Excited as I was about our adventures in North Sikkim, I dived in and wrote about Lachung and Yumthang. But the first place we visited was Kolkata. That’s where the journey really started, and we spent a day there because it is a place close to my heart. My grandmother grew up in Calcutta. Having […]
Indian Coffee House
smoke swirls coffee tastes peculiar i drink it anyway, along with something with mustard mainly for the mustard, rather than for the ‘something’ people stick political posters over the board that says ‘SMOKING IS A PUNISHABLE OFFENCE’ people ask for ash-trays and get them or they don’t ask for ash-trays and they tip ash on […]
Trams in Kolkata
Yes, I’ve written about trams before, in a post with the same name as this. But how could I go to Kolkata again and not create some more tram memories? My grandmother often told me about how her father always gave her the fare for first class tram tickets to college and back. Like so […]
Varsha and the Kerosene Stove
“So, Mamma, there’s no geyser in this place and they’ve given me a kerosene stove to heat water. What to do?” “Hmm. Okay. What kind of stove is it?” “Mm?” “Does it have a pump?” “No.” “Good. Okay. There’s one cylindrical thing that’s loose. Pull it off. Okay? Now there should be another cylindrical thing […]
Buying a Fridge
My sister came to Kolkata and helped me buy a fridge. It was a long and detailed exploration, comparing brands, sizes and prices at various places. We wandered around, visiting shop after shop before we finally decided what would suit me and made the purchase. We spoke to my parents that night, relieved. “What brand did […]
The First Year Away
I remember the time the house got flooded and I put my mattress up on the fridge. I shared a bed with my flatmate, and we watched dead cockroaches, plastic bags and coconut shells floating around us. I remember the time when a thief came to my window in the middle of the night. He […]
Trams in Kolkata
The first time I went to Kolkata, I also went to Darjeeling. I was much younger then, and I was really just visiting my father’s city, the place he grew up. We went in a tram, of course, and in Darjeeling, we took a ride in a toy train. Everyone talks about how picturesque that […]
‘Stranded’ in Ahmedabad
I remember the time when my father decided to surprise me by coming along with me on my flight to Kolkata. My flight had a stop over at Ahmedabad, and he decided to pop into Ahmedabad to see a friend. Until we reached Ahmedabad, things were happy and smooth. I was duly surprised, duly happy […]
Local Trains
I have a distinct memory of a ride in a local train when I was two years old. I remember crazy traffic on Mumbai roads – the reason why my parents chose to take a local train even though they were with two young children. I remember boarding the local with my mother, somehow. I […]
Flat-Hunting
I think flat-hunting is one of those jobs that is most tedious, yet most adventurous, when done alone. After one year in Calcutta, armed with my knowledge of Bangla (largely restricted to daily words like clothes, dishes, wash, pillow, etc.), I decided to hunt for a flat. Approaching brokers made me realise that my vocabulary […]
Jeep Rides
Some people say that if you can drive in India, you can drive anywhere in the world. Others are more specific. They say that if you can drive in Calcutta, you can drive anywhere in the world. Some people are even more specific. They say that if you can drive in Calcutta and Darjeeling, you […]
No Television
I moved into a flat that looked as if it had been painted by the landlord himself. It had definitely been painted by someone who had never painted anything before. I loved the flat despite that, though, and I particularly liked my landlord and landlady. They were extremely curious about a girl who wanted to […]
Cycle Rickshaw
When I went to Kolkata for my entrance exams, I stayed with a friend’s family. The first day there, Uncle took me in a cycle rickshaw. He warned me, “Don’t pay more than 8 rupees to these rickshaw-wallahs. They’ll charge you anything. They know you don’t come from Calcutta.” I listened and nodded and cringed […]