Tanha si koi ladki

tanha si koi ladki
khamosh uski zindagi
rang bharti jai usme
apne hi dhang se

sangeet aur sur mein dhunde apno ko
hansti hansati khikhilati jai
karm hi shradhdha.. usi mein nishtha
maan kar jiye ja rahi wo ladki

rah mein mile kitne jaane anjaane
kisine socha - 'aisa kyun?'
kisine apnana chaha usko
koi dosti lutata phire
koi dard bante
wo chahe ya na chahe

kisine ek baar ye na poocha
ki usey kya chahiye
azaad zindagi ki khonj mein
ab bhi bhatakti phire wo ladki

logon ki samajh itni hi choti
pareshan hoke ji rahi wo ladki

usey khuli hawa mein jeene do
usey bandhano mein na jakro

jeevan mein khuli sans bharne ki khwahish mein
ab bhi beetab hai wo ladki

RBC 2010 - Regional Bengali Conference

Regional Bengali Conference 2010(Regional Bongo sammelan) will be held in Franklin,TN next year. This is being conducted with support from many of the Bengali communities all across the US and arranged and organized by BAGN(Bengali Association of greater Nashville,TN). This is the 1st event of its kind to make Bongo sammelan accessible to a wider and broader audience. I would like to invite everyone in your respective region and surrounding areas since its being organized in my town this year. Please checkout the website for event registration and other details.. we are negotiating with esteemed artists and performers @ this time.. So please check back often for updates. It will be a really enjoyable, fulfilling and funfilled event.

In addition to sharing it with your community please do forward it to all your friends and family in the US.

Heres the website address: http://www.rbc2010online.org/

Thanks to all who are supporting us in this effort

my aVon store

well!!! had to publish it here sooner or later.. Very excited about the prospect. here it is - http://www.youravon.com/sganguly

My first business endeavor.. Hope and pray it sees success.. Avon actually needs no introduction. The name speaks for itself. Its sold worldwide and has been here for more than a century now.. how many of these name brand products you see last this long? with time .. aVon has revolutionized its product portfolio.. you are hence @ the one stop shop for skincare and beauty.. starting from age defying skincare products to treatment for your specific skin type, crowsfeet, wrinkles, acne, you name it and you will find a product for all your beauty needs.. you have it all @ your fingertips.. please feel free to browse my site and shop @ your convinience 24/7.. Most importantly - its the company for Women.. but you will be surprised @ the array of men's products.. check it out for yourself..

Juicy Steak - satisfactory meal for a gr8 dinner price

Well!! she wanted a taste of it so we finally ate out @ TGI FRidays. ordered a 8oz well done steak with onion rings, mashed potato and french onion soup. Was awesome and so was the prices of the meal - $15.05. Couldnt believe when I signed the receipt it was that cheap without compromising the quality of course. Sorry Ma you have to excuse me for this.

My new Slow Cooker

O wow!!! thank you technology. I get a warm cooked healthy meal, which cooks on low heat, all thru the day while I am not home. Why was I averse to this good eats this long? why o why o why? had chicken stew with toasted butter bread for dinner nah!! shud say supper last nite and have plenty of leftover hence todays dinner gets taken care of too.. the way our lifestyle is these days, jumping from job to home to several planned activities.. healthy eating gets compromised.. cause - 'no time to cook'.. but thanks to my Slow Hamilton Beach cooker .. bought a 5 quart crock pot for $17.00.. aweosme price too.. for those who dont have one.. go ahead .. indulge .. u will love it..

Indian Mothers in the US

My observations have shown we have 2 types in general:

some who have completely americanized and are mostly not concerned about their kids day to day activities or life in general. These parents are the ones who speak aggressively about kids privacy,etc. And then if they come to hear about issues their child is facing @ school... act most surprised..

The other group although have probably been living in the US for 3 decades or more cannot leave the age old customs and traditions and rules and regulations of parenthood followed in India. They need upto the minute details about whats going on in their children's life. They talk to their kids frnds and parents to learn about who their kids are hanging out with.. dont understand why a 7 year old kid is getting a call from her frnd.. oftentimes scolds and cajole their children in front of everyone(which is considered embarrassing by the kids of course).. setting curfew times and hours.. let me think - what else.. well in short everything that is considered embarrassing by the kid. But then agin the definition of embarrassment these days is overated too..

where do you draw the line?
thats where the 3rd category of parents come in -

I believe every parent should be involved in their kids life so much so that they have a general understanding of how their kids are and who they are socialising with and how they are doing in school or other activities.. theres no harm in asking a who or when or why to their kids.. cause until 18 all kids are dependent on their parents financially or otherwise and also during their growing phase they can take advantage of their parents experiences.. they should be able to build a bond based on honesty and trust.. they should encourage kids to openly share their thoughts and feelings and keep parents updated about their whereabouts..

theres a saying - 'if you love someone set him free'.. true.. but in case of love for ones own child you cannot let that happen.. you arent actually restraining the kid... yet a kid growing up would be lost without proper and timely support from the parent..

which category of parents am I?? I think ppl who see me everyday or know me can say it best..

its probably the toughest job in the world!! hands down!!

so many saying comes to mind instantly
*happy parents make happy kids and a happier future gen
*spare the rod spoil the child

I dont think we can ever have a Worlds Best Parent award.. cause every parenthood is unique in itself..

Happy Parenthood!!

sPonge

Your mind is like a sponge they say. SO true.. Every single day it is seeping so much info thrown @ it.. working non-stop to process it and regurgitate it @ the right moment.. na! nope!! stop!! dont u get mind freezes? I do all the time.. if there is an impending thirst for more knowledge..more info regarding a particular topic.. its frustrating to hold it off until a fresh morning that is 'tomorrow'.. ven under pressure to take a decision, psychologists suggest - 'sleep on it'.. it usually gives u a fresh insite and/or perspective into things.. unless I am on something to knock me off totally I cant sleep thru the nite.. anyways.. some phases in life takes you thru tough loops and its hard to see the end result and even though u take a decision - it might end up being this - 'man proposes God disposes'.. so this complex mechanical unit 'our mind' works from passion to reason to randomness to limitless such other levels of interest.. ironically now I cant seem to think any further.. so I shud call it quits.. :D

Better is yet to come?

They all say that. Every thing in life is transient. Passing phases. Here now gone tomorrow. we talk, we gossip.. then the tables are turned.. new events, new happenings.. almost everyday.. some stick with us for life.. some we tend to forget.. anxiety for what.. fear and apprehension for what.. I wish I had A crsytal Ball then I could laugh it all out.. cause then I would know beforehand what is to happen.. do I want that? I dont think so.. life is all about surprises,changes,happenings.. living thru it gives it the true meaning.. as humans we crave it.. thats the essence of life.. who knows..

khamosh baithi zindagi ke aine mein jo dekha..
gam aur khushi se bhara carvan dekha..
jise dekhne ko ji taras gaye..
taqdeer ki us badnuma dag ko na dekha..

Wat am I where am I @ this juncture!!

Sure am glad I still am sane.. it irks me to follow routine and yet I am tied by 'that' most of my life.. were one important factor is health the other end of the see-saw is money.. so much to learn from your own life.. most frustrating part is being tied down by relationships, finance, health,age and your current logistic situation.. excuses!!! helplessness to risk it all..

Durgotsav

wipes out all my pains and sorrows every year ven she pays yet another visit..
the conqueror of Demons.. Ma Durga..

She brings light.. drives darkness away..
She brings joy.. keeps sorrows @ bay..
She brings warmth.. rejuvinates the soul..
She gives strength.. drives cowardice away..

Jai Ma Durga!

Dibilitating Perspective

O wow!!! rampant thots out there.. once you start looking and knowing people's thots it amazes u .. people with personalities are often applauded and mostly criticized for what they believe in - 'You have a voice, you have individuality - o No!! u dont belong'.. I dont understand the cluster mentality and hardly appreciate it.. yet we live in a society and belong... the societal rules are mostly made by us yet.. its hard to digest it at times.. most people lack maturity.. still stuck in a rut of 'what ifs' and 'why nots' like little kids...
for example:
its against my nature to just pick up the phone and talk.. theres hardly time for chit chat.. yet people expect that from me.. is it my fault?? who knows.. email on the other hand is a safe easy way to communicate.. drop a line and also give the other person his free time to reply back(assuring him/er that he/she is in ur thots).. no pressures.. besides sometimes its hard to express urself in few spoken words or just situation makes it tough to get thru to someone just being wordy while speaking.. what then?

anyways.. just things going thru my mind.. also the same situation starts every person off on a completely different thot process.. my experiences have taken me thru different thinking process depending on personality and sometimes one logic beats the other
its so hard to find someone you can trust
the crux of the whole topic is - probably a childhood friend will know you best.. all others dont really care much.. its more about their thots.. their ideas.. their logic and their reasoning and what they did for you... it was never about you right from the start..

sometimes it helps to be a person of very few words... that way you hardly get into any confrontation with anyone.. big question is can an open person like me be that?

you know I believe in 'Chi'.. the negative energy all around me is probably getting to me...

even after jotting this I hardly feel any different from what I felt sometimes back.. life is confusing.. u cannot pinpoint what is right and what is wrong.. its all so subjective!!

Politics bothers me!!

Always heard that politics is bad in every which way you look @ it. Have gotten a chance to see it up close and I already hate it. No wonder I never had an inclination for it. Enter politics, and simple moments of fun in life are gone for good. Trust factor stays @ Bay always. You have to have really weird logic and reasoning to support your own cause most of the times. Its hurtful to many, outrageous most of the time and limitlessly audacious. Inspite of that, we live with it almost everyday - cause politics has infiltrated every walks of our lives.

You dont have to be brave - ALWAYS

Dealing with news of death - the harsh truth that sticks out its fangs no matter what you do to relegate it to painful memories of the past.. its a mental torture for you to just breakdown and cry.. 'u gotto be brave sailor!!' the transient phase between the 'now living' and 'gone tomorrow' rips your heart.. they say 'theres a time for everything to come to an end'.. but what about life? why cant we go about the same enthusiasm about death as we have for life itself? lets face it - its a blatant truth!!! a 'rub it on your face' kinda fact.. which you cant put behind you..

Running out of ideas for gifts

Come someones b'day you are forced to think on an idea for a gift.. I love shopping.. so it goes without saying that I am always on the lookout for unique gifts to suit a person's personality. There are so many ideas in the bday/any occasion gift pool but the easiest and most convinient is a gift card. It gives the person the freedom to buy whatever he or she might need @ any point of time.. and you, my friend, dont have to rack your brains about it :).. But then again as one of my friend rightfully points out - 'gifts should come from your heart.. it should have a touch of your personality too.. if you know a person well you will be well aware of her/his likes and dislike and choose a gift accordingly.' Absolutely a fact !! but dont you get brain freezes sometimes? Besides the pressure sure is on if you set some sort of a standard.. there cant be a showdown :).. in case of kids, and mostly boys, we know what they want.. mostly the latest and greatest electronic games will do the trick - bring a grin of 'YES!!!' to their faces.. but adults are probably a little more trickier to please..

Friendship

How do you define this term?
Some say in friendship u r transparent to your friend - no secrets, utmost honesty, 'a friend in need is a friend indeed', advicing, sharing,etc.. so many phrases to connote what a friend can be?
he/she can be a lover, a consort, a confidante', he/she can even be your nemesis..
so many thots cross my mind ven I think what or who the best of friend can be.. so henceforth ven we off-handedly introduce an acquaintance as a friend, lets do it with some respect, cause theres a soulful feeling attached to calling someone your friend..

Sorry!!

My heart feels heavy.
I think I cried.
I am feeling sorry.
Dont know why.

Just some phases in life I dont wanna revisit.
Yet life brings it right back @ my feet.
I know I will cry.
Shed tears and say Goodbye.

Its too complicated.
I know it is.
But I have decided I wont submit myself to grief.

Not for me not for anyone else.

Habit - thot for 2day

Adat se majboor.. adat ke ghulam ban mat bande!!!
gar zindagi ki suraj doobne ko ho.. To Khud!! ko adat bana bande!!

Heck!!! another 1 minuter from me :)

Jaun kahan bata ei dil

Sasural Genda Phool

The song by me. sorry just a min of recording.. Crappy audio mid software brings up registration error. Enjoy!

Sasural Genda Phool

Lost in the Crowd

Not one day goes by ven I dont checkout all my Smokey Mountain Trip Pics. Why? Well!! it was a reunion with my high school friends. And definitely different from any trip possible.. People!! I am talking about old school friends here. What comes to mind? Unlimited masti, fun.. cause you know these guys from a pretty early age whence circumstances were gradually building around you to throw you into the wide wide world of jobs, responsibilities, family and you know wxatly what I mean.. but @ that time everything cud wait cause u werent yet a graduate.. all those numerous gettogethers, bday celebrations, annual functions, welcome and farewell parties and picnics you organized with these same friends.. and you get to meet them once again in different situation as responsible adults, with jobs and families.. everyone has had their share of experiences - some good and some not so good... but heck!!! its a reunion.. so who cares about the rough patches in life.. we met, we drove, we chatted, we laughed, we cooked together, we went rafting, we went site-seeing, we got drunk, we had the most fun ever possible.. when something like this comes along - you arise with a new energy to face the big bad world once again - rejuvinated.. we hope to meet again.. someday.. cirsumstances mite change.. but we carry with ourselves the ultimate joyous memory of being in company of OLD friends who so long were lost in the crowd.

Dear

Why am I a Dear?
I am merely a human here.

my goals arent that clear
about luck,love,life or career.

my mind sets the barrier
I think had enough of this 'er'

Time to go grab a beer!!
Only if it tickled my taste bud.
Rather fall from a rooftop with a 'Thud'

reminds me of great tasting wine
Today I forgot to dine

weird rhyming attack of mine
cant stop .. so I guess its fine

Where am I going with this? O Lord Divine!
Better stop now before I get stuck on another line..

phew!! Boy!! did I struggle with that
Yet another feather in my hat??

Doing Nothing!

Has it ever happened to u? all day maybe sitting around doing nothing.. ya!! sometimes I do that.. and then feel terribly guilty that I was unproductive.. but ven I get in that lazy state of mind.. theres no stopping me.. eat just anything stashed in the pantry or the freezer.. watching just about anything on TV.. in my case.. its endless disney channel.. whawck!!!!! had enough.. cant take it.. 'lifes what u make it' with Hannah...Wizards of Waverly places.. and Suite life of Zack on Cody.. how many of them did I see? Dont ask.. i forgot counting right between Hannahs song and Zack goofishness..

The distance between new and old HOME

Just got back from India - we feel excited about our trip and exclaim - 'ami deshe jachchi' - a jargon alrite!! the right expression for this wud be 'am going to India'.. yet in Bengali 'Desh' means a country u r a citizen of. Its a misnomer for many of us who are either US citizens.. or a resident of US by choice.. for me Kolkata happens to be my 'Desh' right now cause my family resides there.. but thats not exactly my hometown since I was born and brought up in Rourkela, Orissa..

anyways had a relaxing vacation back with my family..
I am sitting with a cup of tea which doesnt taste the same.. whats missing?
the thot of cooking is painful cause I know its no match to my Ma's cooking or the lady who cooks for us everyday back home..
I am missing the round table 'adda' over tea and cookies(biscuit) as simple as Marie ..
the wait every weekday for my sis to head home after work so we cud chat our heads out..
the shopping a highlight of every Kolkata homecoming event - bargaining coaxing and cajoling to bring down the prices shamelessly with the street vendors @ Gariahaat and even New Market.. the spirit.. the life.. the streetside phuchka, egg roll, the chaat, of late the onslaught of KFCs and Pizza hut with Indianised pizza and fried chicken..
its a love hate relation which coexist and is really charming..
the hot and humid weather - u cant imagine staying in the same clothes all thru the day.. yet everyone walks out the door in tiptop shape and outfit.. of course with a large hanky.. the crowd in each bus stop.. the push and shove to make it to the bus door..
the walking on the pavement in pairs of new and not so new love.. almost every 'single' human being has a love life..
as u ride the bus or taxi or auto to your destination u will notice the roads lined with buildings of all kinds.. some falling to pieces.. and some brand new stanidng proud right beside the one suffering the effects of time..
a mix and match of old and new.. for example.. theres a Grand Hotel museum - which is the old version of the brand New Grand hotel..
its amazing..
every traffic signal you will be horrified @ the host of beggars .. yet they r asking alms of people riding in mercedes, BMW, and all kinds of cool car.. this coexistance in almost equal proportion is mind boggling..
Kolkata amazes me? why? I call it my home now.. sometimes I dont know what to think of this city.. yet I feel drawn.. IT companies cropping up like mushrooms.. yet slum areas almost outnumber any other city in India..
now my new home is US though.. I came back and almost jumped back to normal life without much difficulty.. everything is so organized and running in schedule here.. heres how.. last time I went to India - I lost my baggage which showed up 2 weeks after.. while here too I lost my baggage and it showed up the next day I landed here.. I dont know what to think.. its all too confusing..
what a mess yet interesting place my vacation home is!!

Mind Matters?? It sure does - heres how

After the long tiring weekend - was kinda sorta stretching while waiting @ a traffic signal during my commute to work.. it took me about 45secs to realize that the light had already turned green.. was glad noone honked @ me... and my mind started racing.. we who have too much commute should own a Grand caravan(just a bigger car). more leg room.. so we can just park somewhere and have enough space to stretch.. my mind switched to thinking about owning an RV(Recreational vehicle - 'badi gaadi'.. like Shah Rukh Khan had in the movie Swades),instead.. By Jove!!!! thats way beyond my means.. yet!! 'khayali pulav'..

Anyways coming back to my story - I had already taken the exit to the highway and what do I see? A Dodge caravan car right in front of me.. I hardly ever notice a dodge caravan during my commute.. most cars are usually - Nissan, toyota, Honda, the Benz, Audi - ones in a while or those pickups - Chevrolet, GMC..
Dodge?? hardly ever..I was really amazed @ the incidental coincidence.. wudnt you be? you think about something and wallah!!! its right in front of you.. many such things happen in life.. some we are forced to notice.. some just gets ignored.. what are these - mind games?? are thoughts just precursor to real happenings?? I often question myself about such things.. its a very interesting phenomena..

later in the day I was forced to think about my very own existence.. while picking up my daughter as I saw her run to me from the playground.. my thoughts started racing again.. what if I met with an accident and am unable to pick her up anyday.. you know what if our whole schedule goes awry because of a life shattering or life turning event... its not like I havent faced it before.. but no matter what noone knows about the future.. its so uncertain.. its so awe inspiring @ times.. its not like you think about 'what ifs' every moment.. besides even if you think , all events and incident categories are different.. noone is ever prepared for a disaster.. noones ever prepared for a catastrophe.. noones ever prepared to llose a loved one suddenly or even if he/she is terminally ill.. its all about the life blood , the pulse that throbs.. as long as its throbbing - we call ourselves 'the living'.. the sooner it stops we are no longer in this world.. I shudder @ the thought of it.. I have seen it yet its unbelievable.. its just plain harsh, a devastation that has no measure.. dont know why am jotting these down.. but maybe am Thanking the Super Power up there somewhere for being alive and well..and for being able to enjoy the joys of life.. and for my sweet daughter and family and friends..

cause mind is a complex organ.. dont ignore its indications,insinuations... sometimes it does take you through some absurd thoughts , sometimes illogical, sometimes profound, its endless, its working even when we sleep.. else how do you dream? our mind is a subtle intelligence @ play. My reverence.

An evening in Rourkela - written in high school

The tinkling bells of the ricksaws/bicycles
The naughty laughter of the children playing in the streets and by-lanes
A gentle breeze blowing thru the greenery
The sweet chirping of the birds
An occasional cawing of the crows
A distant murmur of a group of gossiping ladies..
changing scene with an occasional hawker selling groundnuts - 'mumphaliala'
Thats what makes an evening in Rourkela pleasant and charming

Subject Matters - written in high school

Shrouding those unknown horizons are new stratas unruffled.
Discovering and sharing the glory, thats what science is a means of.

Proving, analysing and solving the problems unrecountable
Discussing the philosophy of life after death.

Discovering the history of mankind.
Identifying the biological aspect that made man a living machine.

Explaining the geometry of lines prescribed on the human hands
Inculcating the literary spirits to surmount the unthinkable

And finally putting forth the geography of catastrophe that strikes humankind to convert it to oblivion..

Aint this the subject matter we all seek?

My daughters pet - A box Turtle(mini)

Out of curiosity she insisted me to purchase couple of mini turtles during our vacation to Pensacola beach Florida. She was asking for a pet for sometime now and so finally she had it. Eventually those became my and my mother's responsbility.. cause cleaning the tank every couple of days and feeding them every now and then was too much for my daughter. She would rather dig her nose into those innumerous Nintendo DS games or club penguin games.. so after my parents left and we came down to just one turtle ..

how?? well!! thats another story.. everyday we used to take them out of the tank so they felt free for a little.. the bigger of the 2 turtles' named Tom was always on the go.. he decided to take a stroll between the darkest hole one morning and was too quick for me to grab him out of his troubles.. which happened to be my apartment walls.. and he never came back from that den.. so then there was one - Jerry.. he went into severe depression after my Ma left..

why?? cause my Ma gave him lot of attention.. talked to him.. fed him raw shrimp or fish while she was cooking and he sat on the kitchen island watching her all thru the day.. he found company in my Ma.. while I was @ work and his so-called owner was @ school.. in trying to get back into a regular schedule we kinda forgot about Mr Jerry except for the fact of feeding him, after my parents left.. he waited in my bedroom.. in his little tank.. all day long to see us.. and we wud oblige him only ven it was time to go to bed.. this went on for a while and he refused to eat for a whole week.. thats ven it actually struck me - maybe loneliness got the better of him.. I wud call out his name and he wud stick his little head out with the saddest of look you cud ever bear to see.. so since then he has occupied my kitchen island once again and is happy as a lark... incidentally venever we eat he makes every indication of being hungry too and eats along with us.. he is part of the family in every which way possible now.. even now as I write he is digging into the pebbles in his tank.. lesson I learned - every being has mental and emotional issues.. whether we agree or not.. so treat them with some respect..

Reading - had been waiting for this day

Couple of days back my daughter brought a book home and insisted I read it. She said "its a very good book, Try reading one chapter a day if you dont have enough time". Its a text for 8-10 years old. So I hesitated - but again it has been a while and I wanted to get back in the habit of reading. So why not The adventures of Edward Tulane - a china rabbit with furry ears and whiskers and a furry tail made with utmost care and artistry for a 5 year old girl. His journey begins with Abilene and takes him through different households and even a hobo and his dog. Along the way Edward learns the meaning of true love and care and destiny takes him back to his first owner's doorsteps after several years. The illustrations where beautiful and I felt touched whenever by no fault of his Edward gets catapulted from his owners. It takes him from hitting the seabed(rock bottom) and also being in the trash for several months, to realize his loss. The moral of the story being - 'dont ever take anything for granted. Count your Blessings! be happy and glad for what is so dearly your own'.

My happiness arises from the fact that my daughter, who hasnt developed a knack for reading herself yet, coaxed me to read a book and finally got me in the long lost habit of reading again.

Only son sydrome who is a genius

This is a new term - I hope some psychologist comes upon this soon before its too late. Cant go into the gory details of it. Its not a general widespread disease. its opposite of ADHD but only people who have been affected by it can understand the tremendous impact of it. We need a treatment for this soon. Cause I believe a boost in self confidence and assistance with channalizing the arrogance factor of the person effected with it into something positive instead of self contentment will help some.. But I aint a doc.. so I rest my case here.. this is for those who have been victimized by it. reach out to someone who can help. dont submit to misery. I know some cases and am shocked and alarmed.

From one day to the next

Have been here several times thru the month .. dint feel like leaving even a scrap.. sometimes u tend to run out of ideas or even philosophies to jot down.. of late my mad scientist project is just living life 'as is' and grabbing a chance @ every little happiness that comes my way.. you might think - 'Duh!!! everyone does that normally.. whats the mad scientist got to do with that?'.. true!! yet sometimes in our rush we do forget to enjoy the little things in life and always crave for a bigger event or big blast completely ignoring what we have in the present, what we have to ourselves.. for example - my child is honest, he is always truthful to me.. thats great.. we cant take things like that for granted.. it needs extra effort.. its appreciable in a child ven he probably cud get away by telling a lie.. things like these never take precedence in our day to day life.. when it shud.
Thats just an example - whilst it has potential to open up a pandoras box..
For Heaven sake science has evolved and has invented devices like a lie detector to catch criminal minds and even regular people and we are talking about honest kids?
See thats where the mad scientist link comes to play..

My daughter loves me and is concerned about my Well being - thats another fact and I cant take that for granted either.. heres the link - the other day she was sleeping over @ her friends house and I was home by myself. They heard Tornado sirens and saw Newz flashes on TV about Storm and Tornado watches.. her friends and family took cover in the ground floor closet and I got a franctic call from my daughter warning me about the weather and saying - 'Ma please take shelter in the ground floor closet'.. I was so touched by her concern.. I know she loves me but during times like these that love just gets manifested.. I am so Blessed!

heres to numerous such deeds that seem so normal but has a tremendous impact on our everyday lives..

Delhi6 - Sasural Genda Phool

Am hooked on to this number. A very sweet song and so earthy. The mere mention of 'Bush-shirt pehine khaike bida paan' - this is from the Chattisgarh region in Raipur. Rekha Bhadarwaj rendered it very beautifully. Please listen to the full song in youtube.

The movie in itself is live 'Ram Leela'. Didnt like it @ all. Besides the Genda phool I do enjoy listening to Masakali sung by Mohit Chauhan and Rehna Tu by Rehman himself. Both are unique in their rendition too. Hats off to Rehman.

Nashville - confuses me!

Am residing here for a good 3yrs now. Every year I seem to learn something new about the city and particularly about its people. This being a capital city has its mix and match of good and bad. It has surprised me, amused me, frustrated me, entertained me, outright shocked me. I want to have a birds eye view of the city from a copter maybe and see how it looks from the top, cause I am too entertwined with its soul down here. Have learnt very quickly how to keep an eye out for what will grab or attack you next. Just like weather changes here every 15 minutes, people's wavering mind do too. Whenever I try to take yet another shocking change in stride, another one comes knocking @ the door. Is it me? I dont think so!! cause I have moved from California to Oklahoma to Tennessee and have never experienced such frequent changes. Maybe something in the air and water or maybe too much allergens hovering around which downright clouds normal thinking. Whatever - still waiting to see whats due next.

In Orissa - My hometown Rourkela

People are so unaware.. India just doesnt comprise of these metros - Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai.. diversity has made India culturally rich but it leads to no ground for Indians to debate about which region is the best in modern times.. its vastness lies in its numerous villages and also smaller cities and township not just the metros.. one such township is my hometown Rourkela, Orissa.. Orissa has been put in the map of history mainly cause of the Kalinga war during King Ashoka's reign.. the aftermath of the war simply changed Ashokas course in life.. he sacrificied his luxurious and kingly life and embraced the path of non-violence and set out in search of 'nirwana' following the footsteps of Lord Buddha..

Orissa is made famous by its 'filigri' work on silver jewellry.. applique work called 'pipli' on wall hangings.. did you know the Sun temple @ Konark rivaled the splendor of the Taj Mahal @ one time.. its largely in ruins now cause of lack of funding for its upkeeps.. but every year it is the center stage of India's largest classical dance festival - Konark Dance Festival (http://dances.iloveindia.com/dance-festivals/konark-dance-festival.html) .. its an experience in itself.. the Shiva temple -'Lingaraja' @ Bhubaneswar is yet another mark of beautiful temple architecture.. and the Jagannath Temple @ Puri and the world famous Rath yatra 'car festival' is celebrated with all pomp and show here..

Orissa's greatest contribution to Indias musical and dance scene is the graceful Odissi dance and Odissi vocal.. in the world of sarees - 'Bomkai' reigns supreme.. then theres Sambalpuri silk.. Ved Vyas was born in the confluence of 3 rivers - Sankh, Saraswati and Koel river.. it is lined by several caves where he once is said to have split the vedas in to 4 and authored Mahabharata.. (http://www.world66.com/asia/southasia/india/orissa/rourkela/sights/vedavyas)

the 'Chillika' lake also a bird sanctuary for several migratory birds has breathtaking views.. among modern architectural structures are the Hirakud Dam which is among worlds largest Dam.. Paradip port handles tones of cargo every year - (http://www.paradipport.gov.in/)


The Rourkela Steel plant(part of Steel Authority of India Limited(SAIL)and a Public sector organization) itself is an indo-German collaboration.. Rourkela is a very well planned and green town with the famous Ring road which in a way connects the whole township.. The city itself is flanked by hills on all sides.. City has its own Aerodrome :) and many beautiful parks like Indira Gandhi Park, Jubilee Park,etc and every year winter marks the time for its annual Flower and garden show.. Its the home of 'Hamuman Vatika' - (http://www.rourkela.com/hanuman.html) where the tallest Hanuman statue of 75 feets overlooks the entire vicinity.. home of one of the famous National Engineering College(National Institue of Technology(NIT) - Formerly REC Rourkela).. thats just one among several such educational institution..

Rourkela has its own local TV Channel .. my sister used to be an anchor and news reader and I have performed several times on local TV myself.. highlights of the year used to be the Sangeet Utsav when judges were invited from all across the country.. I actively participated almost every year until it was time to go off to college.. we had several picnic areas in and around Rourkela - Jhilpani, Khadahar, Blue Stone, etc

I can go on and on.. when people scorn me for my being a Rourkellite this is my answer to them.. can you match this kinda contribution of my homestate to any others.. this is just a few.. theres more to where I come from..

Bangali A to Z - My 2 cents

A - "Appayon"(hospitality)

B - "Bhaja" - deep fried version of fish / chicken to saag or any kind of non-vheegis or vheeggies... "Bibaho" - marriage....a year long festivity.. noone can beat that.. starting from "meye dekha"(seeking a bride) ->Ashirbaad and culiminating in Bou Bhaat...O!!!! Honeymooning in the one infamous beach "Digha"..... "Boktovyo" - I have an argument...dont start an argument with a Bangali.. u will never win

C - "Chappal" - flip flops - universal footwear to any attire - "Dressed to Kill" is an understatement..."Cha"(Tea) - favorite beverage of every Bangali - no Adda starts without that...

D - Dada(elder bro.. any man is a Dada in Kolkata).... Didi(same for women) Daroon(awesome)... Dadu(any man with grey hair is Dadu).. Dida(same for women)... "Dhuti".. now mostly worn by men on festive occasions - putting it on is an art in itself...

E - "Engraji"(english for english) - Ha!!!! Go figure... "Eije!!! Shuncho" (Honey!!! r u listening?)

F - "Fhameli" - greatest treasure of any Bangali

G - "Guru!!!!!! ki deyecho" - an exclamation.. "Ganguly, Saurav"...

H - "Hirok Rajar deshe"(in the kingdom of King Hirok)...famous children's movie directed by Satyajit Ray...every Bangali kid has seen it.. "Hooogly" - the river..

I - "AMI" - me - period

J - "Jhol"... Bengali form of Curry.. dimer(Egg) jhol... mangshor(meat) jhol.."Jilipi" - mouth watering, crunchy Indian sweet(snack) - usually eaten for breakfast.."Jam" - Traffic Jam.

K - "Kali"(Ma) - Bangali Goddess of Strength.."Khoborer Kagoj" - the Bangali newspaper - a Bangali cannot go thru the day without reading one...

L - "Load Shedding" - Power failure .. loochi(suggested by a friend)

M - "Maidan" - the race course.. "Metro" - pataal rail.. Mairii!!!(I swear - an exclamation)... "Mukhe Bhaat"(Annaprashan) - first time a child eats solid Bangali khabar(food)

N - Netaji(Subhash Chandra Bose)

O - "OOO!!!!!!" struck with realization or Awe

P - "Payesh"(rice pudding) - the ultimate dessert for every occasion.."Prem" - ajoshro - for everyone

Q - Queue - unending queue to get gasoline, to buy ticket, etc...

R - "Rock e boshe adda" - the corner stone of every lane in Kolkata made famous by the younger generation

S - "Shordi Kashi" - cough and cold.. year around.. no matter what the weather is..."Shonar goina"(gold ornament) - a Bangali tradition...

T - "Taanter saree" - arduously starched and ironed cotton saree that brings out the beauty of every Bangali meye(girl) .. "titkiri" - teasing girls

U - Uphoria... music band made famous by Palash Sen...

V - Vivekananda(Swami) - need I say more?

W - Weather of Kol - mostly hot and Humid

X - X - who knows...

Y - Yoodling by KishoreDa - Kishore Kumar(can u name one other Indian singer who can do that?)

Z - Zoo(Alipore)

Notes - "Bhision"... optical vision - short sighted - almost all Bangali - literary vision, scientific vision, philosophical vision, any vision beside optical is profound - uncontested..
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Home Water Damage incident round up:The complete Saga:

date of the incident - 17th January 2009(Saturday- it was a long weekend ‘cos Monday the 19th was Martin Luther King Jrs. Bday)):

Came back home after my music and dance classes to be welcomed with completely drenched carpet in my first floor and standing water ¾ of my large 15 by 22 sq feet room.
I could still hear the gush of running water somewhere behind my home walls.
First thing I did was backed out of the garage and park in the visitors parking area cos Ishani was with me.

Then knocked at my neighbors door thinking they might have accidentally left a tub or sink running and that caused the flood in my home.
No reply.
Then knocked @ Gloria’s door. She wasn’t home so called her to ask her what I should do next.
I bought my home just this past year September 08 and now I have water damage?? Didn’t exactly know the details yet. Felt like crying out loud. Haven’t felt so helpless in a long time now.. but cudnt do that .. had to take control of the situation before it took a toll on me.
Anyways Gloria said that she was out of town hence she would ask her neighbor next door who happens to know plumbing work to come out and help me shut off the main water that runs into my house.
Guess what he wasn’t home either. So I had to call 911 who then directed me to the fire department.

The fire truck came within 5-10 mins of my call and shut off the main line outside of my home. They kinda looked around - unplugging stuff from the walls that bore the water damage.. which included my home phone. They said they took care of 17 more such cases before me. Phew!!!! So much for good construction material used that holds up against any weather. So here I am very few minutes left on my cell and my home phone is out too? Besides God knows what the water bill is gonna be like this month?

They pin pointed the source of water to a freeze burst caused by the past freezing temperature that Nashville experienced this year. They suggested few companys that do water damage restoration and asked me to call my insurance company first and discuss how to get this fixed. One name stood out for secondary damage recovery – SERVPRO.

After they left I didn’t know how to start.. where to start. Anyways pulled myself together to assure Ishani that we are gonna be fine. She was terrified about the whole incident. She was like ‘Whats Mama Gonna do now? Can we ever get out of this situation.. o!! whats gonna happen to our home’

Then started the barrage of calls to warranty and insurance company. The warranty company were supposed to find a contractor for me to do the plumbing job(since it related to structural damage). But even after 24 hours I didn’t hear back from them. The earliest they cud get to my work was the next Tuesday. That’s beside the point since the extent of the secondary damages would be hard to recover. Hence they suggested I could call my own contractor and get the services authorized from them.

That’s what I did. Just picked up the yellow book and started calling plumbing companies who wud agree to do a free estimate of the plumbing job needed. Settled with ARS- Rescue Rooters who came in the very next day morning and gave me an instant estimate. I got it authorized by my warranty company and the same day they located the pipe and fixed it. It was such a smooth job. The technician who came to fix it just tapped all along the wall which was damp from the standing water and accurately found the ‘culprit’ pipe. It was no doubt a freeze burst. He just replaced that pipe with a flex pipe and hence the primary damage was fixed. Now the monumentous task of drying the whole area.

Instantly what would come to your mind. If you thot mold – right on the dot. The walls have been wet for over 48 or more hours now. The insulation pads inside the walls are damp. The wallboards are damp. I had to get the preventative care process started. So called servpro and my home insurance too. The crew that came in – ripped off the carpet and disposed off the carpet pad underneath it since it was soaked thru. They also knocked down about 1 foot of the wall and removed all insulation since everything was wet. Then the very next day they brought in huge fans and heaters to start the drying process. And the drying took about a week to get done. So that parts all taken care off.

Now starts the rebuilding process. I am letting my home insurance handle it from hereon. The work took 2 months to finally complete. No complains!

The age factor

I always wondered how 'old' that popular actress, or singer or model or dancer is?? recently found out that Mandira Bedi and Alisha Chinoy are my birthmates. Am not among their fan club and have never been.. but nontheless.. the knowledge of this fact disturbed me .. I think I am still young :))(what woman doesnt!!! ha!!).. yet when I think about particularly these 2 women they have 'been there done that' long time ago.. one was made famous by the 'made in India' number back in the early 90s and around that time the other was made famous by the series 'Shanti'.. gosh!!! it sounds old.. kinda prehistoric in this genre.. but look again.. these women still maintain a pretty glamorous profile to the outside world.. what is it that keeps you looking young :
1)regular exercise?
2)a pretty consistent sense of humor?
3)your heart
4)Botox??
5)sheer - bare minerales (well the ads on TV claims so!)??
6)the hollywood diet
7)??
if anyones reading this, would love to have some philosophical inputs

Another new Year is here - Welcome 2009

The post is a day hence.. yet the thots are heartful - A very Happy and prosperous new year to one and all. When we wish our family and friends.. Wonder how many of us really think about the centiments and thoughts that are engrained in those wishes.. For some people .. his/her entire life changes within a year in front of his very own eyes for good or for worse.. for some it remains the same from one year to the next.. for some there are some huge moments of happiness, of success, of good fortune, of absolute satisfaction regarding his/her way life is going.. ya!! I have it in me to take on the challenge of embracing the unknown.. yet quiet apprehensive about the unknown territories .. Sure wish I had a time machine to zip me thru time spending as little or better yet no time where sorrows are lurking.. but again ying-yang theory.. each of our life has complimentary parts of both joy and sorrow.. its distributed in our very being the minute we are conceived.. so its best to not complain and take life in stride..