Skip to main content

Season of Joy

Its that time of the year again! A chill in the air, tiny days, looooong nights, snuggling under quilts, soaking up the sun. Snacking on peanuts and walnuts, going for long walks and picnics, enjoying the outdoors, all are part of the winter package.

I love winter, if it can be called winter in this part of the world. Though we don't have the bite in the cold, we still enjoy relief from the summer swelter and the sticky monsoons. The winter days are gloriously sunny and crisp. Nights are deliciously nippy, perfect for woolens and blankets. One feels energetic and optimistic throughout the day. 

To add to that general feel-good  atmosphere, veggies and fruits abound in the market, making it a foodie's paradise too. And the delicious taste of "nolen gur" or palm jaggery which takes us to an epicure's heaven. Ah! The heavenly taste and flavour of nolen gur sweets at this time! Also phulkopir shingara, vegetable chop and koraishutir kochuri! The most fabulous snacks which signify winter in Bengal. And pithe-puli (sweet pancakes) and payesh (pudding), characteristic of Sankranti! One can really gorge on winter delicacies without bothering about stomach upsets or digestion problems.

In my city, Kolkata, we have the added attraction of fairs and "melas" supplementing the winter cheer. Handicrafts fairs, and the famous Book Fair are held in Dec-Jan. Truly these two months are the ones in which one feels good to be in Kolkata!

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Self-Supported Publishing - Boon or Scam?

When I started writing stories, I felt some people would find solace in my words. The purpose wasn't to earn money through selling books, but yes, money would be welcome when it came. The idea was to provide readers with something they could connect with. As it is, the process of writing involves immense churning within, and exhaustive editing and finishing after you have finally written what you want to. Any creator will tell you it is almost like birthing a child. Self-doubt assails you, you get nervous and unsure about your work, you aren't sure the denouement is looking apt, or the characters are relatable.  Then comes the commercial aspect of it all - as a new writer, you have to keep an eye on the reader's liking, avoid esoteric words and concepts, and make your content readable and catchy. Finally, what starts is the toughest part. Yes. Finding a publisher for your work.  Common Publishing Models For the uninitiated, there are basically two types of publishing models...
1 comment
Read more

Enough! No more rape!

The recent horrifying, stomach-churning incident in Kolkata is not a one-time aberration. It keeps occuring in our country. And we women are also responsible for this stinking rot in society. Ask yourself these uncomfortable questions. How many of you protest when a girl wearing "revealing clothes" is cat-called?  Did you show your support for our wrestlers protesting against a habitual offender? Did your blood boil when you saw pictures of our sisters in Manipur paraded naked?  When rapists are released from prison or routinely escape punishment, do you raise your voice? How many of you have tolerated violence or even casual sexism in your own home? Do you turn the other way when transgenders are leered at? Do you grin and bear it when the men in your family crack obscene jokes? Do Kathua and Hathras ring a bell? And lastly, how many of you thronged cinema halls to make misogynistic horrors like Animal and Kabir Singh blockbusters? I have asked myself and am distinctly feeli...
Post a Comment
Read more

Laapataa Ladies - the Unfortunate Story of Lost Women

Laapataa Ladies is a deceptively simple, yet extremely thought-provoking satire couched in a simple story of exchanged brides. Image Source: IMdB This is the unfortunate story of countless ordinary women living under the veil, in the shadow of uncaring men. Who can't remember any details of their husband or the sasural they are married into. Who are trained only to obey their husband, do their duty in the kitchen, and follow orders of in-laws. Who don't have the liberty to study or do something for their own betterment. What can we expect for such women, except a lifetime of slavery? If the husband happens to be good, then there's some ray of hope. If he's a rascal, then God save her. Thanks to Kiran Rao for addressing the woes of 80% of Indian women living in nameless villages. And thanks for calling out the "greatest fraud" - the fraud of getting ready for marriage and domesticity. Where you can make the perfect kalakand, but you can't find your way...
Post a Comment
Read more