I have resolved to do as much good deeds as possible since I believe that it creats a chain reaction of good deeds and the world becomes atleast in a small way, a better place for us to leave.
We had gone to Arsenal to get the 31st night dinner in Kolkata. We ordered and there was long que of people waiting to collect their takeout before us. I suddenly spoted him begging, bare footed with cap, dirty shorts, torn sweater, barely 4-5 year old. People were coming out of Monginis and he was asking for something from them. I guess the spirit of new year being on my mind, I went and bought couple of cakes and gave him. He ate and while our eyes met, he gave a brilliant smile, now etched in my mind. My eyes were moistened.
He finished and our eyes met again. He pointed to the sweets in the sweetshop nearby. I went and bought him couple of sweets.
After five minutes, I look around for him. He was not there anymore. I guessed he had taken the sweets to him home.
New year, 2009 in Kolkata
From Bangkok we went to Kolkata.
First thing that hit us in the airport was the utter chaos in getting a prepaid taxi and complete lack of security. Also, the pall of heavy balck pollution that was hanging in the air all around.
This will be impression that will get eteched solidly during our stay in Kolkata- a city, helpless, suffering from pollution and reckless people, uncared for throughly. A city where people seems to live to spit on the road, everywhere. I cried for my beloved city where I grew up. A pitiable city now where politics is played over investment, over banning of pollution spitting autorikshaw!
We have gone to Kolkata with a hope to buy a flat, looking at the pathetic plaight of the city, we decided against it. But for few malls like eyeshore, there were nothing is city to talk about. That after more than 30 years in power for the ruling party! Yes, the communist party has made everyone same in the city in suffering!
We went to Kali temple at Kalighat and Dakhsinerswar! I felt hopeful, Ma Kali afterall will ensure ressurection of the city where her devoutee are living.
We went to the botanical garden and looked in awe the Baniyan tree, 250 year old, thriving without its main trunk which was removed when some fungal attacked happened.
We went for a boat ride in the evening in outramghat. It was peace inspiring experience.
We went to Trinca in Parkstreet where I went at 22 for the first time and where I had my first glass of beer in eithties and Sheena went there at 6, such is the signs of passage of time!
We had Biriyani galore. We felt sorry for the decline in quality of Beduin and loved the most the food from Arsenal in Park circus. We lost some of our facination for Rolls which in a way define Kolkata street food.
Shenna loved having foochka which I couldnt bring myself to enjoy.
We went to parkstreet on first Jan, 2009, in the evening. She was all decked up then with neon lights and no one could see the many cracks and broken windows of the apartments around. Darkness sometimes is blissful.
Dinner at my friend Sudipta's house was awesome. Mashima is much aged now yet have retained the same spirit she used to have when I used to visit their house as s tudent, decades ago now.
The dinners in Bengal club and CRC were something that will stay in the memory.
Bangkok was full of foriegner and we barely saw 4-5 of them during our entire stay. That too mostly near missionaries of charity.
My sis in law and her family, now residents of NZ also joined us in Kolkata. We then realised why they say bonds of blood is something different. Shenna forgot us and spent all his time with his much older brother of 18, they were inseparable. Shenna will wear a jacket is his bro were wearing one and so on went on during our entire stay.
Im hopeful that Kolkata will rise again. I dont have anyother choice to feel that city will turn around and good sense on some on in power will prevail, someday.
First thing that hit us in the airport was the utter chaos in getting a prepaid taxi and complete lack of security. Also, the pall of heavy balck pollution that was hanging in the air all around.
This will be impression that will get eteched solidly during our stay in Kolkata- a city, helpless, suffering from pollution and reckless people, uncared for throughly. A city where people seems to live to spit on the road, everywhere. I cried for my beloved city where I grew up. A pitiable city now where politics is played over investment, over banning of pollution spitting autorikshaw!
We have gone to Kolkata with a hope to buy a flat, looking at the pathetic plaight of the city, we decided against it. But for few malls like eyeshore, there were nothing is city to talk about. That after more than 30 years in power for the ruling party! Yes, the communist party has made everyone same in the city in suffering!
We went to Kali temple at Kalighat and Dakhsinerswar! I felt hopeful, Ma Kali afterall will ensure ressurection of the city where her devoutee are living.
We went to the botanical garden and looked in awe the Baniyan tree, 250 year old, thriving without its main trunk which was removed when some fungal attacked happened.
We went for a boat ride in the evening in outramghat. It was peace inspiring experience.
We went to Trinca in Parkstreet where I went at 22 for the first time and where I had my first glass of beer in eithties and Sheena went there at 6, such is the signs of passage of time!
We had Biriyani galore. We felt sorry for the decline in quality of Beduin and loved the most the food from Arsenal in Park circus. We lost some of our facination for Rolls which in a way define Kolkata street food.
Shenna loved having foochka which I couldnt bring myself to enjoy.
We went to parkstreet on first Jan, 2009, in the evening. She was all decked up then with neon lights and no one could see the many cracks and broken windows of the apartments around. Darkness sometimes is blissful.
Dinner at my friend Sudipta's house was awesome. Mashima is much aged now yet have retained the same spirit she used to have when I used to visit their house as s tudent, decades ago now.
The dinners in Bengal club and CRC were something that will stay in the memory.
Bangkok was full of foriegner and we barely saw 4-5 of them during our entire stay. That too mostly near missionaries of charity.
My sis in law and her family, now residents of NZ also joined us in Kolkata. We then realised why they say bonds of blood is something different. Shenna forgot us and spent all his time with his much older brother of 18, they were inseparable. Shenna will wear a jacket is his bro were wearing one and so on went on during our entire stay.
Im hopeful that Kolkata will rise again. I dont have anyother choice to feel that city will turn around and good sense on some on in power will prevail, someday.
Holidays in Bangkok
Life's been maddeningly hectic and thus inspite of my best intentions, couldnt come around to record the tales of our fanstastic holiday in Bangkok last december.
We stayed there from 20th to 24th Decebmer.
In the airport in Manila, Shenna spoted his frined Zwe who were also going to Bangkok and they played a lot.
We researched Bangkok quite well and just used maps to go around the city with heavely ease.
We stayed at Sommerset Lake view serviced apartment. We decided on it since it was quite close to Ashok and Sukumvit rail stations and extremely close to Sukumvit, the nerve centre of Bangkok.
Dona and Shenna were thrilled to staying there.
We reaached Bangkok on the evening of 20th Dec and took a taxi. The driver didnt know english and used mobile translator's help in understanding where we wanted to go. The english understanding of the translator was also not exactly world class and so we ended up going around in search of Sommerset quite a bit. But the driver was honest and so earned his money. It helped us later because we in the process got accustomed the lanes and bylanes on Sukumvit!
After resting a bit, we went out for a night stroll on ever busy Sukumvit. We decided well not to buy anything from the hawkers since later we bought the same things from Chatochat weekend bazar at half the price.
We stayed there from 20th to 24th Decebmer.
In the airport in Manila, Shenna spoted his frined Zwe who were also going to Bangkok and they played a lot.
We researched Bangkok quite well and just used maps to go around the city with heavely ease.
We stayed at Sommerset Lake view serviced apartment. We decided on it since it was quite close to Ashok and Sukumvit rail stations and extremely close to Sukumvit, the nerve centre of Bangkok.
Dona and Shenna were thrilled to staying there.
We reaached Bangkok on the evening of 20th Dec and took a taxi. The driver didnt know english and used mobile translator's help in understanding where we wanted to go. The english understanding of the translator was also not exactly world class and so we ended up going around in search of Sommerset quite a bit. But the driver was honest and so earned his money. It helped us later because we in the process got accustomed the lanes and bylanes on Sukumvit!
After resting a bit, we went out for a night stroll on ever busy Sukumvit. We decided well not to buy anything from the hawkers since later we bought the same things from Chatochat weekend bazar at half the price.
We had our dinner...where else...Mcdonalds! Mcdonald's and KFC's, I realise are doing a fantastyic thing in making us, specially the kids feel athome wheerever we go, its like bit of home at a otherwise new place!
We collected some maps from the hotel lobby which turned out to be our constant companion during our stay.
Next morning, a brilliant saturday, we woke up early and poured over the maps. We decided to visit Chatochat weekend bazar, Children's museum and Siam Minamit show in the evening - All these could be reached by MRT. We loved our day. Dona could spend few days in the Chitochat bazar,
qassorted great stull at relatively cheap price. Shenna loved the children's schience museum where he played with giant bubblers and experienced silumation of driving, apart from various other interesting, interactive stuff. We went there for him and it was worth it.
We had a typical thai dinner in the night.
We had allready decided that we will spend the next day going around the river cruise and visitng the Reclining Budha, Palace and other places that define Thailand (tourism). We were deliughted to realise how seriously the tourism is taken and the infrastructure is built so that we could go around with supreme ease. We took a whole day ticket and hoped in and out of the boats whole day.
We hadnt previsouly planned for the next day and in the morning decided to go to Pattaya. Latye decisions always cost money and we had to pay quite a bit of extra for the same. However, we loved the day in the beach looking at the calm see and playing on the beach as a family. Its otherwise known as the sin place of Thailand, not for nothing. It seemed to be place where aged whitemen come to experience- who knows what! Asia, freedom from worries, sin?
We came back in the evening, had dinner and went to Suanlum night bazar (open till 2pm), again by BST. Dona loved shoping there and Shanna picked up couple of tuktuks. Came back late night to crash on the inviting bed!
We realised next day morning, that that was our last day in bangkok, we had an evening flight to Kolkata.
We decided to indulge in malling in the morning. In the afternoon, we came back to check out from the hotel. But we couldnt leave Bangkok without experience the massage and so we relaxed for the next 1.5-2hours at the hands of well trainned, willing masseus! We reached the airport in the evening to catch out flight to Kolkata.
We didnt feel like leaving Bangkok. Not because we wanted to see more places which we were quite satified with, its because we loved the place, its happy, smiling, friendly people and lovely food. We ovbiously bought lot of curry pastes to enjoy tstae of Thailand when back in Manila later.
Intially we were bit apprehensive that we were on our own and we were ready to book trips with travel agent but we didnt feel the need once we were in bangkok. We are happy that we went around on our own and as such we have a good sense of the place and its regular people. One need to explore, let loose oneself in a foreign place to have an enriching experience.
We had a great holiday in Bangkok.
I have gone to Bangkok before on work and likely to go again later but no treat is going to be same like we had this trip-Shenna, Dona and myself, togther.
We collected some maps from the hotel lobby which turned out to be our constant companion during our stay.
Next morning, a brilliant saturday, we woke up early and poured over the maps. We decided to visit Chatochat weekend bazar, Children's museum and Siam Minamit show in the evening - All these could be reached by MRT. We loved our day. Dona could spend few days in the Chitochat bazar,
qassorted great stull at relatively cheap price. Shenna loved the children's schience museum where he played with giant bubblers and experienced silumation of driving, apart from various other interesting, interactive stuff. We went there for him and it was worth it.We had a typical thai dinner in the night.
We had allready decided that we will spend the next day going around the river cruise and visitng the Reclining Budha, Palace and other places that define Thailand (tourism). We were deliughted to realise how seriously the tourism is taken and the infrastructure is built so that we could go around with supreme ease. We took a whole day ticket and hoped in and out of the boats whole day.
We hadnt previsouly planned for the next day and in the morning decided to go to Pattaya. Latye decisions always cost money and we had to pay quite a bit of extra for the same. However, we loved the day in the beach looking at the calm see and playing on the beach as a family. Its otherwise known as the sin place of Thailand, not for nothing. It seemed to be place where aged whitemen come to experience- who knows what! Asia, freedom from worries, sin?
We came back in the evening, had dinner and went to Suanlum night bazar (open till 2pm), again by BST. Dona loved shoping there and Shanna picked up couple of tuktuks. Came back late night to crash on the inviting bed!
We realised next day morning, that that was our last day in bangkok, we had an evening flight to Kolkata.
We decided to indulge in malling in the morning. In the afternoon, we came back to check out from the hotel. But we couldnt leave Bangkok without experience the massage and so we relaxed for the next 1.5-2hours at the hands of well trainned, willing masseus! We reached the airport in the evening to catch out flight to Kolkata.
We didnt feel like leaving Bangkok. Not because we wanted to see more places which we were quite satified with, its because we loved the place, its happy, smiling, friendly people and lovely food. We ovbiously bought lot of curry pastes to enjoy tstae of Thailand when back in Manila later.
Intially we were bit apprehensive that we were on our own and we were ready to book trips with travel agent but we didnt feel the need once we were in bangkok. We are happy that we went around on our own and as such we have a good sense of the place and its regular people. One need to explore, let loose oneself in a foreign place to have an enriching experience.
We had a great holiday in Bangkok.
I have gone to Bangkok before on work and likely to go again later but no treat is going to be same like we had this trip-Shenna, Dona and myself, togther.
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