The Obscurity of Happiness

The first thing that comes to my mind when anyone talks of Happiness is the famous 1959 Sound of Music soundtrack "My Favorite Things", the second thing that I remember is a mental collage of my memorable trips and the third thing is food, most of the times.

But then again, I have never really been able to define happiness. And I do not mean it in a universal way. I have never been able to figure out what happiness means to me either.

On most days, even the silliest of things make me happy. For example, I am currently very happy that Tom returned to save Lizzie from being indited for murder. If you don't get what I am talking about, you need to watch The Blacklist. So, you see, actions of fictitious characters of a television show can make me extremely happy. How silly is that?

Petty things can make me happy too! I generally do not derive pleasure from other people's miseries, but some people just deserve all the pain they get. And though I have never directly caused other people's miseries, I do tend to be happy occasionally while praising karma.

So, the new Coca-Cola India ad ( http://CokeURL.com/96jnc ) inspired me to list a few things that make me very happy!



It might seem a little silly, and even childish, listing things that make me happy. But there are days when I am not feeling so great. And I am hoping that looking at a list of things that make me happy will help me remember the good times.

So, here it goes-

1. FOOD
I am a foodie. I think I have been one even before I knew there was a special word designated for people like me. I would always suggest the menu of almost all the meals at home, even since I was a little girl, and on days when my mom would make something that specially impressed me, she would tell I was super happy, because I would shower her with hugs and kisses. That was then, and now, after more than two decades, the love is still as strong. In fact, my love for eating has evolved into my love for eating and cooking! And even though I live in a hostel, and do not have a full blown kitchen, I make do with what I have here, and try to cook. If you want to see for yourselves how much I love it, check my food dedicated blog and find out how happy food makes me.

Mug of Chocolate Cake

2. TRAVEL
I have been travelling all my life, even since I was an eighteen months old baby. And I have been to at least two trips every year. I am the happiest when I am travelling. It gives me a serene kind of happiness to go to places where no one knows you, and meet people who are so different from you, and yet create long lasting memories with them. It doesn't matter how far you travel, or for how many days you travel, as long as I am away to a new place, I am happy.

Ladakh- Mom&Me

3. FOREVER PEOPLE
This is a phrase I created in my mind a few years ago. The people who you just instinctively know will stay with you forever. It doesn't matter if you have coffee with them every evening, or see them once every couple of years, there are the people who you would want in a bar fight, and who you know will always have your back. I am privileged to have quite a few of them, and although there are times, when you know some people who you considered where a part of your forever people, actually aren't, you still are happy to know such amazing people. I am talking about people who make you happy when you see their names on your phone screens, or when you get unexpected handwritten letters in your mailbox.

20 Years of Happiness

3. BOOKS

I am a bookworm. Books make me happy. And although sometimes my reading choices are objectionable, I feel suffocated if I haven't read at least a couple of new books in a week. I am happy when I read new books, or go through the old ones. I am happy when I see other people enjoying books that I do. I am happy discussing books with random strangers too. I am happy when I am in a bookstore most of all.

Book Heaven

4. ANIMALS

I love animals. All kinds. I have had the privilege to see dolphins perform and hold a tiger cub in my arms. I have seen the ferocious man-eaters of Sundarbans, and the pretty birds of Bharatpur. I have seen Marmots and Bactrian camels in Ladakh, and sharks in South East Asia. And I have been happy.

So, this is not an exhaustive list by far, but as the song goes, whenever I am feeling sad, "I simply remember my favorite things" which generally fall in the above four categories and I find myself smiling again.

The Sundarbans People- Finding Optimism in an Almost Hopeless Situation

I had gone to Sundarbans a couple of months ago to look at the shrimp farming practices and mangrove conservation efforts in the world's largest mangrove delta, which is inhabited by hundreds of species of flora and fauna, starting with the ferocious Royal Bengal tiger, to the many species of crustaceans and other water inhabitants. 

This was my first true stay at a backward village. I stayed in an island village called Satjelia in coastal Sundarbans. There were no roadways to reach this Island. The only way out is through hand rowed boats, which takes about an hour to reach Gosaba or though steamers which takes about 15-20 minutes.

The village didn't have any hospital, or post office, or electricity lines. The Island also didn't have any primary school or college. It just has one secondary school, with generally absentee teachers. The rural people still used kerosene lanterns, and a few affluent families of the villages had adopted solar cells.

The standard of living was extremely poor, and the value of money very high. A public ferry took just Re 1 to cross three tributaries to travel from one island to the other.

Public Ferry

Not just that, despite the hardships, I found that the local people there were extremely friendly and welcoming. They live a hard life, waking up at the call of dawn and working literally the whole day, either tilling their land and sowing crops, or mending nets or boats, or rowing to the river to catch fish or collect honey. Every other day, someone is either dragged by the tigers into the jungles, or grabbed by the crocodiles into the rivers, and yet these people have the will power to wake up and fight for their lives and livelihoods, with minimum support from the outside world, including the government. 

During my stay in the village, where I interacted with quite a few people, of various age and occupation, I found that they all have the courage to make the best out of a bad situation, and are optimistic about life. 

I met one of the village lady, who cooks for all the travelers there. Talking to her, I came to know that her husband had been a victim of tiger attack 17 years ago. He used to go into the mangrove forest to collect honey and catch fish. She had been working as a cook for the last 5 years, coming to work from a village, which was about 40 minutes away in a boat. She also gave us honey collected from the mangrove as a souvenir. 

I was truly inspired by these people, who despite minimal formal education, and with hardly any access of modern technology, continue to rise above everyday hardships, and remain optimistic about life. I was astounded by their dedication to live a good life, and find better ways to survive the harsh conditions provided by them. A stay in rural India is a truly eye opening experience, because despite the primitive infrastructure and lack of many basic amenities, the villagers are enriched with wisdom gained from real life experiences. It instills in you a better sense of our country when you see that the millions of the "underprivileged" in our nation have enough optimism and faith in live to bring about a radical change. 

The new concept of housing, brought by https://housing.com/lookup also instills a similar kind of optimism in urban India, with its vision to revolutionize the real estate market in our country.  

Two Decades #Together

The most memorable day for me was 27 January this year, when I went on a road trip with my best friend, who I was meeting after more than two years!

Next month will mark the twentieth anniversary of our friendship, and considering that both me and her have yet to reach the suitable age to have a quarter life crisis, I could safely say that we have been friends for almost our entire lives.

The person in question is my oldest and dearest friend Ameey Anupam. She and I were put together in the same class in Nursery, and by some stroke of fate, never had our sections changed for the next 12 years, till Class 10, when she had to move to Delhi to complete her +2.

6 March 2012

During our school days, as we got to know each other, we became inseparable. And even though not all our interests matched- she being an artistic, basketball champ, me being a singer and quiz club member, we did get along fantastically well. So much so that we also shared our first crush! But that's a story I am not ready to share on social media.

After Class 10, I was a little worried that the distance between us, and the fact that she would be in a brand new city making loads of new friends would eventually make us grow apart. But we did manage to keep in touch. And not just the customary once a month "hello, what's up?". Despite our distance, we actively kept track of each others lives, trading book reviews and boyfriend troubles.

Once we graduated from high school, we both ended up in different cities again for our college life. But, with another stroke of luck, her father moved to the city where I was studying, Calcutta, and over the next three years, we kept meeting up during vacations, having sleep overs and exploring the city together with her family.

So, a couple of years ago, when she had to move to Chennai and me to Delhi for our higher studies, I was sure we would meet up again soon. I had realized fate did have a way of working things out for us and wasn't too worried. But, something or the other prevented us from meeting every time we planned.

And, when 2015 arrived and I realized it would soon be 3 years since we hadn't met, we both decided we had to proactively work to prevent that from happening!

So, I was going home to meet my parents and go on a field survey for my thesis and then attend a wedding, and Ameey was returning home for some much needed family time after acing her grand viva, and we decided to meet up no matter what!
So, she took a train all the way from Calcutta to my hometown in Bokaro, to spend the day with me, and then travel back to Calcutta the next day with me and my family.

What resulted was an evening in the city where it all began and then an amazing road trip to talk, laugh, sing, be merry and compensate for the last two years of not seeing each other.

I hadn't been that happy in a long time. I can't explain how rejuvenating it is to be together with people who matter the most to you! It doesn't matter how long ago you met, or even how less you have interacted over the last few months, due to hectic schedules. You just know that the other person will always be there for you. You know that in times of doubt, she won't hesitate to tell you the right from wrong, in times of sorrow, she will always lend you her shoulder to cry and in times of joy, and she will be nothing but ecstatic for you. You know that #together you can conquer every battle!

26 January 2015

And we bring out the best in each other, just as https://housing.com/ is bringing out the best in housing in India!

Why I Moved to Delhi, You Ask? To #StartANewLife

I have been living away from home for more than half a decade now. Hailing from a small town with absolutely no colleges or universities of repute, it was imperative for me to leave home after finishing high school. I went to Calcutta and earned an undergraduate degree majoring in Economics, but somehow never really felt totally satisfied with the subject. I found some parts of it too technical, and couldn't really connect with it. There were of course certain areas, like Development Economics which fascinated me, but those were in the minority.
Yet, due to the deplorable campus placement scenario, I grudging decided to apply for Masters in Economics anyway. I applied for almost all the important colleges, and had my heart set for Delhi School of Economics because of its impeccable reputation. The only other institute that interested me was TERI University that provided an M.Sc in Economics (with specialization in Environment and Resource Management) because I have always had a deep love for nature. I knew I didn't want to stay in Calcutta any longer because even though I was in love with the city, I hadn't been able to find much in terms of career prospects.

I knew it was time to move on, and start a new chapter, which was why I hadn't applied for any Calcutta colleges. I secretly wished for Delhi, and accordingly had applied to four Delhi institutes. By the time the results were declared, I was accepted at only TERI University. I was heartbroken for DSE. And the first time I visited the TERI campus, I didn't like it at all! I had been to North Campus for my admission exam, and after the lively student environment there, I really didn't like an isolated campus at the end of the world.

But I wanted a fresh start, and despite inhibitions, I enrolled in the college.
I had read a quote by Roosevelt quite sometime ago, "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." which had stayed with me, and helped me decide to not turn back to go to the familiarity that Calcutta provides.

So, here I was, in the capital of the country, a city where I had always wanted to be, with an admission letter from a university providing courses I liked, but located far, far away from civilization, or so it seemed. And I knew I had to make the best of it. I could have stayed back in Calcutta, but I wanted a fresh start, with a clean slate. I realized I have to work with what I got.

And in the last 20 months that I have been in this city and this college, though I have come close to a couple of times, I have never actually regretted my decision to start afresh.
It hasn't been all rainbows and ponies. I have been disappointed with situations, people and myself, but for every old friend who bailed on me, I made a new one; for every ridiculous situation I got myself into, I found a solution and for every time I made a mistake, I found a way to forgive and move ahead.

College Girl Gang

I left quite a few old friends with a heavy heart while moving away, wondering if I will ever find people I can connect to in Delhi. Yet, I found that I have the perfect roommate I could ask for. We have the same quirks, and have mastered the art of living in harmony. I missed moving out of the flat I shared with a friend in Calcutta, but my hostel is super amazing, with all the amenities you need for a comfortable, if not luxurious living, and a bunch of wonderful girls with diverse interests and backgrounds.

And the main reason I am so glad that I followed my heart and came to Delhi is that I finally found a subject that I could fall in love with, and a supervisor amazing enough to understand what I am trying to accomplish and helping me towards it. And, most of my sadness for not getting into DSE was reduced significantly when I realized after talking to my DSE friends, how very mathematical their syllabus was, and completely vanished when I got the opportunity to work as a Research Assistant for Center for Development Economics, Delhi School of Economics, last summer.

So, what I am trying to tell here is that do not be afraid to #StartANewLife. I understand it might be frightening to let go of the familiar and venture into the unknown. I understand that it's easier to just list the cons of taking a bold step, because its generally too risky. I understand because I have been there too! But once you take the plunge, and decide to try out the new and unfamiliar, you will realize that it wasn't as scary or difficult as you thought initially. You just need to be ready to explore, and never settle for anything less than what you deserve. Your decision and reason to move to a new avenue, be it by moving to a new place, or by changing you life in other ways are your own, but do  check out https://housing.com/ to find easy housing options which might just tip the scales in the favor of making your move to a fresh life!

The World Remade

The political, social and anthropological history of the world is a fascinating read. Any good book delving into our past brings out many astounding facts and figures that most of us have chosen to forget over time.

The beauty of the world we live in, and the struggle of man and nature to reach where we are today is an incredible journey spanning centuries. So much has changed, starting from the prehistoric era, which all started with a big bang (excuse me for that line, but the song is super catchy, don't you think?) to the current scenario, where everyone is worried about the climate change, and we are all eagerly awaiting the COP21 summit to be held this December in Paris. We have come a long way. Yet, we can't say we did it all right. We made a lot of mistakes, and sadly we are continuing to do so.

So, I would like to take this opportunity to list three main things that I would like to change if I could remake the world.

MORE LOVE AMONG PEOPLE 
I understand that violence is a way of life. Many civilizations have flourished by destroying others, many races have prospered by plundering others,and many countries have grown at the cost of other. The need of power is the root of all violence. And I can not expect the world to be completely free of violence. That is not only overtly ambitious, but also anthropologically impractical.
But I want a world where there is more love and understanding among people. As Lennon wrote the immortal lines "Give Peace a Change", I want the world to give it a fighting chance. I want a world where violence is not the only option; where discussions are invited, and force is not the only solution.

STOP OVERVALUING MONEY
Being a student of economics, I read about the "intrinsic" value of money a long time ago. The term basically means that the notes in themselves have no value whatsoever. It is only by the backing of the government or the central bank that we are able to use it to buy and sell products. And just imagine, how gaga we are over printed paper, to the extent that we let it affect our important relationships.
So, if I had the chance to build a new world, I would make money take the backseat. A lot of things are way more important than money. Sharing a meal with loved ones, long walks with a pet, reading stories to your kids or just looking at the night sky to name a few. I strongly feel that a lot of world's trouble will go away if we just stopped valuing everything with money.

ENOUGH WITH THE ANTHROPOCENE
We can't ignore climate change anymore, and the road to mitigation is daunting at best. So, if I had to change the world, I would change the way humans have affected all aspects of the earth negatively, be it the atmosphere or the biodiversity, especially in the recent years. I would love to have a world where we care more about nature; a world where we don't exploit resources for monetary benefits, but learn to live sustainability with the nature.


However, we haven't done everything wrong. And there is one crucial thing that I wish would flourish in the new world- the human spirit! Our undying faith in humanity, or unwavering hope for a better world, our strength in adversity and our compassion in times of peril is a thing to uphold and cherish.

And it doesn't really matter if we can or can not change the world, because as long as our human spirit is alive, we will continue to figure out a better way of life.

I am participating in the #TheWorldRemade activity at BlogAdda in association with India Today #Conclave15

Man-Eaters of Sundarbans

Sundarbans Delta is the biggest mangrove delta in the world, and home to the Royal Bengal Tiger. The locals proclaims that all the tigers of Sundarbans are man eaters, due to the harsh terrain and low prey density, and that one villager had been dragged by a tiger just a couple of days before my visit. The delta is a dangerous place, full of tigers, crocodiles and snakes, which makes the lives of local people very difficult. Almost everyone knows someone who has been taken by a tiger, most people would have their own family members as victims.

And yet, despite all the scary tales, or maybe because of it, the place is enchanting! 

I had gone to Sundarbans during the last week of January for a field visit, and knowing the low possibility of a tiger sighting, hadn't even bothered to carry a decent camera. Turns out, I was tempting fate. Not only did I see pug marks, and hear the roar of a tiger, I saw the actual majestic animal, for 15 minutes straight, and it was hypnotic. 

There is sometime serene while you sail along the tributaries, and look at nothing but dense mangrove forests on both banks. There is something that calls for self reflection, and turns even the uber urban into nature lovers, albeit momentarily. The tress, the birds and animals, and the village people, leading a life of hardship, and refusing to give up shows you a different world altogether.

I came to Sundarbans to do a little research on the shrimp farming for my thesis, and I left with a weath of knowledge and a memory full of sights, and meeting some truly unique people. 

Trip Dates- 27.01.2015-30.01.2015