To vote or not to vote

So, I went voting. It was the Municipal Corporation Election in our city. For those who do not understand what it is, very simply put Municipal Corporation is urban local government that takes care of the basic necessities like the city's healthcare, transport, housing, education and other community services. It is headed by a mayor and represented area wise.

Although we have  majorly three electoral parties viz. CPI(M), Indian National Congress, Trinamool Congress Party and Bhartiya Janta Party, the EVM had a long list of other party representatives which I could neither recognize nor tried to. However, having said that, voting has been made easier recently. NOTA (None of the above) option has been an welcoming move by the Election Commission and this has made more people voting pro.

Politics today is  accentuated with frenzied vehemence that we as children had never witnessed. The pre poll forcefulness was all over the places and we were anticipating a not-so-happy election day. Well, all was not so bleak. Our election day was marked by galore of green, saffron and red. The party people were rendering help all day long. The day was hot, windy and by the time the voting was over, the sun turned liquid.

Later in the day as we got to know about acts of merciless savagery from different parts of the city, I realized that we just have been a fortunate lot. I was lucky - my election day was peaceful and a dignified one too.

Photo (C): MouD

More than two years, four semesters and several coffee cups later...

More than two years, four semesters and a result day later I take this trip down the memory lane. The trip, rather a deliberate one, is an endeavor to unfold the series of sequences in my life for the past two years. After almost ten years of similar work pattern in office, I wanted to take up something different. So MBA it was. My choice of taking up MBA was partially greeted by father and fully by others who matter in my life.

I was dwelling in a comfortable office environment with decent package, post and an ever understanding boss. I was contemplating it too. The decision to pursue MBA came all of a sudden. And amidst that suddenness I stood eligible, completed the process of registration and got myself enrolled in a leading B school. It was a two years course comprising of four semesters. Each semester had five papers, five assignments and a Project in the final semester. As much as the process was simple and methodical,  I was swept by the grandeur of the books, papers, pens, colors, academics. The idea of reliving the school days was just fantastic. 

It was tough though. I pulled through the first semester with extraneous zeal, with fewer timeouts and I  refrained myself from all kinds of internet trails, socializing and pleasures that would make me happy. I was studying all the time that I was at home. That was but a few hours after office and before sleep. That came to only three to four hours of studies every day. Meanwhile, I learned mean, mode, median, central tendency. I learned debit, credit, financial statement, bill of materials. As much as I dreaded the thought, I loved the practice sessions. I scored well in them too.

Semester II got really hard. Given the enormity, I decided to change the study pattern and started looking at it from a different point of view. I took up a subject and disliked it, then I took up another subject not it liking it again I took up another. It was like a vicious circle and soon I came back to the first one. I started studying the subject yet again hoping that it might just work this time around.  I was intimidated by the quantitative techniques. My sister tutored me on Skype for a few days but given the vastness, it seemed just like learning the vernaculars. I was exhausted. The sampling methods, data preparation, Manova, Anova etc. My friend came everyday to help me with the debit-credit but it was not my cup of tea either. I was struggling with every page and every day. I was half-hearted at work and was continuously hit by the idea of not making it.

There must be some truth in the adages and perseverance indeed gets us closer to our goals. Also, it's all about doing thing differently and with lot of conviction too. So, I strategically took up the assignments and as I went along solving them  I was learning too. I looked up for every term new whenever I confronted with one. And I was delighted to realize that the system was working.

By the end of Second semester I was smart. It didn't feel awful after that. I was neither complacent nor insecure. MBA is supposed to be tough and by then I had fallen into the groove of dozens of unusual things. I refrained from everything that felt good. I said NO to me-times except for the pre shower hours on Sundays. I learned to let go of the tempting materiality and learned to be more poised.  Even in the in-between semester periods I tried to stay focused with not so much of aberrations. I carried a long to do list which I gradually checked and by the time the new set of study material arrived I was done with the list. Not only did I manage to create a solitude all around me I started loving it also. Lack of human presence did not bother me anymore and I was continuously trying to sneak in extra time for studying. I was falling asleep too and sooner my sleep pattern changed. I turned into a cat-napper.

The third sem brought in lot of fresh air since I could finally get to study the subjects of my choice. Also, I came in terms with everything bizarre, everything less exciting and everything so unsurprisingly books. All said and done, I was still waiting for the Project Work. The synopsis that I had sent after the second sem was approved in full. I was very excited since I was looking forward to start off with my project. It was on a subject matter that I have been observing very closely for many years. The strategies, methods, hypotheses, sampling, the surveys, questionnaire, test runs etc. - I was living it.  Finally after a series of edits I finished the Project Work. By then, I was truly, madly and deeply in love with it.

The fourth semester had unwanted technical issues. Like the hard copy of my project was sent to a different address and I had to redirect it to the correct one, in one of the papers in the third sem I was incorrectly marked absent and I had to sent series of mails to get it re done, the 4th sem center was far off from my home and I tried my best to change it but in vain, etc. The Project was the most exciting and the most time consuming too. I could concentrate on the academics only after I had completed it.

And finally it was over! It was sudden too. One morning I was simply without books! I had yearned for this moment to arrive when I would divorce myself from anything academics, anything MBA. But it felt like an undefined void!

So, almost four months past my final semester, more than two years of studies, several email trails and countless coffee cups later, I humbly admit that I am figuratively smarter than some people on earth. I am a MBA.

Photo (C) ~ resourcefreak

Why no selfies for me

'One word is too often profaned' and it is untaming, obsessive and addictive. It is the inane act of taking 'selfie'. Selfie is the buzz word that has taken over all other internet jargon in no time making it the most used and the most abused smartphone app.

I find this selfie thing very annoying. I hate people taking selfies all over the places, whenever, wherever and out of no where. They don't stop at it and go on to post it in social media for reasons best known to them. The falsehood that envelops the 'likes' from ghost friends in social media is something that gives us virtual pleasure. We are mystified by the unknownness of the internet little realizing that we are drifted far from what is real, what is beautiful and what is ours. I hate it when five to six and more people take a groupie ( a group selfie) when they can conveniently have a nice photograph done without much ado and very neatly too. People are so much obsessed with themselves being appreciated. (So what it is from some virtual user names - some even with funny alpha numeric prototypes). Every second the internet is congested with few thousands of selfies making it viral with unwanted fragmented data. It scares me to think about it all. Once we post a photo we just have had it! No way we can undo its footprints from the face of internet. As a result, ten years hence we just might have to bite our tongue for some duck face act years back. Who knows we may have to struggle to get weird excuses to convince our kids!

Having said that the usefulness of the art of selfie taking cannot and should not be ignored. Selfies are saviors in times of need. It can reach you to someone you badly need to instantly. Like to your doctor who just wants to see your not so nice face spots or your friend hair stylist who may come up with a brilliant suggestion on a bad hair day or your family geographically far apart. To add to it if you can master the art of taking selfies you can really have some confident photos to archive.

Selfies with celebrities have replaced the good ol' time sake's autographs. I wonder, how do the celebrities go through the ordeal of posing with the fans upclose and personal. I find this bizarre. Selfies, today, are all over the places and people post too many of them too often. Also, the celebrity selfies in the endeavour to reach out to the people are all over the social media making the art very shallow and abysmally misused.

Personally, I do take selfies at times when there is no one to take mine and when I may just need to send one to my family abroad. I think that makes sense since I am not posting them on social media just for the sake of it and waiting every moment to check the number of likes that I derive from it. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook are three top 'most selfie abused' places in the world wide web. The downside of this? Something that we are going to pay the penalty for in near future. The penalty for misusing the most beautiful and useful invention of the century - the internet. And the legacy that we are going to leave for our children would certainly not be a pleasant one. Something to ponder upon.

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Bengali Phuchka, Delhi Golgappa, Mumbai Panipuri - what's in a name!!

A mouthful of round crispy puri, filled with some amazing smashed potato filling, seasoned with mystic flavours and drowned in heavenly tangy tamarind soup - one quick big bite and you are done for! That's phuchka for you - eat it guilt free.

Earlier today, I thought of sharing the amazing recipe of bengali Phuchka, also known as, Panipuri, Golgappa etc. But a few tea cups and several minutes later, I decided not to. Phuchka can never be technically discussed. It is but to be devoured without wasting time. It is to be relished the mystic flavours very gently till you put another into your mouth and then another one and then another.

Phuchka, very simply put, is inflated puri balls stuffed with a special filling of mashed potatoes and riot of flavours served with a special dip of runny tamarind water mixed with variety of magic masala, a sprinkle of freshly chopped coriander leaves and chopped green chilies. The filling consists of mashed potatoes mixed with black salt, red chili powder, roasted cumin powder, boiled bengal gram or chickpea. It is the most chatpata, savoury snack that the Bengalis can die for anyday.

For the savory dip tamarind pulp should be nicely blended. We need to add black salt, red chili powder, squeezed fresh lime juice (gondhhoraj lebu), fresh coriander leaves etc.

Nowadays we get many interesting variety of phuchkas like ghugni phuchka, alu dum phuchka, dahi phuchka, batata phuchka, chocolate phuchka, dhokla phuchka, schezwan phuchka, chana masala phuchka, churmur phuchka, sukha phuchka etc. However, I love the normal tangy phuchka with the usual aloo masala and salty tamarind water.

So, folks if you are Calcutta do not forget to taste this amazing ball of flavour. It’s easily available at every other the corner, every ‘goli’ and ‘more’, and trust me you are going to love it!

Photo - CalcuttaFoodJournal

The magic of beautiful people

Being in recluse is a nice thing. One thing amongst many is that it helps us revisit some special memories and some special people. Talking of which I am reminded of an incidence that occurred not so long time ago in my workplace. 

I was feeling very bad about a patient who was upset over the doctor's consultation fees that he was charged by the hospital. You can do little about such things. The hospitals and the doctors are supposed to charge - nothing different about it. 

Haggard looking, distressed and unstable on feet, the patient came from a remote village. The fact that he was in crises was apparent. I saw him counting money several times before he paid up. His waiting time was accentuated with queries which I tried to explain to my best. He also told me about how he would have to walk back half the way for he didn't have enough money, how hard he work every day etc. 

Our hospital is one of the best in the city and is known for its top class service and goodwill. People come here for the good service. It's never been criticized for its high pricing policies. It was apparent that the man came to consult a good doctor and the hospital brand didn't matter to him. 

I felt bad but did not know what to do. After a while I told my boss, a renowned cardiologist, about it all. He listened to me and instantaneously took out a one thousand rupee note and asked me to return it to the patient. It was that short and simple for him.

Although, that was not the first time he did something like that, I was overwhelmed. Flabbergasted, happy, peaceful - with medley of emotion and series of lumps inside my throat, I handed over the money to the patient. The man broke down and could not thank me enough. I was choked indefinitely.

Today, as I reminiscence this, I realize that life is beautiful because of some amazing people who never fail. Yes, we come across many people in our lives but some are unfailing in their magical gesture. They are unfailing every time and all the time. I call them beautiful people.

Your own Bengali recipe - Potoler dolma, potoler dorma

Today I am going to share an easy recipe. Potoler Dolma/ Dorma is a delicacy in Bengal. Notwithstanding the fact that it is not usually available in the UK or the US, I am going write this blog since this dish can also be prepared using other vegetables as well and of course I love it (no points for guessing).

Potol or Parwal is a green vegetable indigenous to India. It is also called green potato, perennial vine or pointed gourd. While researching, I also found that it contains major nutrients like magnesium, potassium, copper, sulphur, several vitamins, calcium and plays essential roles in human metabolism.

Potoler Dorma/ Dolma is simply put fried and served-with-gravy stuffed potol. The stuffing can be varied according to your taste and imagination, ranging from coconut-mustard crumbs to fish to meat stuffing. This recipe is about Potoler dolma with chingri (shrimp) stuffing.

What you will need:

Fresh, rounded potol/ parwal

Shrimps

Onions - chopped and paste

Ginger - paste and julienne

Garam masala - whole and powder

Coriander, cumin, red chili, turmeric dust

Green chili, freshly chopped coriander leaves

Salt to taste, pinch of sugar

White oil, ghee/ clarified butter

Preparation:

Graze the skin and wash the vegetable (potol) under running water. Cut the ends and scoop the seeds out from the potol till a nice pocket is formed inside the vegetable.

The stuffing:

Clean and wash the shrimps. In a wok add white oil and ghee and saute the chopped onions, ginger julienne, shrimps, turmeric and red chili powder, garam masala powder, freshly chopped coriander leaves and green chilies. Keep stirring till the ingredients get nicely blended.

Fill the hollow vegetable nicely with the shrimp and spice blend. Allow to rest for 15-20 minutes. In a wok add oil and ghee and fry the rested potol till it changes color.

For the gravy, add oil in the wok and sprinkle small amount of whole garam masala, cumin seeds, 1-2 small bay leaves.

Add onion and ginger paste and one by one add the dust of red chili, coriander, cumin and turmeric and little water. Sprinkle sugar and salt and stir continuously till a nice rich gravy is formed. Add the stuffed potols, add warm water and turn down the flame. Simmer for a while and allow to rest.

I like eating potoler dolma with steamed rice. You can try it with parantha, roti, bread - trust me, you are going to love it nonetheless.

 

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Photo (C): tastytreat  

Remembering Fr Boris D'santos

I have known Fr Boris since his days of ailment – not a great time health wise but was enormously empowering for me and many like me who have been fortunate enough to have sat with him. He would always exude great positivity even when his health was failing him. His health was deteriorating and he had to visit the hospital often. I remember him sitting in recluse, composed and with a face that never ceased smiling. He would wait without complaint. The waiting times were the happy reminiscencing times. 

Father Boris was rendered the best possible med-help, and with Rev Brother Chintamani SJ around things were always sorted out. Brother is the best possible gift to theSt Xaviers  infirmary and he is the person who had been Father Boris’ companion til his last breath. 

When I last met Father Boris, he was extremely frail and feeble. Amidst that, he told me not to cease doing the work I was doing. That was the last time I saw him and the lifetime of virtue that he induced going to stay with me forever.

Rest in peace -Rev Fr Boris D'santos

1934 - 1914

Father Boris, the long-serving former vice-principal of St. Xavier’s Collegiate School, Calcutta, passed away on !3 August 2014. He was 80.

My rendevous with ST Xavier's College, Calcutta 

The day that was at ST Xavier's College, Calcutta 

Photo credit: St Xaviers