Bongs: The food loving, gourmets

No doubt, the bengali mothers spend most of their time of the day in the kitchens, cooking one dish after the other. The bengali tribe is known for it's love for food. Kolkata is one place, where there are a variety of cuisines available. "Oh! Calcutta" is definitely a must try (esp. for the Delhiets) if you are interested in quality bengali cusine.

The height of the love for food amongst 'bongs' can be judged from the transcript below, which is a sample transcript of a typical conversation between two lovers. Yes, both of them are bengali.

Girl: Ranna shesh holo. (Just finished cooking)
Boy: Ki baanal e, lunch e? (What did you prepare for lunch?)
Girl: Macher maatha aar laau diye sobji, daal, macher jhaal, aamer chaatni aar bhaath.
(Vegie with Fish-head and 'ghiiaa', daal, fish with musturd sause and chilli, mango chatni and rice)
Boy: Bah! tumi to khub bhalo mey. (Bah! you seem to be a very good girl) [The first deviation from 'food' in the conversation....]
Girl: Thank you... Tomar ki khete bhalo laage non-veg e? (What do you prefer in non-veg?) [Back again on 'food']
Boy: Chicken
Girl: Amader biyer pore tomake roj weekend e chicken er dish baniye khawaabo...
[After our marriage, I will prepare a new chicken dish for you on every weekend]
Boy: ummm... good...
...... and so on...

No doubt for them, food forms an essential part of their relationship.
Bon appétit 'bongs'.

Inteha Jagjit Singh

This is the name of the new ghazal album by Saheb (Big Music, Big Music and Home Entertainment). Released after a gap of couple of years, this ghazal album features 8 tracks, and thankfully containing ghazals by various poets.

There are two ghazals by Payyam Sayeedi (remember "ab ke baras bhi" & "hum dosti ahsaan wafa" from yesteryears releases of JS?), and one each by Faragh Roohvi ("dekhaa jo aaiinaah"), Rajinder Rahbar ("tere khusboo mein base khat"), Sanjay Masoom, Aalok Shrivastav, Amjad Islam Amjad ("chaand ke saath kaii dard") and Naseem Ajmeri.

The compositions are good and especially good is the rendition of "intehaa aaj ishq ki kar di" (Payyam Sayeedi). However, age has taken its toll over his voice as is pretty evident in this record. I think, he should now refrain from releasing and recording studio albums. Concerts are still OK, but not studio recordings.

In terms of poetry, "Inteha" is better than his earlier records, though choice of poetry could have been better. A romantic album by Saheb, could not have come at a better time in my life, than at present.

Here is the lyric of "Manzilen kya hain...." (Aalok Shrivastav), the ghazal having the most catchy tune in the album. Again JS outsmarts all other composers, in this very short beher (10 syllable) composition. The beher of the ghazal is Khafiif musaddas makhbuun mahzuuf maqtau with the pattern 2122-1212-22.

Manzilen kyaa hain raastaa kyaa hai,
hauslaa ho to faaslaa kyaa hai.

Woh sazaa deke door jaa baithaa,
kis se poochoon mirii khataa kyaa hai.

Jab bhii chahegaa chiin legaa woh,
sab usii kaa hai aapkaa kyaa hai.

Tum humaare qariib baithe ho,
ab dawaa kaisii ab duaa kyaa hai.

Chaandnii aaj kis liye nam hai,
Chaand kii aankh mein chubhaa kyaa hai.

N.B: This ghazal is ‘hamradeef’ with the famous ghazal by ‘Ghalib’, “dil-e-naadan tujhe huaa kyaa hai”…. I have no doubt, that if “pressed”:) , JS can render both the ghazals in vice-versa tunes.

Pink Panther 2

I have watched all the movies of the Pink Panther series. The ones featuring Peter Sellers as well as Steve Martin. Each movie is fantastic!

Now, the Pink Panther movies never have any basic sense of story and are filled with nonsense comedy. But the way it was acted by Peter Sellers, and now by Steve Martin is just wonderful. Of course one would find many people who would complain of "missing" Sellers, but for me both are hilarious.

It has become a fashion amongst the critics to criticize Pink Panther 2, but I found it as likable as the others in the series. If I find Sellers's dialog "Do you have a rrromm?" funny, then Martin's "AAmburyer" is funny too. Ms. Aish R. B. has done a good job too. Rubbing shoulders with Steve Martin is of course a "big thing" (remember the press conference by Inspector Clouseau in Pink Panther (2006)?) for any artist.

Observations

Well, the travel was a nice change, after a long time. Almost after six years! This gave me a good opportunity to note various kinds of people and their behavior under varied circumstances.

At a "romantic" night a newly wed couple who were on their honeymoon and having dinner on a beach side restaurant I observed the young wife, neatly dressed and her husband. The look on the wife's face was so strange. It was almost blank. The way she held the pizza-triangle in her left hand and munched on a small bit, forcing her lips to remain closed, made the entire scene so mechanically romantic. I hope, I am proved wrong in my analysis. Honeymoons should mean excitement and fun and laughter all through. On the contrary I had the opp. to get acquainted with two middle aged couples. Boy! they had a gala time on the whole trip, their tiny toddlers along with. No doubt, I vouched for the plan, that it is a good idea to go for one's honeymoon, after a certain period of time, say an year or so after the marriage, especially in cases of "classical" arranged marriages in India.

Another individual who left an impression on my mind. This time in the dirt filled road leading to "Traimbakeshwar" temple on Maharashtra's state transport bus. I observed the lady bus conductor. Now, for someone who has ventured not much out of Delhi, a lady bus conductor is in itself a "big thing". But what I noticed, was her smart, middle aged matured look and the way she carried herself during her duty. I really admired her professionalism and efficiency of work.

Just wondering, how it would to have a lady bus conductor on Delhi's blue line buses :). Just contemplate the situation that she is asking an elderly man to step back from the gate. "Arrey taaoo....paache na holey..."

Religious abnegation?

Shall the goal be achieved doing all these things? Maybe, because not doing these have not yielded results as yet. Let us see.

Oh yes! the title credit for this post goes to Tess. Thanks.
The question mark is to indicate, the confusion, whether the title phrase is actually what I meant or not.

Self proclaimed "Best Friend"

President Obama in his message to the people of India, on the occasion of our Republic day declared that America was the "best friend" that India has. Well, though the Indian media went "ga-ga" over this "personal" touch, is it not the other party that should feel the same? Is not President Obama's remark a little laughable? I hope, the President means with all honesty, in what he said.

And how many times have world leaders pledged their friendship towards India? It is always driven by vested interests, like cheap labour, opening of the Indian markets for their industrial dumping and even refuelling their fighter air crafts rather than actually standing by us when the nation needs international support. Our foreign policy too may be a bit to be blamed, since at times of international crisis we always tend to look towards the developed powers, rather than take bold and tough decisions by ourselves.

Getting married

No, not me as yet :) I refer to the title of the post in third person narrative. Actually, of late I've been attending in short spans, marriages of my close friends.

Knowing them so well for the past so many years, it is an unique experience to see them go through the motions of the rituals and the "hulla-gulla" associated with typical Indian weddings. I never forget to ask them the question, "Kya ab feeling aa rahi hai?" (Do you get the feel of marriage, now?) just after the marriage is over, and their answer mostly tends towards the negative.

They also speak of a "turning point" in their life. After this, they need to plan, act and decide taking another "big factor" in mind, which probably they never did during their bachelorhood days. That could possibly explain, the "change / maturity" one talks about after marriage.

Hmm.... interesting thing, this marriage stuff....