Memory Reload

The other day I was walking back home and then suddenly I heard somebody call out my name from behind. On first instance, I was in doubt and did not bother. The calls were repeated and then I turned around and found somebody who we were in touch with almost 20 years back.

There was this gentlemen, with short grey/white hair and confirming with me my name. Of course we knew each other. We were neighbours in Pune, we were both newly married, we were both far away from home, and that was that. Meeting up, meals together, adda(the act of gossiping in Bengali), etc followed. And then one day Debika(his b.half) was due for delivery and I was the driver to the hospital. And then the child came home and then one day they went off to Varanasi.

And now after so many years, in Karama, Dubai of all places this gentlemen confirming with me my name!!!! Memories are good, they somehow create the churn to go forward. So while the events were playing in my brain like a celluloid flashback, the present had left us dumbfounded except for the promise to meet up soon enough. We will. Sphere: Related Content

Fried Wings

Another one of my impromptu dishes:

Ingredients:

a) Chicken Wings - The Number depends upon how many you want to consume!!
b) Tabasco Sauce
c) Garlic Paste
d) Cornflour
e) Salt
f) Oil

Marinate the chicken wings with Garlic Paste, Salt and Tabasaco Sauce(or some good HOT CHILLY SAUCE). Keep aside for 2-3 hours.( If you want to eat later you may freeze it after the marination process.)

Dust the wings in a plate of cornflour. In a shallow pan, put a bit of oil(you are not deep frying, so minimum oil please) and fry the wings. Turn after one side is done. Once the chicken is tender breack the middle bone piece so that it flattens out(otherwise one part of the wing keeps poking out!!). Fry until pre dark brown and then.....eat them!!!!

That's it!!!! Sphere: Related Content

A Funny Fetish

A friend of mine was deciding on a car he wants to purchase. I asked him his choice and he mentioned the name of Toyota. That's just a brand and I egged him on and he said Prado. The Dubai Man's fetish for owning a 4WD has no limits. Why do they want a 4WD. The few reasons I hear of are:

1. Can see forward traffic more than if you were in a car because of the height. This is an useful feature when you want to jump lanes frequently.
2. They like the ability of cross country driving though the maximum they would drive is on a decent tar road. This feature is useful when you want to brag about your car's strength.
3. They have an extended family and more seats are required. Most of these guys are 4 member families. It would be cheaper to hire a mini van when people visit you!! And you would consume less fuel and show less arrogance on the road.
4. Status....I wonder where does this end?

And do you know why people in Dubai don't buy a Toyota Camry. That's because its Dubai Taxi's staple car!! Sphere: Related Content

Biriyani, Kabab and Dumpukht in Karama

The other day we had been to the Jumeirah Beach and after walking around in the sand and some foot wetting and the sunset, we were hungry. While the Iftar had already started for most, we had still not made it. Typically eating Indian food out of home is not by idea of spending time(since I get Indian food at home anyway!!!), we still agreed for a rendezvous to Dum Pukht at Karama. It’s on the main road leading to Burjaman Centre from Trade Centre beside President Hotel on your right. We outsmarted most of the guys in front of the exit gate of the beach by a simple trick of standing ahead of the crowd. The cab ride was comfy enough and the three of us were dropped off right in the front of the joint. Nothing special about the well lit glow sign outside, and the entrance was typical to most. The place was well lit (not to my liking) and not too big and perhaps accommodated about 20 odd tables. I have a theory that the quantum of sound in a restaurant is directly proportional to the amount of light reflecting in the enclosed environment.

After a wait for about 20 minutes (proves the popularity I guess) we were shown to our tables by a waiter from “The God’s country”. For the uninitiated, that’s Kerala a province of India. It did not take us long to decide our dishes and we settled for the obvious - Gosht (Mutton) Biriyani, a Kabab Platter and some salad. Some fresh lime to accompany the food was also mandatory.

It took them about 15 minutes to serve, while we sipped the fresh lime and we could realize that our digestive juices had already started secretion in full flow, thanks to our imaginative brains.

The Food arrived. The Biriyani in a Handi (Indian stew pot with lid) while the platter on a plate!! We had chicken tikkas, shammi kababs, tandoori chicken, malai kababs and some salad made of onions and carrots. The descriptions of the items are as follows:

Biriyani – A combination of Basmati Rice and Mutton Gravy cooked separately and then placed in layers along with flavoring agents and baked in an oven.
Chicken Tikkas – Succulent cubes of chicken breasts marinated in Indian spices and barbecued in a grill.
Shammi Kababs – Minced Mint, Lentil, spices, onions combo cooked, mashed made into balls and shallow or deep fried. The Shikampuri kabab is a variation where you would have a minced boiled egg, onion filling!!!
Seekh Kabab – Minced Meat, marinated and barbecued..
Malai Kababs – This is a Chicken Tikka variation where the meat is marinated with Cream and almost no chilly.

The Handi lid was taken off and we could catch that lovely aroma dancing around in front of our sensors. The rice was delicate and delicious. The meat was tasty and well done. The flavors all adequate and good we as Indians do, we used our hands. The silence around the table was ample measure that the food was tasty and boy were we hungry?

The Kababs were so so and I would prefer to give them a pass except the Shammi. The others were tough and perhaps not marinated well enough for the flavors to be entrenched in the meat. So next time while I would definitely order a Biriyani, the Kababs I would pass.

Overall a rating of 3.5 on 5 would be a reasonable one I thought considering the value/quality quotient. In terms of ambience I would give it a 2.5. This is not a place to go for a warm relaxing dinner with your beloved. Sphere: Related Content

Ambience, Food and View

It was a decision I had to make on where to take my family out for a good meal. I went through the usual research techniques viz. surfing the net, interviewing friends, etc etc. Finally a visit to the Gold Souk area made me look up and at a distance I located Hyatt Regency and noticed a structure that looked like a revolving restaurant back in Delhi like Parikrama.

Went through the website and read up the contents and decided on lunch. My logic was very simple. The night would make us see only blinking lights, while during the day we could see the whole of Dubai and also the sea and that's a special attraction.

So lunch it was and the hostess was extremely polite and the welcome was good. The seats were on the window side and it was a treat to the eye. The rate of revolution was just right and we could devour the changing scenery with great detail and peace.

The ambiance was calm and relaxing while the food was absolutely exciting. The buffet was a mix of Oriental, Asian Sub Continent, Arabic and European. That was enough to die for.

We spent , two good hours of relaxed eating and this is one experience I would suggest any tourist to Dubai to make it part of his schedule of things.

You won't regret it, I am sure. And once again....the lunch makes better sense then dinner in terms of consumption...both digestive and ocular.

I am waiting for my next visit. Sphere: Related Content

Its smoking hot on a Friday

Yesterday I had been to the local Spinneys. Bought some bitter gourd, cauliflower, cucumbers, green apples, some raw salmon steak, canned tuna, multigrain bread and some frozen raw chicken wings. I had to do all this since I am staying alone and Friday happens to be my cooking day. I cook for the week and the week just passes in a jiffy without me bothering on cooking everyday post my daily homecomimg!!

So what did I do!! I cut up the bitter gourd into small pieces and also diced some potatoes. A bit of oil in the pan and off we went. Low flame, lots of time, a bit of stirring off and on....and its a yummy fried stuff. Crispy Bitter Gourd if you may call. Goes with steamed rice and lot of bengalis like me, love it.

Next on the agenda was a Dry Cauliflower dish. Cut the flower into florets. Some cumin seeds into the pan to splutter. A few green chillies and put the florets in. Stir on high heat and put in some salt to taste. Cover for 3 minutes on medium flame and then when you open its almost done. Let it stew in the heat, stir occasionally and its done. Oil was hardly two teaspoons in a non-stick.

And the chicken wings. Vegetables to be cut into large pieces. Potatoes, Carrots, French Beans, Cauliflower and Garlic. Oil in the pan and then some green cardamom, cinnamon and cloves and a couple of bay leaves. Put in the garlic. Then fry the chicken in that concoction for sometime. Don't have to wait till its golden.

Then comes the pressure cooker. Put all these in the cooker and the vegetables too. Stir up the stuff and then put water, salt and close that lid. Put on pressure until one whistle. That's all. Have it with bread, and it would be better with the French or German ones.

That's a healthy Friday and will have a good bearing on my week too.

And by the way, did you get misled by the Title!!! Sphere: Related Content

NIGYYSOB

What's that? Your first reaction for sure. That term is the underlying philosophy of how organisational teams work, and this has been ideally helped by a simple technology process called the email.



This is how it works. A sends an email to B since its B's job. B disagrees on the approach and sends a reply to A and marks a copy to C. There is a brief period of silence after which A again instigates B and does a reply all, therefore ensuring that C gets a reply too. Now C sends in a "reply all" including D, F, G, H. Subsequently H, sends a mail only to C and A and changes the Subject Heading. Now in turn C does a reply all on the second trail and therefore B is now out of the loop. The trail grows bigger and finally again A sends an one to one mail to B. B shows ignorance. A takes out a copy of firssst mail and and then the second and says NIGYYSOB.

Its not all that complicated for people who are used to email and other discussion board types of activities. Nowadays we have to keep track of emails, discussion boards, project plans, forums, group emails, impromptu corridor decisions irrespective of quorums, etc etc. That's life.



Oh by the way, what's NIGYYSOB?



Now I have Got You, You Son Of a Bitch!!! Sphere: Related Content

Project Management

1. You cannot produce a baby in one month by impregnating nine women.
2. The same work under the same conditions will be estimated differently by 10 different estimators or by one estimator at 10 different times.
3. You can freeze a user's specs, but he won't stop expecting.
4. Frozen specs and the abominable snowman are alike: they are both myths and they both melt when sufficient heat is applied.
5. The conditions attached to a promise are forgotten and the promise is remembered.
6. What you don't know hurts you.
7. A user will tell you anything you ask - nothing more.
8. Out of the many possible interpretations of a communication, the least convenient one is the only correct one.
9. Things take longer than they do.
10. The first 90% of tasks in a project will consume 90% of the allocated resource. The remaining 10% of tasks in a project will consume the other 90% of the allocated resource.
11. Nine women CAN have a baby in one month.
12. A 'piece of cake' is any unit of work, regardless of scope, for which someone else is totally responsible.
13. A meeting is no substitute for progress.
14. If you don't know where you're going, any path will get you there.
15. No matter what has to be done immediately, there is always something else that has to be done first.
16. Hindsight is the only exact science.
17. A committee is a group of people that meet for hours to produce a result known as minutes.
18. Diplomacy is the art of letting other people have your way.
19. The proper course of action can always be determined from subsequent events.
    You are most ignorant about a project at the start. That’s when you have to make the most critical decisions on scope, cost, resources and schedules.

Sphere: Related Content

An India Pakistan Match

I went home early yesterday. The reason being simple. There was an India vs Pakistan match that was actually the finals of the 20 20 World Cup being played in South Africa, So this friend of mine proposed that we should go home and entertain ourselves.

The same idea was however generated in most of expats staying in Dubai and there was an expected traffic overload in the roads. We missed 7-8 0vers but then it was an extremely engrossing match.

But thats not the point. Its the concept, that myself an Indian and my friend from Pakistan went together to watch a match and enjoyed it too. At the end of the day its cricket that united us in this joint venture and I am sure there would be plenty of examples like us in Dubai or wherever.

I wish our armies at Siachen could play volleyball together. I wish our Borders with Pakistan are relaxed we could visit each other freely without the goverment agencies snooping around. I wish the people who are supporting lost causes in the name of religion divert their energies to charitable or value added ventures rather than destruction.

I wish in both our countries right from school we are taught that our elderly politicians have really screwed it all up and the common man has been left in the lurch with questionable sense of belonging.

Since everything that happens in the world are in cycles, we hope to come out of this trough soon enough. Sphere: Related Content

Indo-Pak Match

The people are eager for the match to start.
These matches do create a flutter in the heart.
Colleagues in the bank are placing bets
While the guys out there are at the nets
So why wait, watch the game and play your part. Sphere: Related Content

Dim Begoon

I have been in Dubai for some time now, but contrary to typical me, I have been hardly going out to eat. At work I carry sandwiches from home, while dinner I always prepare. Somehow I have not been really able to manage this inertia of mine of not going out to restaurants. So what do I typically eat these days at home. Lentils, vegetable curries, fish curry, raw cucumbers, raw onions, etc. Eggs are my favourite and I buy the low fat cholesterol free eggs for consumption. Red meat I have almost forgotten, while chicken is in the agenda once in a while. I dish I often cook is Dim Begun and you might wonder what the hell is that. The literal translation of that Bengali name would be Egg Brinjal but perhaps I would like to change the name to Planter's Egg.
Egg is self explanatory while Brinjal is also known as Egg Plant or Aubergine.

This is how I make it:

1. Buy quality Brinjals(Egg Plant, Aubergine)
2. Ensure that they are not bitter (I would be grateful if somebody tells me how to make sure of this)
3. Wash them and cut into cube like pieces
4. Have some sliced onions ready
5. Cut boiled eggs into medium cubes(or whatever that geometrical shape is called)
6. Throw in some oil in the frying pan.
7. Fry the boiled eggs until ultra light brown and keep aside.
8. In the same oil add onions and fry until ultra light brown.
9. Now put in the brinjal cubes atnd fry till semi soft.
10. Add some spices like Chilly Powder, Coriander Powder.
11. Keep frying until the spices are no longer raw.
12. Add in the eggs, salt and stir the mix occasionally without making a mess out of it.
13. EAT with Indian Breads or Mexican Tortillas.

I love this, So would you! Sphere: Related Content

50 50 vs 20 20

I am talking about cricket out here and people who are not interested in the topic are still allowed to read on.

While I wrote that sentence above, somehow my thoughts got all jumbled up and the first thing that is flowing out of my fingers is the fact that there are prudes in all of us and that in different point of times in different aspects of our life we are so keen to exhibit this trait.

Like Javed Miandad commenting on how Test Cricket would suffer from 20-20. Did'nt we hear that when the One Day Internationals started?

The point is that no matter how hard you try, one cannot run away from economics. Whether you are working, playing, helping or carrying on a religious life. Somebody has to pay!!!!!

So its all good to say stuff like money is not the main motivator....but underline its the Lowest Common Denominator of our fractioned life.

So when we talk about 20-20, have you seen the stands? They were choc-a-bloc. People do not have time these days. So while classical music is the basis and will prevail, you also need the Hip-hops and raps for you to make money. Tests will stay, but you are prude to ignore 20-20. Incidentally the latter is the game that is played in the streets in India. We all are in sync with this. And may be you are not, but then you are surely a case of the exception proving the rule. Sphere: Related Content

Weekends, Weather, Walls

On weekends these days, since the weather is not so conducive for outings, I am confined to four walls in my studio. The place of course is Dubai and I did not ever fathom such a contrast with my earlier stint in Seoul.

During my early days here, I was quite enterprising in trying to find out about places to visit and other stuff. Interestingly, I also managed to locate a local friend because after going alone everywhere alone is not so much fun. So one of our first joints was the Beach. It was less than a kilometre, no waves and dark grainy sands. I was not pleased for sure.

Then came the Malls. Visited the first one. It was great. Visited the second one in Deira. Waited for a Cab for two hours. Vowed never to visit the same again. Friend talked about visiting a third. I said " Go Jump".

So nowadays I have immersed myself in Crime. That's the genre I like best when I watch DVDs and so one by one I am in this process of exhausting my local library. I have selected the next one, because this one perhaps is going to last only for another month or so.

So people ask me as to how do I spend my weekends. And I used to answer differently every time. Nowadays they have stopped asking me. The curious few ask me about the movies I have seen. But thats mored due to social etiquette rather than any special interest.

Why am I writing all this? Its just that I have not been writing for sometime now. I thought I should start. Its my fault that this piece is of no interest to you. But give me some warm up time and I will be back with a meeaaaooowww.

By the way, its still hot out there!! Sphere: Related Content

Dubai : A city of dichotomies

I would like to pledge in the beginning itself that I am new in Dubai. I consider that as an advantage since I carry no baggage and perhaps I could be dispassionate. Oh by the way, you will be quite disappointed if you are looking for a structured analysis vis-a-vis the Title. But as I said earlier, this is my blog and I could do anything with it.



The first thing when I landed in Dubai was to call home and I remember saying that looks like I have landed in Cochin or Trivandrum, except that everything was polished. Not the behavior, but the real estate, the roads, the vehicles, the amenities, etc, etc. In fact its quite amazing the way a desert has been transferred into a concrete jungle. The planners of course are creating more real estates with more greenery these days and thats a welcome change. However when I am out, somehow I see, concrete, tar and vehicles!!! The palm trees on certain roads looks like exceptions rather than the rule. They look good for sure, but somehow I am not able to touch them, if you know what I mean.



In the last two months the variety of taxi drivers I have met from different nationalities are quite amazing. Typically taxi drivers are from India(Read Kerala), Pakistan, Syria, Egypt and other neighbouring countries. I found the people from the Land of the Pure - the best in terms of communication or helpfulness. Being an Indian I was a bit disappointed with my brethren especially in terms of their stiffness, and "playing Malayalam songs on the Car Audio". Oh by the way, Pak means pure and that leads to Pak-i-stan.



The weather is a main deterrent and typically people from the sub continent either visit the large Malls and shop, window shop or eat. The other option is of course watching the movies in a good cineplex. Indians are hardly into games or beach activities. Exceptions prove the rule mind you. And the Europeans are also in the malls and the singles would all perhaps land up in the night clubs of choice and taste.



Thats one side. On the other side of the fence are the workers. Construction workers mostly, staying in labour camps(??). A labour camp is a combination of four walled rooms, with one wash room where 20 or more persons from the sub continent are occupying their individual spaces less then perhaps of a decent prison cell!!! They are absolutely not on our mindset. They are like the slaves of the modern world earning 500 AEDs a months (thats about 135 USD) and I refrain from going into the calculation of their spending habits or scope.



The razzmatazz has a gloomy supporting system and thats perhaps the capitalist exploitation in its raw visible form. You would see that in Dubai!!!! I suggest that when you decide your next vacation, do not come to Dubai. There are better places in the world and I promise you that if you sit down with me I can prove it to you that Dubai will land up as one of the last choices unless you want to see the Tallest Building on earth, or see a fat sheikh walking into a hotel with a petite woman from one of the European Countries. Or perhaps shop. But are you serious, that's your vacation idea? Sphere: Related Content

Creepers on the Glass

The other day when I went near the drawing room I noticed that on the window glasses there were some shadows of creepers due to the light from the road lamp. It was a good image and it turned out better when I switched off the light. The digital camera was nearby and I happened to click the image on the digital camera. The results were not good except one shot that was reasonable. Coming to think of it I always had a habit of taking along my camera along whenever I went out but these days its not happening and I do not know the reason for the same. I will try to get back to my old habit.

My sister who is a photographer ( almost pro) gave me a photograph other day of some birds on the wire!! I found it a great one though a bit of editing would change this into a good one. I hope you liked this one on the left!! I need to enlarge this one and frame and put it up on one of the walls in the house. All of them if you notice are sitting, except one bird in a state of flight about to settle down.

I expect to load some more photographs as and when I find them worthy of my blog!!! Sphere: Related Content

Kali Temple in Vasant Kunj, DELHI

I am not sure as to what constitutes being religious and somehow I seem to find the Hindu Religion quite tolerant or perhaps I have tuned it to suit my requirements. Will God listen to me? Perhaps He/She would because if nothing else its my sincerity in my praying. I do not need to follow what you defined on how to pray to God, unless of course you could prove to me that HE/SHE came down to earth and told you how to!! Of course we have the age old documents like the Vedas etc where perhaps a lot of Code has been written but whether they were dictated by God or not is any body's guess.

So I have taken the middle path and sometimes I am not really sure what that means. Perhaps thats a seperate topic and I have deviated enough. Its just that I wanted to talk about the Kali Temple we have built in Vasant Kunj for the primary need for a place of worship(formal). When I am in Delhi do try to make a point to visit the same every week and somehow the temple premises imparts a sense of enlightenment in me. The deity of Kali really excites me and I am awed by the eyes of The Mother. I stand in front of her and it is as if she is piercing me and entering my brains and rekindling all the sedate energy inside.

Some tell me that this temple is "ALIVE" (Jagrata in Sanksrit) and that would mean that Mother is ever ready to take care of her children here. The children have to just call out her name and thats it. You can ask anything, any wish, any want and all that. She is our Mother and she listens. I know for sure and I don't have to rely on others to tell me.

On New Moon Day we have a special Puja, while most other Hindu religious occasions are celebrated there. If you are in Vasant Kunj next time, why don't you pay a visit and the best part is you need not be a Hindu to do so. Sphere: Related Content

KBC (Khan Bacchan CrossOver)

Khan has taken over Bacchan. The Desi version of "Who wants to be a millionaire?" is once again up on air with Sharukh Khan as the host.

Now I did like Amitabh earlier, but King Khan is worth our money too. I am enjoying the casual atmosphere and I have a feeling that his endeavour has been to make the contestant feel at ease. Big B on the other hand had a larger than life presence and we were in constant awe.

I like both, but the Khan is better for me. We are on equal terms. I am sure the contestants and other viewers would agree. If you do I like you, and if you don't lets meet up any way!!! Sphere: Related Content

NDTV and Prannoy Roy

I remember Mr. Roy appearing on Doordarshan as a psephologist years back. Its been quite some time now and today I was watching him again on a discussion in NDTV along with Barkha Dutt, Kapil Sibal and Ravishankar Prasad. They were discussing UP and Punjab Polls, Quatrocchi extradiction and other stuff and it was absolutely direction less.

To make matters worse, on a seriouys question posed by the hosts on Q's extradition, Mr Roy was extremely frivolous in his reply and had to hear a bit in retort from Kapil Sibal. I have been noticing this trait of Mr Roy lately of trying to be humorous in any and everything.

I am sorry!! You are failing Mr. Roy!! Sphere: Related Content

Oscar

I was watching the Oscar awards and one thing I am in awe with are the comperes and hosts. The elan with which they present the shows is truly fascinating. I can only think of a comparison here with the filmfare awards being hosted by Shahrukh and Saif.

I know for sure that I personanlly favour movies of any language provided they don't break into song and dance sequences unnecessarily. Its not that I hate Indian movies, but I am quite often haunted by thoughts that why cinema all over the world are different. Even back home the films by the renowned better film makers do not follow the schema of songs and dance sequences. Any way, thats the situation and I am not here to change the format. I can after all select the movie I want to watch and thats good enough.

Oscars are always special, since anything American is always special? Relatives settled in America. holidaying in America, movies from America, clothes got from America...you know the way people bully you with information. But lets get back to movies. I can tell you that there are a lot of Chinese and Korean movies worth watching. European movies too. The question is where do I get them. Sometimes I feel that I should be back home in Kolkata and then the Film Clubs would have come to my rescue.

This year Deepa Mehta's Water did not win and lost out to a German Movie. Every Indian worth his salt should watch that movie. I wish there are more movies produced worth the Oscars. Rang De Basanti vs. Water? Please !!! Give me a break (I am sorry Mr. Rakeysh Mehra). Itd not that I did not like the former. Its just that difference between First Class and Economy.

Good Night Folks!! Sphere: Related Content

Exam Time

Its examination time these days. Most kids would be couped up at home, including my daughter, studying hard. But the interesting part is that the tension perhaps is more with the parents, than with the children themselves. I am clueless on what my own parents used to go through when I was young, but I reckon I had given them lesser heartburn. Some may disagree with ne but over all I could be true!!

The school gates earlier were always crowded with parents or grandparents waiting to dote on the children coming out. These days I find its mostly chauffers who come to pick the children up. The mothers are either working or the homemakers(!) are busy with kitty parties. The grandparents perhaps stay in another city and the father will not get leave from the insensitive organisations for carrying out this chore.

I am keen to talk sbout teachers in schools these days but I will do that seperately. Sphere: Related Content

The Headlines Today

Its been a mundane day as far as news in concerned. I switched on the television and found Cold Cream ads going on. Switched to another to find a movie star being interviewed. Yet another journalist was showing his finger to a lesser politician. I gave up. There is no news today. No blasts, no murders and no nothing. The PM has not spoken, Sonia Gandhi(she is the ring mistress) is perhaps under cover and the CBI is trying for a ticket to Argentina. Thats about it. Oh and Sourav Ganguly has won a contract from Puma.

Thats all and Good Night!! Sphere: Related Content

I hate Delhi

Somehow I don’t like Delhi!! I have nothing against anybody hailing from Delhi nor do I like to dislike the broad roads and so many other good things of Delhi. But my reaction overall is still a big NO. Now everything may not have a strong logic. Some “psychology” professionals might also raise their eyebrows because of my expression without any so called theorem. But then, who cares.

I have been in the city since the last 15 years now but still this place has not grown on me. The average driver on the road is extremely rude and keeps pushing you around. The vegetable fellows are liars on the quality and price. A lot of shopkeepers have actually done us a favor by opening their shops or that’s what they think. Even the Times of India is just another selling agent trying to peddle their news. Bad english, self boasting proclamations now and then, etc, etc. I used to dislike the HT too till such time when Vir Sanghvi took over and now I know that somehow I am biased towards people from Kolkata. Suhel Seth though pompous still manages my attention. Now when I take a head count of my friends in Delhi, 95% of them happen to have a Kolkata connection and I find this amazing, amusing and astounding.

Now you might ask why should the world care for my preferences. And I might ask you as to why are you here reading this in the first place!! Sphere: Related Content