and had his, we decided to go check out a movie. Since there was not one which evinced any real interest, we chose to go play Pool instead. We did do that, which ended in a draw with 4-4. I saw some kids playing Counter Strike, and thought that “Shotgun Shetty” should make his return. I started out without the shotgun, but seeing my ass being shot down so easily I reverted back to my trusted ally. After that there was no looking back as I ruled the roost (yeah baby)! We played for about an hour, and then spontaneously decided to go get cold coffee (at 12:00 am).

There weren’t too many options, but Durga was open and there was a student crowd of the kinds I had never seen before! I went in and was smatt enough to get four glasses (knowing neither of us was going home after just one). After relishing the coffee, we headed home only to find that my uncle and aunty were up watching a crappy Bobby Deol film. I ended up watching it too, after which me and Rahul were chatting and being online for a while. I conked off shortly thereafter, but not before Rahul got me to hear an amazing song – “Sutta na mila“: check out the lyrics on SMR’s blog. You all have to hear it!!

So I made a visit to Mumbai recently, and had a gala time. Met up with old friends, and missed out on meeting a new one. But all in all, an amazing time was had.

Spent a great deal of time home with my kid sister, Kavya. Some pictures

So my sister got engaged on the 14th of August. It was beautiful, though hell for me and my brother Rahul (her fiance is also called Rahul). We were running around keeping things in order, and work for the engagement had started weeks before *duh*!

So I have pictures, esp for ca_va_sans_dire and Jaro. I’ve divided them into 3 days just so it’s easier to follow the train of events as they took place.

Day 1 – Two days before the engagement

I don’t know what it’s all about, but suddenly I yearn knowledge. And I mean of all kinds. I’m hoping certain people re-enter my life and give me another chance to have some interesting, introspective as well as intelligent conversations.

Along those lines, I miss Arul as he is one person I know who is knowledgeable about ‘Chaos’. Why?

Because the other day I was trying to cross a 2 way road. There were vehicles attacking my section of the road with jest. There was no opening for me to cross the road as I needed to analyse the traffic in both directions (without a divider between the them). This went on for quite a bit, and just when I thought I could see no pattern in the chaos called vehicular traffic, there was this sudden break in both directions at the same time! The window was just wide enough for me to cross the whole road without stopping, and it made me wonder as to how the rules of chaos, or the lack thereof allowed for such a window.

And since then this has happened quite a few times, it makes me wonder if there really is a pattern in chaos. And if so, how does it work. Any ideas/comments/suggestions?

And so I did go to Mumbai this weekend. Had a long list of things planned. This is a partial list:

- Meet Hemir (friend from Atlanta, and also an ex-roomie)
- Play loads with Kavya (my seven month old cousin sister)
- Meet Anuradha (friend of a friend)
- Collect important papers from my uncle’s place
- Shop a little bit
- Inventory books and other things still in Mumbai
- Get my camera charger so as to allow some picture taking
- ……

As you can see it was meant to be a packed weekend. Now I will show you and updated version with what was accomplished and what was not:

- Meet Hemir (friend from Atlanta, and also an ex-roomie)
- Play loads with Kavya (my seven month old cousin sister)
- Meet Anuradha (friend of a friend)
- Collect important papers from my uncle’s place
- Shop a little bit
- Inventory books and other things still in Mumbai
- Get my camera charger so as to allow some picture taking
- ……

The reasons for not meeting the people on the list but managing everything else has to say something for my people skills. Well not really, since there were genuine issues which lead to us not meeting up. These will be expounded later.

Oh and btw, I did go to Shoprite in Mulund. Awesome place, that!

Okay this post is to make Paul-ass (pbandy34) jealous, and I’m going to try (notice the stress on the word try) to take away all his girls!

My mama (maternal uncle) Manish who is more of a best friend than an uncle, recently adopted an adorable 4.5 month old baby girl. She is the cutest kid I know, and I’m glad to finally have a little baby sister (I’m an only child).

Here are some pictures for you all:

Kavya by the way, means poem.

Two more pictures under the cut