A list of my 'Firsts'

A few days ago, T2 a supplementary paper of 'The Telegraph' featured a story about the first 'Firsts' in our lives. For example the first time we went on a shopping spree, first salary, first date etc, which jogged my memory and made me remember a few of my first 'Firsts'. And as i was recalling these memories the urge to make a list of my own 'Firsts' became very strong. I also felt at the same time that when i became too old i would probably not remember all these instances with the clarity i do now, so then i could read this blog and remember them. And so without wasting any more word here goes my list:-

First Hobby:- While books have always been a part of my life but my first real hobby would definitely include collecting stamps and abandoned lottery tickets, bus tickets and the menu cards at the marriage ceremonies. This i began when i was around 3years and continued for the next 9 years of my life.

First Shopping :- When i was in class 5 we were taken to Nicco Park on a school tour. My dad had given me Rs 100 for spending. I remember having felt so big and responsible at the same time. For the first time in my life i was handling such a huge sum of money on my own and my joys knew no bounds. I remember having bought a fancy pencil and a chips packet for my sister amongst other things.

First Time I got Caught:- On a sultry summer afternoon when I and 'L' a dear friend of mine were convinced that the guards were snoring away to glory, we went to pluck unripe mangoes from the tree in our garden and we got caught for the first time in our lives!!! We had done this plenty of times before and there were times when we were sitting on a branch right above their heads and they never noticed. But that day unluckily for us a car had come honking and had woken up the guard before we could run and hide! What followed after this was pure misery, that is in the evening when my parents came back from office!

First Crush:-I saw Milind Soman for the first time in Alisha Chinai's - 'Made in India' and i fell for him instantly, I guess I was 13 or14 years old then.....Before seeing Him, I had only heard of Greek Gods but after seeing him i felt convinced that he has to be a God if not a Greek one. As i grew up there have been several others like Brad Pitt and George Cloony but somehow He has still managed to hold on to His rank!

First Job :-I got my first job on 8th May 2008, the very day i had finished my graduation exam. I remember going for an interview which lasted for nearly 35 mins, at the end of which i had secured a job. It took me nearly 2 days for the feeling to sink in and then, i was ecstatic. I began working from 12th May 2008.

First Salary:-With my first salary i bought the following things for the following people -I gave my sister a stylish watch and a box of cookies, my Mom got a smart bag and cosmetics, i gifted 2 new shirts to my Dad. I presented Dida with a chain and locket(which she wore proudly every time we went out together) and a pair of chappals she had once admired. My Mamu,Maam and brothers got a perfume,a pair of earrings and t-shirts respectively. There's a strange sense of satisfaction in being able to gift things to the people you care about and make them happy!

First Friend:- When i had first moved to TG i was in class 3 and 'L' who herself was in class 5 then , became my first real friend. We were both on the swings when rather shyly we started our conversation. At the end of the 'Hi and Hello' phase, i remember taking her to my place to show my room and then she took me to hers to do the same. She used to live on the floor above, so holidays were usually spent in each others house. what followed after that was endless laughter, fights, tears, being together and just being good friends. It was with her that i first tested my culinary skills. We had together made frozen chocolate biscuits on a summer afternoon when everyone was sleeping at my place. My kitchen resembled as if an earthquake had occurred there after we were done. Haven't seen 'L' for nearly 5 years now but somehow we still seem connected.

First Roommate:- My first roommate was 'J' .We met on our trip to Gangtok 3 years ago and we hit it off almost instantly. She is my partner in crimes and one of my closest friends now. Both of us share the same sort of passion when it comes to travelling, books, music and off course doing adventurous things together. Whenever something happens to either of us we are sure to tell the other. Sharing room with her was fun as both of us are equally crazy. It is sometimes difficult to say who is more crazier!

The list is not over............i will keep adding as and when i remember more!

Lucky Ali - O Sanam

Could not resist the temptation of adding this as well!

khoya khoya chand

One of my all time favourites!

Kagocher nouka

Oi dekho chotto nouka jachey bheshe bheshe,
sapto sindhu par kore na jani kon dur-deshey!
Tar jatri shudhu achey duijon,
tara holo amar sapno o amar akankhar dhan!
Tara chole cholechey jaler srote,
na jani badhbe giye kon ghatey!

Chotto sada kagocher nouka amar,
parbe ki kothao giye shey pouchatey?
Bhebe bhebe kete jay din,
kintu amar shei sapnoguloke pari na mon theke mochatey!
Majhey majhey bhabi, hoyto konodino shey pouchabey na kono tirey,
tarpor nijei mon ke ashash di,”aito aro ektu dure”!
Ai ashash dey amar akankhake dana,
korey toley amar sapno ke aro mojbut o aro ranga!

Chotto nouka amar karey dhewer sathey larai,
badha bipod sabai ke kore shey parajoy!
Baitha bedona ke bhuliye,
lakhon kokhono jay na tar hariye!
Nouka amar chole cholechey akeybekey,
than korechey thambey tirey giyei sheshey!

Je din amar nouka badhbey kono tirey,
bujbey ami eshey gechi obosheshey!
Janbe ki kore ami shei?
Karon neel akhorey naam lekha achey amar tatey!
Bujbey sheydin sapno hoyechey amar safal,
shunte pabe hridoy amar korchey khushite kollol !
Dekhbe akashey bedhechey tarar mela,
bujbe ami eshechi tader modhey korte khela!
Bolbe sabai,”oi dekho chotto nouka tar bheshe bheshe,
duley duley abosheshey, pouchey gechey tar sapner deshey”!

Lal Ronger Kather Benchi

Aaj abar boshey achi pothopaney cheye,
shei lal ronger kather benchite!
Kadam phul fute acheymathar upar jhakra hoy chari dikey,
sandhya kaler shitala batash boy jachey mridu mridu shurey!
Kintu amar ai dui noyon achey kebol rastar dikey porey
ai ashay je tumi abar ashbe amar kachey phirey!

Tomar ki money achey, tumi amay bolechiley,
je tumi kebol amar hoy thakbe?
Sundor sonar sansar hobey,
jatey kebol amra duijon oh amader bhalobasha thakbe?
Tomar ki money porey, aikhanei tumi prothombar hath dhorey chile?
Jyotsna ratey, fuler gandher majhey,prothombar chumbon kore chiley?
Tomar ki kokhono amar katha money hoy?
Amito soto chesta koreo parchi na tomake bholate!
Akhono amar ai dui noyon achey kebol rastar dikey porey,
ai ashay je tumi abar ashbe amar kachey phirey!

Tumi jekhaney chere giyechiley amay shey dinke,
ami ajo achi shekhanei boshey!
Ami akhono roj lagai shei tomar priyo golaper aatorti,
jeta kono ek kaley mon matato tomar khaney khaney!
Kesh akhono ager motoi, kebol rong dhorechey sadate!
Ami ajo tomari achi, tomari thakbo mritutey!
Aaj abar boshey achi pothopaney cheye,
shei lal ronger kather benchite!

Diwali Dhamaka

In kolkata there is a confusion among many as to which is the actual date to celebrate Diwali! Unlike other places, in kolkata it is celebrated a day earlier, as it always coincides with the Kali puja of the Bengalis. For me Diwali /Kali puja means the same......a festival of lights/sweets/new clothes/crackers/dhaker awaj/rustic sounds of the conch/smell of camphor......... etc

My Diwali is a mix of both Bengali traditions and North Indian culture. This might be because both my parents are from Delhi....so as a result you can see traces of north Indian values in our upbringing! Therefore this festival usually begins for me with the lighting of the '14 candles' a day before we burst crackers.


By the way over the years i have realized that being the elder daughter of the family certainly has its disadvantages coz i am expected to behave like the son whenever the need arises. So on Diwali morning if anyone finds me in a pair of shorts and T-shirt and trying to balance myself on a ladder while putting on the tiny bulbs in the balcony, it is not an unusual sight for someone who has known me for years!

And in the afternoon i have to switch back to being a daughter(see what i mean?) and help with the rangoli designing , oiling the diyas(so they can be lighted in the evening),preparing sweets etc. And during the entire process if you have noticed my younger sister is always usually missing!..........So all in all these festivals are a time for me to get away from the usual mundane tasks! Although at the time of doing all these little tasks i do get irritated at times but in the end i am always satisfied with the result! The evenings though are mainly dominated with looking your best and bursting crackers!

But for the last few years i had completely stopped bursting crackers since i had met with several accidents previous to that.It had somehow turned into a phobia although i would have liked nothing better than to keep bursting them. But somehow fear got the upper hand every time i tried.

This year i went to stay at a friend's place since i had nothing better to do than staying at home. On Monday nite we managed to get an entire room to ourselves and watched 3 back to back English movie till the wee hours in the morning and then naturally overslept. Diwali is certainly one time when sweets are more in circulation than any other time. So as a result we all overindulged ourselves to sweets, cookies, lemon tarts and not to mention the delicacies prepared by my friend's mother!

On 28Th evening everybody headed towards the terrace to start bursting crackers,while i went with mounting trepidations. But strangely i was not feeling as afraid as i used to before and after a bit of mental cajoling to myself i was finally back to bursting them with gusto!Although i did restrict myself to the likes of chakris and anar only!

Truly this year it has been really great since this time i experienced a different sort of Diwali and am also back to bursting crackers..............maybe next time when i am more confident I'll be back to bursting chocolate bombs as well just like like i used to!

A Comeback

This time after a gap of 7 years i made a comeback to the stage................and the feeling was just simply amazing.When i had moved to this building 13 years back, i had started off as a participant in dance programs and plays during Durga puja.Then after a few years of tutelage from the then "Didis" of the complex i was ready to start choreographing on my own. The next couple of durga pujas i not only participated but also helped choreograph and direct skits but then what followed was 7 years of lull (because i had to drop all extra-curricular activities due to boards and other exams). In these few years i had completely lost the enthusiasm for such functions and was very reluctant when i was bullied into choreographing once again.I didnt even want to show up for the practise sessions but once i started dancing, everything just fell into place and i had a blast dancing to the rhythms. Everyone was surprised when i hosted the Antakshari on Navami night.This time i also did Dhunuchi Nach during immersion of Ma Durga.It felt great to able to do all these once again and was elated when everyone appreciated my efforts. But above all i finally came to realise that i really do enjoy being on stage.............. am just hoping to be able to put up more such shows in future.

Dashmi Blues

Every year since i started living in this building and became a part of the durga puja fesivities, i have always felt gloomy on dashami mornings.I dont know why but somehow the very idea that durga puja is ending gives me a melancholic feeling.The day after dashami has ideally always been a day for us "bachha party"(as we are still sometimes addressed) to replay our feelings, 'little moments' that we shared, what tricks we played on our unsuspecting pujari and the long practise hours which we spent yelling/choreographing/laughing in order to put up the perfect show in the evenings for the residents,endless hours of dumbcharades that we played,uncountable puchkas that we ate, discussing how pretty the diyas look during SANDHI Puja when all 108 diyas are lit up,and offcourse gossiping................... I have personally always felt that durga puja is a great time to bring people together.This ritual has been carried out by us since 1995 without a break and this year was no different.But somehow the loss this year seems more acute, more deep much more painful.........maybe since the loss is more personal this time!

Majhi Re --Bong Connection

Post Exams

MY C.A. exams got over on the 6th of May and I decided to take
off 2 completely glorious weeks all to myself.I had been planning
what to do since before my exams began. Its usually these childish fanatsies which motivate me during my exams.But as luck would have it, I got a job offer the very day my exams got over.

I had barely reached home that day, tired and hungry(since i can never manage to eat my full before exams),when my phone started ringing incessently.My first thought was to ignore it.But irritation got the better of me and i finally picked it up. It was a call from one of my closest friends.The first thing she said before i could even say hello was," Get ready and come immediately to Park Street. I'll pick you from there. You have been called today itself for the interview!"and a beep indicated that the call has been disconnected.

This particular interview was supposed to be held some 2 weeks later but was held suddenly since the boss had was going away for the next few weeks( as i later found out).Not finding any escape route i finally gave in to fate and went to catch the metro from Tollygunge. Half way through my journey it suddenly hit me that apart from the fact that i was feeling miserable about the whole situation, i wasnt exactly prepared the for the interview either(basically i am a sort of a person who has to mentally sort out all probable questions before exams)..............Hence mentally cursing all and sundry i reached Park Street where i found my friend waiting for me.

On reaching the office i was ushered into the chambers of the demi-god who in all probability was going to be my boss if everthing went well.The interview lasted for nearly 35 min and i hardly believed it myself when i managed to secure the job.

My boss turned out to be a typical seth in all respect.He expects discipline,good quality work,long hours but hardly ever pays on time.But i am not complaining about it.Since i wanted this job solely to get work experience.But for those for whom it is a method of livelihood,find it quite difficult at times.

The firm deals in chemicals and is an import/export firm so one can dabble in a variety of accounting and audit jobs. Hence so far i have enjoyed my work in this firm.It has also helped me realise a few things about myself.I have finally reached a point where i know exactly what am looking for in life.

Its now 5 months since i have been working and i have not bolted out of this job as i had earlier thought i would but am still waiting for my 2 weeks of vacation which even now seems out of reach

Comfort or Plain Reading?

When a young neighbour of mine informed me that the entire collection of ASTERIX can be downloaded for free from a certain site, my ecstasy knew no bounds! The very next day i followed suit and downloaded all the 36 copies!!!

Being an ardent fan of Asterix i just could not wait to start reading it. I waited impatiently like a 12yr old kid, before i could begin my journey through the glorious pages of the comic.After what seemed like a light year of endless waiting (my tests had began a few days back), i started reading after throwing my sister out of the room so that i could achieve absolute solitude while i immersed myself thoroughly in the book.

I think i might have read for 45 min at a stretch when i came to realize that i was nowhere near feeling the thrill that i usually did.And as opposed to before, all the dry humour of Rene' Goscinny which used to crack me up previously were totally getting lost.......not to mention a back ache which slowly seemed to be getting worse!

At that point it sort of hit me that the true feeling of enjoying a book came when you yourself were totally comfortable!

The joy of curling up with a book in a corner and leaning from time to time to have look outside at the grey sky pelting down bullet sized raindrops on a rainy afternoon............the fragrance of the wet earth along with a thrilling mystery novel adds an altogether different kind of aura while reading.

Even at night when u want to read a few pages before u finally decide to doze off for the night it provides you with a certain comfort which i think makes reading more enjoyable..........Books in contrast to the 'E-READING' a concept which has newly come up, can be carried everywhere .For example if you are travelling by metro/bus or waiting for someone or you can hide it inside your text books if you want to give the impression that you are studying, to the people around you..........its much more convenient to carry a book than a laptop!

All in all i think books are a source of constant companion and are totally irreplaceable!
Hence after a lot of soul searching i finally arrived at the conclusion that reading books from the computer were not meant for me as i belong to the old school of thoughts and where the smell of a brand new book still excites me! So i deleted all the books and didn't even feel bad about it later. Although it now means i will have to wait and save money again in order to read all of them!

a la carte

For some reason for the past few days the urge to cook a grand dinner for d family has taken shape.........so am really planning to make a' la carte for them sometime soon!......am yet to decide d menu.........but it wud surely have to be after my exams!!!!!:(

Bong Connection

Despite being a bengali cant say proudly that i have been listening to bengali songs as much as i should have.If i were to quote my mom,she would have definitely said that i listen to maybe 5-6 times a year!But even though i dont hear much,i still keep humming them from time to time so i guess i can safely say that am not totally out of touch!

Sometimes i try and catch up on d radio but the songs they play neither boasts of melody nor makes much sense to me or is simply enough to put everyone to sleep!!!

A few days back i had gone to see bong connection with friends and family and simply fell in love with 'O MAJHI RE' and 'Pagla HAWA'.I didnt think i would enjoy bengali songs so much..........and so much so that i drove nearly everyone insane at my place by repeatedly humming 'O majhi re' again and again!

kudos to Neil coz he has really created very good music and Shaan has crooned it to perfection.Neil has turned out to be as talented as his father Anjan dutta!

Anjan Dutta has always been my favourite when it came to modern/pop music......and his movie has also brought a lot of fresh feelings!

A Gift

Yesterday my sister had gone out with friends and for the first time she got me a gift and that too without buying anything for herself.........i was shocked again..........she's certainly giving me a lot of shock these days:).........anyway it was a pair of silver earings .......just the kind i like.........have been looking for an excuse to use it but havent found any........so planning to wear them after my exams get over!