[Posted first on Wednesday, January 11, 2006] At the crossing of AJC Bose Road and Chowringhee Road, across glass façade of Exide’s corporate office, beckons Haldirams’, a popular destination of sweet lovers. As you step inside, door opened for you by a guard in uniform, the din outside fades and a world of spaciousness greets […]
Bizarre happenings of 2005
[The first post of 2006, Sunday, January 01, 2006] If a 41-year old British millionaire’s marriage with her long-time beau, a 35-year old dolphin doesn’t wonder you, then the change in name of Clark, a Texan city, to ‘Dish’ in November, so that all residents would receive free cable connection for 10 years should. These […]
Kolkata 2005
[Appeared on the last day of 2005, Saturday, December 31, 2005] As 2005 draws to a close, here’s an opportunity to mull over issues that affected Kolkata most in the past year. Opinions would vary, but perhaps few will disagree that Sourav’s unceremonious omission from both captainship and playing eleven should rank at the top. […]
Early barley
[First appeared on Tuesday, December 27, 2005] At the risk of venturing on non-Kolkata subjects once too often (that’s what a few viewers told me), I want to share a piece of good news that appeared in today’s newspaper (The Economic Times, Kolkata, Dec 27). The FDA of US has in a communiqué informed that […]
The lucrative trap of ITES
[First written on Monday, December 26, 2005] On Dec 24, the VC of Jadavpur University said the mushrooming of call-centers and BPO outfits representing big transnational companies do not augur well for aspiring candidates in the long run. Speaking at the 50th convocation of the university, he cautioned that in return for handsome salary and […]
Schools extraordinaire?
[First posted on Sunday, December 25, 2005] Some time back I was called upon to design the website of an upcoming elite school. The businessman-owner I spoke to had earlier run a computer institute. To give an essence of what the website should be like, he explained that ‘his’ school would be a ‘center of […]
The groping tale
[First posted on Sunday, December 25, 2005] This story is about a ‘groper’ in a crowded Osaka-bound train in Japan who eventually died after being chased by a group of co-passengers. Lest there be any ooh-aahs, let it be said that this problem is not theirs alone. Feeling about the contours of woman passengers has […]
The game of abarodh
[First posted on Thursday, December 22, 2005] Not a single day passes when you don’t hear tales of abarodh. If you’re a frequent traveler on local trains, you would’ve never missed being a party to abarodhs, mostly on losers’ side. The game of abarodh has been perfected to such a finesse that in most cases […]
The cauliflower story
[First appeared on Thursday, December 22, 2005] Ferrying of cauliflowers is a common sight these days near any big market. Heaps of them come and go in all kinds of movers, be it a matador van or poor man’s van-rickshaw. Cauliflower tastes good and can make sumptuous fare. That is the reason we love to […]
Multiplex vs single-screen
[First appeared on Saturday, December 10, 2005] After ‘Fame’ at Hiland Park, the latest to join multiplex bandwagon is the proposed ‘Hind Plaza’, which will be a makeover for the Hind Cinema, located at Ganesh Avenue – Nirmal Chandra Street junction. In fact, Hind Plaza will have 2-screens, each sitting 400 viewers, plus add-ons like […]