Date: 2009-10-19 17:39 Subject: A Foreign Fortnight Security: Public

One of my friend has requested me to write a description of my stay, work, conveyance food & lodging and all other pertinent things in Liege Belgium. Hence I though of blogging it so that I can have a ready reference of my initial days handy at all times. I took a flight at very early morning on 5th of this instant from IGI and has reached the BRU at around quarter to eight in the morning. After the immigration check and collection of luggage I went to the basement and took a through ticket to Liege Guillemins, even though I had to make it, via Leuven, to there. In the rail compartment I met  a friendly couple who helped me to switch trains at Leuven, a quarter of an hour away from the airport. In my next  train I met an American graduate student from Rutgers university, some Mr. Ross, who is actually going to the same university as I am, to deliver a seminar on Gravitational Lensing. That helped me pass the long 45 minutes in a jiffy. Nothing much had happened in any of these train journeys except that I tried to look at the grass outside, but, to my disappointment  they were as green as they could be, without even a subtle hint of fall colours that I were told about, so much so, that I expected to see them in all of the temperate zones. 


After reaching Liege station, I was supposed to make a phone call to the university so that I could be picked up by my host. I was unable to locate a coin box and hence proceeded to my hotel/apartment. It was nearby and not much of a trouble since I worked on Google maps quite a lot beforehand. I rode to the hotel by Mercedes, a bus not a cab! I was on my days end to lift my luggage weighing nearly 32 kilos to third floor without lift. On reaching the place, I conveniently called up my host and he soon arrived and picked me up to the university.

Upon reaching the university, I signed my contract and thereafter did many things one by one like the medical insurance, residence permit, bank account finding a new apartment, electricity and gas transfer for the same, registering in the library and for a on line Language course, to name a few. I could do this in just four days partly due to my efficacy and mostly due to the help my host extended towards me.

Yes, of course, I am cooking in my apartment. But only in the weekends. Weekdays are mostly with BBC's (Bread Butter Cheese for the uninitiated) and burgers and fries at nights. I have found out a Bangladeshi shop near my apartment so that I could buy fish eggs, fish, rice, lentils and some well known sub-continental spices. There is also 'alimente biologique' which brings us food without any artificial chemical in it. I have not yet very skill full at my culinary endeavours. Apart from rice, lentils, hoagen-moagen, fried fish and eggs thereof, french toast I did not prepare any Bengali dish. Tried to make some foreign fast food with fillet and bacon at home with modest results. I note here I have  a gas oven here unlike most of Europe where induction heater is the most used cooking device.

The apartment is nice well furnished and equipped. Only the washing m/c or the dish washer is lacking but that is not much hindrance to me. It's just on the city centre equivalent to Esplannade at Kolkata. The city Cathedral, Opera (not a philharmonic one though), Palace of Justice are jsut a minute or two away from the door. The university is on a flat plateau atop a hill around 10 kms away from where I stay. The city station is the largest in Belgium (no comparison with Brussels midi) and may be one of the biggest in Europe. It has a roof that costs around 400 M E. The city has a big river cutting it across in three parts including the island between the streams. It is the third largest river ports of Europe.

Every Sunday, there is a cheap market alongside the river, where, people from nearby village come and sell things. I brought two jackets to drive away the winter. A big October fair is going on in the middle of the city too. It's very much like our own with the big wheels and etc.

I would stop here, even if I write more it would still be an inadequate description of a place. I really lack my camera here, which, for some strange reason I left at home.

Date: 2009-09-04 17:57 Subject: Good Riddance Security: Public

This is a story of an uninitiated aboriginal vs. cold blooded reptiles. The question is - who can outwit the other? If you are thinking about catching a domesticated lizard then of course the latter. Even you may not be successful to drive them out from your household at one go. I, being an outright average commonplace lay-bahe was almost sure to be defeated in this quest, given the amount of junk material in my room.

I, however, noticed that the creatures entered into my room via window. They did not use the door. In the hot summers I used to open my  wire meshed window pane for easier air circulation. That was my weakness those reptiles banked on. I used to close the pane in the morning but in the mean time they had returned to the comforts of the room after a night out of preying. I waited till the monsoon came and estimated about a suitable calendar day after which I no longer need a open window at night. I set my alarm on the fateful day some time after midnight. Woke up and closed the window. The lizards were just outside. They could have leapt inside as they always do in the mornings, given my slow reflex as compared to those reptiles. However, they chose to go away since it was night time.

I won ---> BackPat!

Date: 2009-08-25 22:59 Subject: Warning Security: Public

This should be self-explanatory:

Date: 2009-07-17 20:21 Subject: Toddlers Of Two Hours & Two Days Security: Public Mood: cheerful

I'm an old man - old enough to long for a kid and a bit on the far side of the young age when compared to politicians on their ICU beds. Yesterday I was sent a picture of a human toddler over e-mail by her proud father to whom I was an acolyte once. I was more happy than what I had been with e-mails for the preceding quarter of the year, whomsoever it may be from. Please Have a look -

http://pics.livejournal.com/shabsslg/pic/00062bx2/g93

Just a couple of days back than this I have given a wounded chick of a peafowl to the local zoo authority for treatment and further raising. We did raise it for two days and made it eat moong dal and drink water with plastic tea-spoon. I felt a little heart-ache leaving the chick behind there. I consoled myself - lest the chick dies we had to do this. Have another glance on this -

http://pics.livejournal.com/shabsslg/pic/00061r0x/g92
 

Date: 2009-07-05 01:48 Subject: Indian Railway : Snippets Of Wisdom Security: Public

The first time I traveled alone inside a rail compartment was in July, 1998 for about six hundred kilometres or so. This was well before most of my contemporary's started boarding trains (alone) leaving local ones aside. But every time you board a long distance train in India you learn things, at least you revise old things learnt in the past. Likewise, I have got some lesson yesternight and today while on board a 4083 exp. christened Mahanada Exp. [or better still Mahaganda Exp.].

I boarded the train at platform no. one at NJP on 3rd of July at 1330 hrs which is approximately 0230 hrs off the schedule. I got an upper berth on the coach AB1. The first thing I noticed about the coach was that the glass pane of the door locking the air conditioning is replaced by a wooden panel on both the sides. At my side, I did not notice the other, it was held in the closed position by a hanging & makeshift metal plate so that it can not overshoot in the other direction. So far so good. I unfurled my bedroll and went to sleep, which ensued and was interrupted after a little while. A salesman, evidently loaded with Hong Kong Market goods started negotiating with my co-passengers. Exasperated as I was, told him to join politics, since he stands good chance of over-shouting his opponents. Transgenders  did board the train, as they usually do in NJP. But thankfully they did not pester.

At 1730 hrs we reached KTH and the thing I hate most occurred. One family comprising one old mother and a son boarded into the train and started nagging me to vacate my seat on account of the elderly lady (the mother) who needs a constant attendant over her, like an angel, all the time. I gingerly acceded to that, cursing my fate and god for not blessing with me with a family for myself to flaunt before public. I had always suffered this fate on ground of being a young male of the species that boards passenger trains. Law of statistics does not apply here.

I silently rolled my bedding and went over to my new seat. Here I found a short distance passenger without any reservation is traveling with me. It turned out that he was a RPF constable working in the Bhaluka Road station of West Bengal inside the district of Malda. He not only illuminated me how the current state of political affairs has filled the chicken's neck of India with Bangladeshi infiltrators, but also how adept they are at breaking the law, so much so, they would even learn a few engineering skills. They manage to stop express and mail trains by manipulating signals on railway track. What is a little less outrageous than the fact of total jeopardy of passenger safety is that they get same day bail from Malda CJM court when the guards manage to haul the culprits red handed booked either for plunder or manhandling Govt. property. In passing he notes the eerie practise of railway ( common in bureaucratic circles) to engage an Inspector matching the religion of the majority of the place he serves. He also mentions, in his native district the bail pleas will be heard only after 3 months or so of penal servitude, as compared to the progressive district of a progressive state. I felt shame about the state I belong to and how it's rulers has counted heads for only votes for a little over three decades. Eventually they did run out of it and took some as loan from the neigbhouring country.

Next morning, after crossing ALD at around 0930 hrs I found a herd of TTE's meant for the whole train. They were resting intermittently in the coupe (19-22). Whenever the train stopped they managed the stray short distance travelers for a few pices of silver into the coaches and fell back to their abode. One of them, otherwise nondescript modulo the bearing and the badge, one Shri P. P. Singh, Head TTE of Section Tundla bought some blackberry from a non-rail vendor. He ate them with his sidekicks and blurted out the seeds on the compartment floor. He then asked for another  non-rail sweeper (underage) to sweep it. After that the young fellow came to me asking for money which I declined. He then offered me 0.50 INR (locally called chiller) for my miserliness. Any progressive person would have worked himself up (like the minister of the progressive state who told today that a begger earns more than 6000 a month!). But I maintained cool and retorted why should you escape on dirt cheap - give me all you have. He came out with a enviable set of coins and offered me 10 INR from it. I repeated all - means your money, your apparel, your broom and other mundane belongings. The boy departed the scene without giving me a second glance.

If you are bored then here is the bottom line - forget about the rules that those imperialistic socialist do not follow. Forget even those rules of hygiene that the railway always announces. Let us simply commemorate the independence of bourgeois today once and above all.

Date: 2009-06-02 06:40 Subject: Ket & Boomerang Security: Public

Recently we (Victor & me) have been to the Kanha - a place with a firm claim to fame for the Jungle Book by Joseph Rudyard Kipling. We started on Thursday (28/05/2009) afternoon by institute bus. Upon reaching the the railway station we took 'Poori-Subzi' for our dinner. I did quite over indulge in it by consuming thirty odd 'Poori'-s. We found an unclaimed dead-body, supposedly of a vagrant on the same platform on which the train was due, being removed by 'Murdaforas' under the supervision of Railway Protection Force constables. 

The train arrived timely, and we boarded it. Before we could cross a couple of stations a violent storm erupted disrupting our comfort. It made us look like 'black drongo chased crow juveniles' when it finally subsided after a rage that went on for quarter of an hour. Rest of the train Journey was smooth. We reached Jabalpur at around 7:30 am in the morning. We stopped briskly at the MP tourism office to enquire about the food and lodging facilities in or around the national park. We booked our stay at tourist hostel-Kisli (a cheap dormitory compared to the forest log huts) inside the park. The tariff included the daily meals usual for government rest-houses inside a forest.

We then took a indigo and set out for Kanha. It was 175 Km away from the station. We had our breakfast on the way with 'Alu-Parantha' . This journey took a little longer than expected beacause of two consecutive flat tyres. The first one was gotten rid of quite easily by the help of the extra tyre kept in the boot. But for the second one no such thing was readily available. The driver and his sidekick rolled the tyre on their quest to the nearest roadside garage and get it repaired. It took them more than an hour since they had to roll it for about 4 kilometres to and fro.

Finally, we reached our Kisli hostel crossing the Khatia gate. The facilities were good with running water and electricity. We took our lunch at 2 pm and then the shower to ready us within the time of evening jungle safari at 4 pm. We had not been in much luck in that trip apart from Gaur, Boar, Oriole. We came back took dinner and slept for the night.

Next morning, we started  off at around quarter past five in the morning to the jungle safari. We could spot a few species this time like changeable hawk eagle, pallas fish eagle, black sholdered kite, and honey buzzard just about entering the the park. We also had our luck with the tigers show. We could see it from elephant back. Last day we could spot another, but due to bad light (and distance) we could not frame it properly. Our jeep driver being quite an arrogant person kept throwing tantrums to other drivers and sometimes to us and sometimes to us. He was quite knowledgeable person. Though he resorted to his imaginations when that failed him. Victor even termed it with the famous 'H-Z-B-R-L'  by none other than Sukumar Ray.

We had some time between the morning safari and the evening that day even after accounting for lunch and afternoon siesta. We started walking on the road opposite to the gate that marks core area of the forest. Consequently we veered off the track to trail an elephant couple on their way to a nearby water hole. Suddenly and surprisingly we were nabbed by a forest guard and remanded to the chief conservator of forest. We were set free after a mild rebuke. But that was an eye opener. It is supposed that we can only walk from the dorm to the canteen and that's all about it. Defaulters can be penalized with 25 grand fine or upto 6 months of imprisonment. We missed the notice that was displayed in front of the canteen.

In the next safari in the afternoon, we could see the common hawk cuckoo - brain fever bird. Hog deer had been the main attraction this trip. We also saw the scarlet minivet but could not frame it - the same goes for flamebacks. We  exerted quite an effort to spot the leopard but to no avail. 

The electricity went off just after midnight in the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. We had to wash, brush and bath in stored water in buckets that looked as turbid as if someone has stored the used water from an elephant wash. However, that could not deter us from the park visit at daybreak.

In the last morning safari on Sunday we could only spot a jackal and a jungle owlet missing narrowly a bear. We found the famed swamp dear on a water hole while returning with a heavy heart.

Our way back to Jabalpur was smooth it took only 3 hours modulo a brief stop for lunch. Even though we could spot a couple of vehicles turned upside down in the hilly roads, we arrived at the railway station safely.  We planted our luggage at the cloak room and went to 'Bhedaghat', famous for marble rocks and 'Dhuandhar' water fall. The exhaustive list of purposes of the trip drew to a close with that. We came back to the station to dine with egg curry and rice. The train left on time but with 20 policemen and with a three handcuffed prisoner/detainee with transit remand in our compartment. We reached our destination timely and took the institute bus back to campus.

For those who are interested (after reading this boring & weary account) can see the picture at my scrappbook gallery, here!

Date: 2009-05-09 21:10 Subject: Paranoid Institute Security: Public Mood: amused

The month of May in this semi-arid land is taking its toll heavily. The heat is making everything go haywire. Be it a anonymous author sending a signed email (probably not by the real name) about the corruption that is rampant amongst the brass of this place or be it the person suggesting that Air Conditioning machines cool when the atmospheric temperature is less than 45 degree celcius, even after investing 5 years of meticulous work on Thermodynamics and its micro counterpart Statistical Mechanics. Lastly there are ubuntu and kubuntu, the latest two amongst linux distributions and theirs fan followers to heat up our bottom all the more. 

Date: 2009-04-29 00:53 Subject: Slam Book Security: Public

আমাকে স্ল্যাম-বুক লেখার দায়িত্ব অর্পণ করা হয়েছে। যিনি করেছেন তিনি আমার সহপাঠীনি বা সঠীক বলতে গেলে সহকর্মীণি। তবে বয়সে খানিকটা ছোট। তিনি কি কাজ করেন সেটা ভাবতে বসলে যেটা প্রথমে মাথায় আসে সেটা হল - তিনি কান্নাকাটি করেন। তবে এখানেই শেষ নয়, আরো রয়েছে। তিনি ঢং করেন, রাগ করেন, খুনসুটি করেন, অসম্ভব সমস্ত দাবি তোলেন ইত্যাদি। একটা দাবিও যদি পুরণ করতে দেরি হয়, তাহলে তাঁর ফোলা গাল আর কম্পমান নাসারন্ধ্র উদ্দীষ্ট ব্যক্তিকে যারপরনাই তিরস্কৃত করে।

প্রথমেই খারাপ কথাগুলো লিখে নিলুম কারণ সেটা সবসময় মনে থাকে। এবার ভেবে চিন্তে কিছু ভাল কথা লিখতে হবে। উনি বহুমুখী প্রতিভা-র অধিকারিণী। তিনি নৃত্য-গীতী তে পারদর্শীনি। অভিনয়ে সাবলীল (শুধু ক্যামেরা-র পিছনে নয়,রোজনামচাতেও)। শুধু গুণের কথা বলা ছাড়াও যেটা বলা দরকার সেটা হল - উনি নিত্য নতুন জিনিষ করতে ভালবাসেন। কখনো টেনিস খেলেন, কখনও বা ব্যাডমিন্টন, বা সাঁতার। এসব ছাড়াও রয়েছে আরো অনেক কিছু যার বেশীরভাগ আমি নিজেও সঠিক জানি না।

এরপর যেটা  বলার থাকে সেটা হল - পেশায় তিনি একজন পদার্থবিদ, যাঁর সময় কাটানোর ভাল ফন্দি হল নিজের অপদার্থতা নিয়ে ঘ্যান ঘ্যান করা। যদি সেটা কারো পছন্দ (কিংবা বিশ্বাস) না হয় , তাহলে তিনি নিজের  দুর্ভাগ্য বর্ণনা করেন।

এখানেই শেষ নয় সেসব কথা মনযোগ (যেটা তিনি সবসময়ে আকর্ষণ করেন) সহকারে না শুনলে কপালে যে  অশেষ দুঃখ লেখা  রয়েছে তা বলাই বাহুল্য।  এই সমস্ত কিছু করার কারণ জানতে চাইলে এক লাইনে চটজলদি উত্তর আসে - মেয়েরা এরকম-ই হয়।

সত্যি কিসে কি হয় তা আমিও জানি না। তবে ওনার এই চিরকালীন হতাশা আমাকে পীড়া দেয়। সব কিছুকে ন্যাকামি বলে উড়িয়ে দেওয়া সহজ, কিন্তু তাতে অবস্থা পরিবর্তনের আশা দেখি না। ওনার মনের ভিতর কি চলে তা আমার জানার কথা নয়। তবে আমি আন্দাজ করি যে ওইখানে একটা Quantuam Field Theoretic Vacuum  রয়েছে যেখানে  প্রতিনিয়ত কিছু উৎপন্ন আর বিপন্ন হয়ে চলেছে।

এইটুকু বলে আমি  শেষ করে দিলুম।   আশা করি ছোট হয়েছে বলে কেউ মারবে না। সঙ্গে প্রার্থনা করি আপনি ভাল থাকুন, যেখানেই থাকুন   সুখে (এবং শান্তিতে) থাকুন।

একটা মৃদু জলযোগ এর আশা রেখে শেষ করছি ... শুভায়ন।

Date: 2009-04-12 10:42 Subject: A Long Wait Security: Public

It is well known that people in this country are accustomed to waiting. Courtesy goes to the procrastination offered by the government and their loyal servants, or even to the heavenly delay offered by the Almighty in shriving their sins that one incurs throughout life, assuming His Holy existence. But the campus I reside in resembles more like a western civilization where almost everything goes in clockwork fashion. It has a very regular bus service to take people to various parts of a nearby city and carry people back home inside the campus.

Yesterday evening I went for a party in city with some of my fellow wing-mates of hostel. We took the bus scheduled at 20:00 hrs from the inside and reached the destination called Moti Mahal withing quarter of an hour. We were supposed to dine sumptuously and then to take the return bus from there scheduled at 22:00 hrs. We the phenomenal quick eaters made it in due time.

Next the wait begins at around quarter to 22:00 hrs. We waited at the scheduled stop for around 45 minutes but the Bus was nowhere to be seen. Every time we see a bus our hearts soars and then sinks back to normalcy when we find it to be a bus booked for a marriage party. In the mean time we saw many families riding in cars, probably invited in marriages, came to that particular stop where flower garlands were available. I could also see Mercedes-Benz for the first time in the city during that long wait. At around 22:30 we had lost all our hopes and made way to the auto rickshaw stand. All the way along we frequently looked back to see if anything like a bus is coming to us. As a matter of fact a couple of them came but they were again the marriage party buses, not what we were looking for.  When we reached the auto stand that was closed and hence we had to go a little further to catch a flying auto rickshaw for our campus. Before boarding we asked the plier if he is going to make it to the campus. He affirmed.

After boarding the auto rickshaw the bus of our contention whizzed past us, the time was around 5 minutes to 23:00 hrs then. It was such a jolt to us that we all went into despair. Sometimes it so happens that the bus gets delayed in the level crossing of the railways. If it happens on both to and fro routes then this type of exorbitant delay may result. But, aghast as we were, we did cut a joke that the bus might be plying for a marriage party to the ends of the driver/conductor and hence the delay.

The remaining part of the story is simple. A battalion of policemen boarded our auto rickshaw en route, with a lot of effort. Those who could not squirm in on our shoulders kept themselves hanging on the foot board. The funny part is that they all paid their individual fares which I have never seen men in khaki do. Near Gurdev palace the auto rickshaw started its erratic behaviour, as if it has no fuel in it's tank. What we gathered the auto rickshaw driver resides nearby and wouldn't  go any further. He duped us by saying he would take us entirely, and now is making excuses that his tuning is bad or the transmission got leaked so on and so forth. We somehow managed to board another flying auto rickshaw and made it to the main gate of our campus. A straight 2.5 kms walk down the silent lanes took us to our hostel. It was well past midnight then.

Date: 2009-03-25 11:37 Subject: Wild Life Brochure Security: Public

pics.livejournal.com/shabsslg/gallery/000348zq

Date: 2009-03-18 01:32 Subject: Me & My Boyfriends Security: Public

Well, to start with I have many of them, unlike otherwise which normally people do according to the order of the nature (fairly consensus view, still debatable). To list them would be a very tedious job at hand, since they come in many varieties like the bed-established intellectual to cork-sniffing drunkard to ample proportioned upright to square rooted thirty six to naturalist whizkid to the badminton ace, so on and so forth.

But today we are going to describe a naturalist photographic genius of the post modern world. He is by and large a conservationist of nature or an aspirant to that effect to say the least.  What disturbs me, so much so that I am writing this at the dead of the night, is that he is very articulate and active when a rock python juvenile dies due to man made forest fire or the olive ridley turtles loose their habitat to Ratan Tata in Orissa. But when man or it's ilk suffers he is pretty much dumb. Even when his colleagues are at crossroads he would take the safe lane to cover himself up. Whenever asked for an explanation he would retort with his one liners [ funny for first time audience] that there are plenty of people to think for mankind but a few for flora and the rest of fauna modulo us.

I agree that I do not have a statistics to refute this logically. But then again there are something called human nature - that is lesser mortals should have a heart with a Gaussian distribution of compassion with it's mean value centerd at the corresponding abscissa for the same species.

I would not go that far where people say humanity is compassion over man and animal-ity is the same over the rest. I know I am doing bestiality to write an article such like citing such a close associate of mine. But still - it's not that I can help. Bitching is my hobby!

Date: 2009-02-28 18:19 Subject: Exotic Birds Security: Public

Winding up the business I used to run here in this place for so long is not easy. I could not manage to go out for a shoot of birds in these waning hours of of my stay at campus. At the last day of the month I have decided to stop by and start the old habit again. but, never did I expect that luck has so many things for me in store. Two exotic bird - one named citrine wagtail, which I have shot in Dudhwa NP but not here. The other one is pretty common and matches with the name - common blue kingfisher. You must have seen the bird while sipping your beer, but this was the first time of my life I had shot that  with my camera.

http://www.orkut.co.in/Main#AlbumZoom.aspx?uid=12385830203176576202&pid=1235824190885&aid=1232864615$pid=1235824190885

http://www.orkut.co.in/Main#AlbumZoom.aspx?uid=12385830203176576202&pid=1235824190885&aid=1232864615$pid=1235879111663

Date: 2009-01-31 23:59 Subject: Custodians Security: Public Mood: annoyed

Well, today's topic is warden and that too applied in the field of academics not in penal precincts. Let's first get our hands on what Wikipedia has to say about it :

"A Warden is the title of the head of some colleges and other educational institutions. This applies especially at some colleges and institutions at the University of Oxford"

In India, of course, they are meant to be chief caretaker of the residential quarters, of the pupils of the educational establishment. If the pupils are underage,  those quarters would be termed as boardings, with the corresponding dress down in the name of the keeper would be (hostel) superintendent.

Now, as the custodians of the underage/youth with the most bright young minds of this democracy, it's incumbent on them to uphold a high standard of morality, ethics, honesty and integrity. Their scruples should be such that they would not let anything happen, that might possibly lead to a pointed finger of accusation of dishonesty on part of them.

Like, if anyone organizes his/her son's birthday party in the mess of  the residential quarters with due patronage [this might be hard to prove but exceedingly seeming] of the mess contractor whose sense of adultery of food is better than that of his qualms, it would not be entirely beside the point to harbour misgivings about the virtuosity of the person, supposedly obtaining the favour, which may as well have arisen from the fear of a corrupt person.

So far so good. But the fact that it survives everything, from application to accusation to derision, suggests - nothing can be done about it, well, specifically, by means of democratic disposals. Someone, perhaps correctly, has said : In democracy most people are living only because it's illegal to shoot them.

Date: 2009-01-07 21:52 Subject: Novel & Novelty Security: Public Mood: shocked

Sea of Poppies - is the name of the recent novel that came out of the master craftsman A. Ghosh. We all have known the British brutalities [appears synonymous throughout time] from the time immemorial. Be it the forceful indigo harvest in this country or the boor war waged by the 'balooest' of the blue blooded coronets in south Africa. What remains little known is the fact that the very foundation of the British empire was laid upon the the reinforced concrete made out of poppy harvest. Not only they did so in India or in China, or did it over the past couple of centuries, they are still doing it in Afghanistan to retain the their order of so called excellence.

I first found out about this from a nice little website named IPFC. Not only the three fourth of the poppy production of the world is controlled by the Britons, but also the most influential of all people are involved into it. Be it a Royal Victorian Order or The Order of The British Empire, they run these cultivation hand in glove. To say the least, poppy is the most sought after raw material for cannabis, hashish, heroine, etc.  leaving aside the less lethal opium.

The irony of the situation is that if you give google the following string to search the web "poppy & UK" a plethora of website shall pop out like the British legion, poppy day [slander of remembrance day], the poppy appeal, and on the top of it all white poppies for peace?!! I can not vouch from this position that the entire race is having the pedigree of peddlers, but for some this goes overboard beyond any reasonable doubt.

It's actually all for poppies. the plunder and arson of a variety of population of  many countries. Unfortunately this is still going on. We, the colonial cousins, shall bleed and die vying for each others' blood while waging the war that has been imposed on us for their poppy cultivation. In this light Dawood is not a pakistani criminal or non-state actor but he is the most able MI6 henchman upon whom a great stake from the sides of the order of the great empire depends, both heavily and pivotally.

PS: Indian Governemt with no other viable options left, has banned the poppy cultivation domestically, resulting into a huge surge into the non-narco edible derivate of these plants. It had been a staple diet for the poorest of the poor of this country for ages, but now, even the riches seldom buy it!

Date: 2008-12-03 15:22 Subject: Words Of The Prophet Security: Public

Today, I was glossing over the link describing the global outrage has broken over Mumbai mayhem.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2008/11/200811273504773886.html

In an associated link - http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2008/11/20081128144635863908.html - I found the repurcussions in the media. Despite the wave condolence and condemnation alike over all national media, including Bangladesh, Pakistan opines differently by stressing the accusation of fomenting elements nefarious to India over mass media.

However, I found solace in the words of a scholar who at least has disowned the crusade theory as a perpetration of his faith!

http://www.islamtoday.com/printmenice.cfm?cat_id=29&sub_cat_id=2034

Words of the prophet may be written on the subway wall or tenement hall but this I believe is for sharing over public domain. Hence this post.

Date: 2008-11-21 23:21 Subject: Washerman Of Winter Security: Public Mood: shocked

Well ... I have not been to blog sphere lately, since I was preoccupied otherwise. I have taken my pen, err ... keyboard to pen-down/key-in some factual statements, as always has been.

I was advised, by my bosom friend, not to waste money on dry-cleaners by giving them my jackets as they do not use petrol as it was supposed to be, rather use some spray that smells like that. Whereas they charge as though petrol has really been used to cleanse, and would not settle for anything less let alone the smell of brand new currency notes!

He suggested that tender all your jackets to your local washerman and he will charge you less. Still the washing shall be of Nirma quality with which even the dry-cleaners perform their itinerary. I was blind. I adhered to his advice. Given that I was running low on my funds at that time I did not pay any second thought and did as was advised to.

Result ...! Not bad, I had four jackets ... still I have four. Washing quality is also worthy. The only point of my complaint is that someone should make the washerman understand not to iron jackets, especially if they have  elastically threaded waistline/wristlines.

May be I should not complain. If only I could appreciate my ingenuous washerman, who has made it a point to make me wear impeccably creased blazers [which, honestly I can not afford] out of my jackets this winter.  

Epilogoue - He charged me 400 INR. I guess one hundred more could have been spent to save Hooks' law.

Date: 2008-10-26 07:15 Subject: Wild-Life-Cause For Concern Security: Public

New Delhi, Oct 9 (PTI) Over 49 mammal species in India including tiger, gibbons, bats and deer are facing gravest level of extinction threat resulting from habitat destruction, pollution and poaching, the latest assessment by International Union of Conservation of Nature has revealed.
According to the new data, over 124 Indian mammal species are facing different degrees of extinction threat of which 10 are critically endangered, 39 are endangered, 48 are vulnerable for extinction and 27 are showing sharp decline in population.

“This is the first exhaustive assessment of mammals which includes all the species found in the country. Prominent mammals include several species of primates, especially the many langur species earlier thought to be one single species is now 7 species,” said Sanjay Molur, who contributed Indian data for the listing process.

Most of the threatened land mammals are concentrated in the eco-sensitive zones of Western ghats, north-eastern states and Andaman which have rich biodiversity, high endemism and are facing the brunt of increased human activity.

About 17 of the total 49 mammal species listed as critically endangered and endangered are from North-eastern India and 16 are found in Western Ghats.

“Western Ghats are facing extreme pressure of human activities thus increasing the threat on the species found here. After the killing of Veerappan, police became relaxed giving a kind of free hand to poachers who are still active in the area,” said Tito Joseph, Program Manager Wild Life Protection Society of India.
The enlisted mammals range from flagship species like Tiger, Asian Elephant and Rhinos to lesser known ones like Dhole — a wild dog, White toothed Shrew-a mouse like mammal to hares and bats. PTI

Date: 2008-10-23 23:04 Subject: But My Words Like Silent Raindrops Fell Security: Public

বিগত কয়েক দিন ধরেই ভাবছি লিখি কিন্তু আর লেখা হয়ে উঠছে না। আসলে কাজের চাপ টা বড্ডো বেশি রয়েছে। এছাড়া আমাকে একজন বললো যে - Do not try to answer everything! The only thing you need is to emulate the art of silence that shall instill the required proportions into you. Remember, any garbled words you write makes you committed towards the addressee with that.

কথাটা আমি মেনে নিয়েছি। সত্যি-ই তো কথা অনেক সময় অর্থহীন হয়ে যায়। থেকে যায় বাঙ্ময় নীরবতা। কিন্তু, পত্র-প্রেরক কে একটা প্রাপ্তি স্বীকার করাটা ভদ্রতা। সেই মত আমি এইটা লিখছি।


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প্রিয় মিত্র,

গত ৮ তারিখ, তোর লেখা চিঠীর আমি সময়-মত জবাব দিতে পারিনি। কিছূ মনে করিস না। বোধকরি, তুই একরাশ বিরক্তি নিয়ে এখান থেকে চলে গেছিস। কিন্তু, ঘটনাক্রম যে ভাবে এগিয়েছে, সে ভাবে ব্যাপারটা হোক আমরা কেউ চাই নি। আমার-ই ভুল আমি তোর দেরি-র ব্যাপারটা আমাদের বন্ধু-প্রবর কে জানাতে পারিনি। আর সেও ভেবেছে, যে তিন খানা জীবন-রেখা-র শেষ-টা তুই অন্ততঃ ব্যবহার করবি।  আশা করি তুই ব্যাপারটা বুঝবি।

যে দীর্ঘ সময় আমরা এক সঙ্গে ছিলাম, তাতে আমি নানা ভাবে তোর দ্বারা উপকৃত। সেই অপরিমেয় ঋণ অপরিশোধ্য। আমি নিঃসঙ্কোচে তা সময়ানুসারে সর্বসমক্ষে বলব।

আমি তোর [এখান-কার] অন্তিম ইচ্ছে  অনুসারে আমাদের ধোপা কে তোর দ্বি-চক্র যানটি দান করেছি। যে বইটা তুই দিয়ে গেছিলি সেটা এখনো শুরু করিনি, মানে হয়ে ওঠেনি। তোরা ভাল থাকিস। বিজয়া-র প্রীতি ও শুভেচ্ছা রইল।

-চিরঋণী,

মন্ডল।

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Date: 2008-10-03 07:10 Subject: Baby's Day Out Security: Public

Well, this post is about me. It may be a travesty of truth to address myself as a baby. Yet, if you come to the city of joy [else you can call it 'the world capital of progression'] you would be amazed to see how bus conductors half the age of my own call me kiddie with ease, while instructing drivers a full stop to facilitate my boarding/de-boarding.  

Anyway, today my topic is the visit to the local departmental store on the very first day of this month to collect grocery items. I took very little time to purchase whatever little things I needed. Then took a brisk dinner. Next, I waited for our institute bus scheduled at 7:30 pm. The bus was late by a quarter of an hour and I was early to reach the stop by another quarter.

A few things occurred within that half hour. Firstly I was almost knocked off to the road by a bovine while she was on her way to make way in the narrow passage beside my hind side. My gaze was fixed at the road so I was not ready for it. Some time later I found the polythene packet that was given to me, containing some food items, is shaking violently. Again it was the cow. It was trying to make good of the packet. The flavour has attracted it but the taste of the polythene has kept my belongings safe. I could not have taken chances, then. I had to drive it away. The usual 'Hyat...Hyat' sound made by cow boys here, was of little use. I had to apply fists and blows, albeit very mildly, to it's head to get riddance [Cow lovers from cow belt please excuse]. Then I saw some street children are making it a point to use the bovine to their entertainment. They are violently pulling it's tail and then running away. Sometimes, in disgust, the cow is trying to ward off those boys sans ward by rear leg kick. But the enviable flexibility of the children did dodge every danger easy.

In essence what I find is - there is no paucity of bovines in this country, especially in the cow belt. Yet there is none for me. Children unabashedly play with their tails. If I could catch the hand of one and bring it my house, my life is done, may be very well done. It shall also be a huge relief to my parents who have started acting like google search.