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I'm Undefined

I am unwritten, (you) can't read my mind, I'm undefined
I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned

- Natasha Bedingfield

It is safe to say that India is a vastly diverse nation. And with this diversity comes the bane of stereotyping. One of the first questions that you are asked  by any new person you meet is where you come from. Depending on the answer to that question are a basic set of follow-up questions and comments. 

Since I am a Bengali, my answer evokes a "Oh, Rosogolla" or "Maach-Baat" remark in most cases. So, today, inspired by the Gillete Venus : #UseYourAnd, I want to clarify, for once and for all, who I really am.

Who I am is not the stereotype you have created in your minds about every Bengali speaking girl. I am not meant to be put in a box labelled rosogolla-loving, fish-eating, rabindrasangeet-singing girl the moment the word Bengal leaves my lips.

Because, I don't just love rosgollas, I love gulab jamuns and peethas and kaju barfis too. Sure, I love fish, but I eat butter chicken with equal gusto. I can hum rabindrasangeet and Sinatra and Beatles and Cyndi Lauper and Katy Perry. I can cook aloo posto and chilly chicken and chocolate mud cake. I love to travel, meet new people, absorb new culture and learn new ways of life. And I do not label people beforehand. 

It's true that a person's background does play a significant role in forming a person's lifestyle, but that in no way defines a person's potential. I love books and dressing up and cooking foreign cuisines and travel to distant lands and creative do-it-yourself projects and making elaborate lists and listening to music and penning my thoughts down and sending old fashioned letters using the post office. And the list is endless. A couple of years down the line, I might pick up a new hobby, a new area of interest; the possibilities are infinite. 

I don't think anybody can or should try to define another person on the basis of their language, religion, job, caste etc. I am as unique as anybody else, with as much complexity as I can muster, and all you can do is try to know me, without putting a label on me.

“This post is a part of #UseYourAnd activity at BlogAdda in association with Gillette Venus“.

Theme- Things That Define Me.

Land of the Kings- Rajasthan!

 My customary year end family trip in December 2013 was a road trip through most of Rajasthan. 

I took  a train to Jaisalmer, and then from there till Jaipur was a bliss of a raodtrip. The roads in Rajasthan are the best, period. Our car would go an an average of more than 80km/hr, and we won't feel a bumb, that's how amazing the roads are. 

The first two days were spend in Jaisalmer, exploring the dunes till sunset and witnessing the tradition dance and folksong performances, along with Rajasthani cuisine for dinner on the first day, and the Golden Fort on the second. I would recommend not to take a guide, and just explore the fort at your own pace. Sip coffee at a cafe overlooking the city, browse through the shops, or just plain bask in the sun, but do not let anyone rush you. You can get audio guides, that are pretty comprehensive, if you like. From Jaisalmer, we drove via Jodhpur and Udaipur to Jaipur, hitting all the famous tourist spots in each city.

 We took a couple of detours, one to Ranakpur, which is on the way from Jodhpur to Udaipur, and it a beautiful sight to behold. The artwork and the carvings in the walls and the roof is intricately done, with the finest craftmenship. I would highly recommend this place. And it's so peaceful!

The second detour was to Haldighati. The actual place just has a museum, but being history buffs, we went around the town, and saw Chetak's burial ground (Maharana Pratap's horse) and apparently the two hills that Chetak had jumped over to save Maharana's life.

I would be happy to answer specific queries, if any, since I am not going into the nitty gritties of the entire tour.  

Why everybody should watch St. Vincent

After a long, long time, I finally saw a movie that moved me to tears. Surprisingly, it wasn't about Nazi atrocities, genocide, community oppression, or Jack dying (that one always makes everyone cry), but about a bitter old man, who finds a second chance at happiness.

The plot is very simple, yet it captures emotions beautifully. We meet a rigid old man, set in his ways consisting of drinking, smoking, gambling and meeting up with a pregnant prostitute every Tuesdays. Enter a single mom with a young boy, who has a hard time adjusting in the new school. The boy and the old man get to spend more time together, and we follow the gradual growth in their relationship and how they let each other in. A lot of other amazing, funny things happen in this course, but I think I will leave them for you to watch and discover.

Why I think people should watch movies like St. Vincent is because you see profound emotions being captured in a very understated manner. And frankly, after watching loud, in your face Bollywood movies like Happy New Year, Bang Bang and even Haider, for that matter, subtle movies with a lot of undercurrents is pure joy. Most importantly, you see real human emotions in the movie- someone who is so wrapped up in her own misery, she can't see anything else around, someone who is at the end of the rope, and the things he does in his desperation, unlikely friendships with bullies, and a ray of hope in an otherwise dire situation.

Enough said, watch it and prepare to be moved.