Kolkata is where my husband spent his youth and hence his love for the city is paramount. Anything Bengali or having to do with Kolkata gets his antlers up and thus when he was informed that a friend’s daughter was getting married in Kolkata, he did not waste a moment and blocked his tickets for the trip. I was keen on going too, for it was over five years since I had met the said friends and of course the pull to buy good Bengal cotton saris was immense. However it set me thinking about my first trip to Kolkata which turned out to be a disaster in more ways than one and if I may say so, the only saving grace was K.C Das (a taboo for me) and RMCA Basak, the Sari place. I wondered if it was time for me to change my opinion.
After my marriage, I had heard so much about Kolkata from Kumar, that I was keen on seeing the place. So many of the street and area names were familiar to me from constant hearing that it was indeed with a lot of enthusiasm and gaiety that I started on my journey to Kolkata in 2001. As luck would have it, we had planned our onward journey by train and before we could even cross the Tamilnadu border, Sridevi who was only four years old then became sick. There was no way we could break the journey and thus proceeded. Howrah railway station was a nightmare and the taxi that we took to our hotel had apart from the windows on the sides a big hole on the chassis which allowed us to keep track of the metal road below. The hotel we checked into had seen its good days a couple of decades ago (the time when Kumar was there) but was in a state of complete deterioration and staying even one night with a sick kid was unthinkable. With help from some contacts we moved to a decent guest house the next day and spent the rest of our holiday there. In the meantime, Sridevi got well and we did the usual rounds of sight seeing, shopping, restaurants and literal walking down memory lanes. However I could not help but notice with dismay the state of the city and I couldn’t think how the state that had given us almost all our Nobel Laureates and a state so well known for it thinkers, artists and creative people could ever be like this. I wondered as to how the present generation of intelligentsia could sit back at the total disarray that Kolkata presented. I cannot tell you as to how grateful I was that my domicile was in Tamil Nadu. It was then that I truly began to appreciate the role of our civic bodies and government in improving and maintaining our environment. (Coming to think of it, this was in 2001 when the Corporation was not as active and omnipresent as it is today.) That trip ended on a miraculous note what with the ceiling fan missing Sridevi by a whisker. Yes, the fan at the Guest House just decided to give way and fell aplomb on the bed. At that point I had decided that Kolkata was not for me and another trip was unthinkable.
As they say, time is the best healer and it must be that the nine years had helped in diminishing my feelings and thus when the next opportunity came I packed my bags and set off. We are well into the second decade of the Century, a Century that has seen India burgeoning in all areas. A Century, in which India and Indians stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world. A Century, which has seen some of our countrymen doing immensely well in their specific fields and have in the process earned a niche among the richest in the world. In short the last ten years have been great for the country as it has made tremendous strides in all walks of life. This change has been noticeable all over the country right from the biggest of metropolises to the two and three tier cities and even to some extent to the small towns and villages. There seems to have been the much needed seeping of the wealth to the roots and thus the rise in the standard of living is obvious everywhere.
However the third populous city in India seems to be in a shell of its own. To an outsider, it looked as if the city and the state were in a deep slumber totally oblivious of all the happenings around. NOTHING had changed in the nine years. The roads and the pavements were bad and the road transport consisted of fleets of buses belonging to the early 20th century. As for the buildings, with the exception of the star hotels, malls and corporate offices were so badly in need of maintenance and a coat of paint. How I wished that the next time it rained there, it would be Paint and not water that fell from the skies. Some flyovers are in place however that and the new development of Salt Lake is nothing to write home about. The bunker shops on the sides of the road were a picture of poverty. I wondered as to how anyone could eke a living from such establishments. The parks on the road side were totally neglected and with the exception of few urchins playing ball and our four legged friends grazing, were ignored by majority of the population. With regard to the medical care, I did not have to do any probing for while in Chennai itself, I have seen a sizeable number of Bengalis taking treatment from the leading hospitals here. Thus the three days I spent there made me think and feel a sense of helplessness. I wished that I had the strength and the means to bring about an awakening. I returned with a heavy heart, which I must say was lightened with a compulsory visit to RMCA Basak.
I cannot pin point the blame for this apathy on anyone for who am I to do so. However I hope that the majority of the readers will agree when I attribute these reflections as being the State of Red.
PS. This indirectly becomes an ODE to my city of Chennai nee Madras as she celebrates her 371st Birthday.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
The Makeover
It was time that Sowparnika got a makeover for she had begun to look shabby. In fact I had been toying with the idea for over a year and had even started feeling guilty of not having taken care of her appearance and of not having updated her with the changing times. Now I know that it is practically impossible to be the leader when it comes to keeping abreast with what is in vogue, however my idea was only to give her a different look a look which entitled her to a place in the 21st century. It dawned in me that for the last quarter of a century I have been looking at the same pieces of furniture kept in the same position and this truth brought in me a strange feeling of living in a home laid out for the visually impaired. The urge to renovate came to the fore; but the thought of executing seemed a very scary proposition. The main reason for my wariness was the thought of tilting the well poised apple cart and the inconvenience that would follow.
I did not have to wait long for my idea to take shape, for dot on her 13th birthday; Sridevi came up with her demand for a spacious room with an attached bathroom. Those who know Sowparnika know that Sridevi’s room was bereft of a bathroom and as a growing child who would before batting an eyelid become an adult, her demand was indeed justified. She was at present using the room earmarked for Guests. With live in guests being a norm, she would invariably be thrown out of that room on a regular basis. Thus as parents we took a decision to remodel an existing room and make it suitable for her needs. It seemed so simple a task. What was planned was the breaking down of a wall and including some open area to an existing room. The other half of the open area, we decided would be incorporated into an existing hall. It was a miniscule of a job in the scheme of things, and everybody from the contractor to the engineer to the architect were in agreement of that.
I am not a brick and mortar person and hence the initial stages of the work were not very exciting to me. Moreover when the work began, I was more focused on my US trip and hence did not get into the nitty gritty of things. This scene changed when I got back from the US and by mid June I was totally involved and busy picking up things for the finishing touch. I don’t consider myself an interior decorator, but somehow I think I may not be exaggerating when I say that I have a good aesthetic sense. I attribute this to my interest in Mathematics as this always helps me to see symmetry and balance whenever it comes to placing furniture and artifacts. I dare not try anything dramatic, for I would not know how to come clean at the end. Hence the last two months have seen me entering and exiting various shops ranging from furnishings, furniture, electrical fittings, sanitary ware, and hardware stores and so on and so forth. Without exaggerating I can say that I have visited the chosen shop in each specialty more than half a dozen times. For some unavoidable reason I could not make it to Chennai and hence had missed out on the final finishing in 1985. This I felt was a second chance provided to me. It also seemed a wonderful era to shop what with the latest in everything being freely available. Thus I made full use of the scenario and kept flitting in and out of the house at the drop of a hat. For someone fond of window shopping, this seemed a God sent opportunity. Thus I purchased with glee, whatever I felt most suited my dwelling. At this point I must say that it was not entirely a cake walk, for I had to also please a teenager who had a whole set of ideas brimming in her head. What was cheese for me turned out to be just chalk for her. Thus I quickly adapted to her way of thinking and in a very ingenious way and after some willful compromising we reached our goal.
However I was in for some disappointment when I realized that I could not get the workers to perform on time and in the manner in which I wanted. I quickly learnt to endure this disappointment, however being a normal mortal, my patience began to run thin. I was promised that the total work would finish in 2-3 months and the truth now was that the work had entered its sixth month. I don’t know even at this point if I could boldly and surely say that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel for in my scheme of things the end should have happened very long ago.
The final outcome definitely erases the frustration caused by the lackadaisical attitude of the people involved in the execution of the work. The bedroom looks beautiful with the fancy colours on the wall and the bright floral curtains. The walk in wardrobe is humungous and the dressing area is a dream of every girl/woman. As for the extension of the hall, it surely is picture perfect. With minimal furniture and an earthy atmosphere, it takes you back in years. The filtering of sunlight thanks to the pergola, gives it a well deserved aura. I had never dreamt of a niche like this when the work began, however I am more than pleased at the outcome.
No part of the house has been spared for if one area received a coat of paint, the other got a new set of curtains and the third some new piece of furniture. Thus I got to see that Sowparnika is refurbished and ready to welcome its long line of guests. I hope the workers will help me in meeting my deadline which is the 21st of August (as my Dad returns from the US on the 22nd). In the meantime I am left with just three days and there are a whole lot of loose ends to tie. I am expecting the liner today and am really hoping that he will keep his word. I need to go to Mat Bazaar and pick up some door mats and there are endless other chores to be fulfilled.
I was reminded of this saying in Tamizh, which when translated loosely means, “Try building a house, try getting your daughter married.” I had kind of rubbished this saying, with an attitude that both were simple tasks and the brouhaha was over nothing. After my experiences of the last six months, I realize that there can be no saying more accurate. If an inanimate object could bring about in me such a varied spectrum of emotions, I dare not think as to what my state would be when I have to execute the second half of the above saying. I fervently pray that I have the strength at that point of time.
In the meantime I invite all my friends to the revamped Sowparnika, which continues to exude the very same warmth.
P.S. Hope I have answered those friends who wondered loudly at my silence on the Blog front.
I did not have to wait long for my idea to take shape, for dot on her 13th birthday; Sridevi came up with her demand for a spacious room with an attached bathroom. Those who know Sowparnika know that Sridevi’s room was bereft of a bathroom and as a growing child who would before batting an eyelid become an adult, her demand was indeed justified. She was at present using the room earmarked for Guests. With live in guests being a norm, she would invariably be thrown out of that room on a regular basis. Thus as parents we took a decision to remodel an existing room and make it suitable for her needs. It seemed so simple a task. What was planned was the breaking down of a wall and including some open area to an existing room. The other half of the open area, we decided would be incorporated into an existing hall. It was a miniscule of a job in the scheme of things, and everybody from the contractor to the engineer to the architect were in agreement of that.
I am not a brick and mortar person and hence the initial stages of the work were not very exciting to me. Moreover when the work began, I was more focused on my US trip and hence did not get into the nitty gritty of things. This scene changed when I got back from the US and by mid June I was totally involved and busy picking up things for the finishing touch. I don’t consider myself an interior decorator, but somehow I think I may not be exaggerating when I say that I have a good aesthetic sense. I attribute this to my interest in Mathematics as this always helps me to see symmetry and balance whenever it comes to placing furniture and artifacts. I dare not try anything dramatic, for I would not know how to come clean at the end. Hence the last two months have seen me entering and exiting various shops ranging from furnishings, furniture, electrical fittings, sanitary ware, and hardware stores and so on and so forth. Without exaggerating I can say that I have visited the chosen shop in each specialty more than half a dozen times. For some unavoidable reason I could not make it to Chennai and hence had missed out on the final finishing in 1985. This I felt was a second chance provided to me. It also seemed a wonderful era to shop what with the latest in everything being freely available. Thus I made full use of the scenario and kept flitting in and out of the house at the drop of a hat. For someone fond of window shopping, this seemed a God sent opportunity. Thus I purchased with glee, whatever I felt most suited my dwelling. At this point I must say that it was not entirely a cake walk, for I had to also please a teenager who had a whole set of ideas brimming in her head. What was cheese for me turned out to be just chalk for her. Thus I quickly adapted to her way of thinking and in a very ingenious way and after some willful compromising we reached our goal.
However I was in for some disappointment when I realized that I could not get the workers to perform on time and in the manner in which I wanted. I quickly learnt to endure this disappointment, however being a normal mortal, my patience began to run thin. I was promised that the total work would finish in 2-3 months and the truth now was that the work had entered its sixth month. I don’t know even at this point if I could boldly and surely say that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel for in my scheme of things the end should have happened very long ago.
The final outcome definitely erases the frustration caused by the lackadaisical attitude of the people involved in the execution of the work. The bedroom looks beautiful with the fancy colours on the wall and the bright floral curtains. The walk in wardrobe is humungous and the dressing area is a dream of every girl/woman. As for the extension of the hall, it surely is picture perfect. With minimal furniture and an earthy atmosphere, it takes you back in years. The filtering of sunlight thanks to the pergola, gives it a well deserved aura. I had never dreamt of a niche like this when the work began, however I am more than pleased at the outcome.
No part of the house has been spared for if one area received a coat of paint, the other got a new set of curtains and the third some new piece of furniture. Thus I got to see that Sowparnika is refurbished and ready to welcome its long line of guests. I hope the workers will help me in meeting my deadline which is the 21st of August (as my Dad returns from the US on the 22nd). In the meantime I am left with just three days and there are a whole lot of loose ends to tie. I am expecting the liner today and am really hoping that he will keep his word. I need to go to Mat Bazaar and pick up some door mats and there are endless other chores to be fulfilled.
I was reminded of this saying in Tamizh, which when translated loosely means, “Try building a house, try getting your daughter married.” I had kind of rubbished this saying, with an attitude that both were simple tasks and the brouhaha was over nothing. After my experiences of the last six months, I realize that there can be no saying more accurate. If an inanimate object could bring about in me such a varied spectrum of emotions, I dare not think as to what my state would be when I have to execute the second half of the above saying. I fervently pray that I have the strength at that point of time.
In the meantime I invite all my friends to the revamped Sowparnika, which continues to exude the very same warmth.
P.S. Hope I have answered those friends who wondered loudly at my silence on the Blog front.
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