Back from an Amazing Camp - Day 3

A trip to Beliakhali - this was what was special about Day 3. Beliakhali is a small village in North 24 Parganas, near the river Ichhamati. It is said to be one of the three most-Arsenic contaminated villages in Asia with an As-level of 8.7 (where the WB-declared safety level is at a mere 0.5). The 100-odd families living here hardly care! For they have other things to worry about. With no electricity and medical help a mile away, the village floods every monsoon. Last year, it saw an epidemic of Chikengunya, and most fear another outbreak this year.

By the way, we tasted some of the 'purified' water. On a personal note, it tasted much better than what the Corp. gives us(!!)

Dated : 30.10.2007

Back from an Amazing Camp - Day 1

Day 1 was the "warm-up day". With not much work, we (atleast I) felt like a tourist, visiting poultry farms and learning stuff about poultry and broiler farming, bird-flu, etc.
But morning doesn't really show the day! From the train-journey to the 'tossing' truck-ride, nothing had prepared us for the finale of the day : The Tribal Dance. As locals performed Dhum, Santhal and Jhumur dances, a few of us got the oppurtunity to match their steps, mostly in vain (lol). Here are a few pics:

Dated : 28.10.2007

Back from an AMAZING experience

Camping at Swanirvar was nothing short of an EXPERIENCE. The typical smell of village soil, mingled with trepidation due to the unknown... as a first timer, the small village of Andharmanik was as beautiful as its name. 'Andharmanik' - a gem in the darkness - in North 24 parganas - is probably the best thing that has happened to me in college.... So, THANKS to the adorable lot of people I met n made friends with....


Well, that wasn't the entire pic. Quite a few got omitted due to lack of space. But by the time I could concentrate on the right angle (thats Mohit hanging from above, by the way, and the pic isn't an edited one), I was soon enamoured by the romancing terrain...

Uff!!! Too many news in too short space. I should actually dedicate more time and space to these Camp days of mine. I'll take 'em SLOW-n-STEADY. If you get bored, .... don't complain.... cause I'd continue anyway :p

The first mail I read today

... and I thought I should let the world know "I like it"

Success is Never Permanent....
Failure is never Final

I Know Me (AHEM! AHEM!)

I 'discovered' quite a lot of trivia about myself... quite a lot for a day that is!!!

Here goes the list. Skip to the next post in case you feel like rolling your eyes and stealing a yawn!!!
Note : 'I' haven't said any of these things, so don't scream 'vanity'. And the 'you's that follow refer to the blogger [:)]

1)

You Are 68% Good

You are a good person. You do the best you can to be ethical, fair, and moral. And as you know, being a good person means making hard decisions... and following them through. If you're confronted with an ethical dilemma, you will usually do the right thing. Of course you do slip up. No one's perfect. But you do your best to correct your missteps. You are also probably: incredibly honest, especially with yourself Right now you are on track to being: A respected leader To be a better person: Be kind to someone who is not very kind to you

2)

Your Ideal Pet is a Cat

You're both aloof, introverted, and moody. And your friends secretly wish that you were declawed!

3)

You Are A Realistic Romantic

It's easy for you to get swept away by romance... But you've done a pretty good job keeping perspective. You're still taken in by love poems and sunsets You just don't fall for every dreamy pick up line!

4)

Your Anti Climactic Fortune

Deep into your future, I forsee: An insincere smile

5)

You Are 75% Grown Up, 25% Kid

Congratulations, you are definitely quite emotionally mature. Although you have your moments of moodiness, you're usually stable and level headed.

Uff how I adored the site *blush* *blush*

Back On The tracks of LIFE

...and gearing up for a race...

Rakhi's just left through the back door, and for a while I got really really busy getting all my brothers to make up for all those rude and not-so-nice moments. Guess what, I actually got around six hundred bucks this Rakhi, not counting the DELLLLLLLICIOUS DBC* that Sridip treated me to, and the filling foods by Rituda and Arjo (heehee, was I spoilt for choice or what!!)
Now I know, a lot of ppl will say 'What a girl! Giving Rakhi for all these....!!!' But trust me, a LOT of girls actually do that and doesn't admit, at least I'm admittin nah!!! And by the way, I probably won't get gifts from a couple of my bro's, but they still remain the best-est bro's for me :)

By the way, a bit of cooooool news... one of my brothers has promised to make me a pishi in a not-so-near future [:p] ............. BUT I'm SOOOOOO SOOOOO HAPPY!!!

* P.S. : DBC stands for 'Death-by-Chocolate'. Alongside 'Chocolate Fantasy', DBC happens to be the most HAPPENING mouth-watering, cruelly amazing delicacy.... Bless your soul if you didn't know that!!!

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Today's Random Image:

Okay, now time for my favourite section. this one was taken when KO (thats one of our Physics teachers... God knows what she says in class) was busy teaching, and the rest of the class was busy thinking 'Raindrops on roses....etc' , and I was busy admiring a couple of cute wet crows staring pretty flirtatiously at my friend Nibbo (ha ha, bechari ...'ei chhilo tor mone...' )

Poriborton

haatchhaani

Swapner daake shaara diyechho kaukhono?
  Nirbhauye?  Nirbaak?
Megher maajhe, chander aarale
  Khujechho uttor
Aupangteo kono golok-dhadhar?

Nirudbighne dhaura diyechho
  Prottashar baahudore?
Bolechho kaukhono...
  " Tobu mone rekho... "?

Oudhhotto amay aajo daake
  Bole "bhoy peyona"...
Unmaad ei ontokauron
  Aajo maate aujana ekakitte.

"Kaunthho amar rudhho aajike"
    Tobu...
Swapner lobhe shaubhauye takaai,
Bastaubher lobhe nijeke haraai,
Ghhreenar lobhe du baahu baraai,
Premer lobhe...
    Di haatchhani...

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Today's Random Image:

at the speed of vision...

Spell - bound

It rained again
Started at dawn
.............
and still raining
**sigh**

Ami Bhalo Achhi

Onekdin por du-phonta brishti holo.

Tokhon megher shorirey dhhristo krishnoborner prodorshon.
Akopotey uriye dilo shuvro uttoriyo.

Sheetaul aboroney snigdho borshar shey ki probol daak..

Mataal money chhuttey gelam jeeboner akorshoney
Aushobhhyo megh muhurtey bhijiye dilo amay.
Aubak ami dariye roilam...
... Bhije eksha kapor jamay
... Nishaubder haath dhorey
... Augyato kon shrishtir khonje...

Onek proshner jaubab millo shedin...
Janlam, ei aukhil akasher asroye ami kotota snato...
............ Aunabil baarir avoroney ami kotota shundar...
............ Janlam, ki bheeshon tar khaumota...
............ Ki uttal tar akorshon...
............ Kauto shauhojey amay bhijiye dilo shey...

Onek proshner uttor millo shedin...
Shhudhu millo na ekta chotto dhadhar shaumadhan
Dite parbe tumi taar jaubab?
Bolte parbe...
Shedin ke beshi kendechhilo
Megh...
Na ami...?

Bhoy nei…

Bhangbe na e bandh
Boibe ne e nodi . . . .
Audbhut e shobdochhoker nai-ba holo shaumadhan…

TIRED... again

Tired of feeling.
Tired of emoting.
Tired of expecting.
Tired of living.

Tired of being spoken of.
Tired of being spoken to.
Tired of feeling the pains of others
In addition to those that I own.

Tired of facing the so-called facts.
Tired of feeling.
Tired of masking the heart so well.
Tired of living.

Tired of weaving language off emotions,
Tired of showcasing what the world wants to see.
Tired of Doubt, Tired of Trust,
Tired of …lets see now… ME.

I tire of this blazing music
That burns its way through the soul.
I tire of this screaming silence
That knives and rips and lasts no more...

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Today's Random Image:

The heavy clouds ... awaiting to shroud the world

Ek tukro kagoj

Amay ek tukro kagoj debe?

Plane banabo.
Uriye debo haowar paaley.
Urte urte pouchhe jabey hoyto shey tomar dwarey.
Hoyto shei kagoj-bhaanjey
Lukiye thakbe gopon barta.

Amay ek tukro kagoj debe?
Jahaaj banabo.
Bhashiye debo sroter koley.
Bheshe bheshe hoyto ba shey paari debe duur sheemanay,
Pouchhe debey ichhe-kautha
Jaul-porider swapno-deshey.







Amay ek tukro kagoj debe?
Moyur banabo.
Nachbey moyur pekhom tuley.
Bheja daaler aaral theke bejey uthbey nupur-dhoni.
Porbey rongin brishti-badol
Swapnil ek shobuj deshey.

Amay ek tukro kagoj debe?
Baksho banabo.
Rakhbo tatey aalok-andhaar,
Rakhbo jaubab, rakhbo dhadha.
Thakbe sneho uchho-sheerey
Thakbe mukti baksho-neerey.

Amay ek tukro kagoj debe?
Kobita banabo.
Duronto shob obhilasha
Jeebonmriter hisheb-nikesh
Likhbo chhera kagoj 'porey.
Hoyto shey urei jaabey khola jaanlar aahobaaney;
Hoyto ba ... miliye jaabey
dhulay-dhushor aalingoney...

"When no one knows thee, then alien there is none, then no door is shut."

from Geetanjali

Fresh Clothes

I decided to change a few things on my blog today for no specific reason.

So awaaaay went 'immortalmusings' and in came 'amdismuses'. 'Amdis', by the way, is the Latin translation of my name... So I thought it'll make me a bit intrguing(!!!)

If the address lets go the old touch, the title had to follow suit. Hence the new name. Lets see how I it makes me feel, if I don't find it cool enough, I'll think up something else, for experiments' sake, you know.

By the way, my Bengali poems (above and below) are presently suffering due to lack of a proper font. (I'm sad) But kya kare, its better using this Anglo-worded Bong style than working with a C-graded font (ghor bebheesheeka!!!). So until I get myself a suitable font, or master the existing one, I guess you'll have to put up with it.
But it isn't really tough, you know, if you're accustomed to reading bengali sms in your non-bengali mobile phones.
My Bengali isn't that great. But I've risked writing it. Plz let me know if they're okay.

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Today's Random Image:

The desolate champion
"proteekkhar oshomoye"

Jhapshaa canvas

Theek jeno ekta jhapshaa canvas.
Shaari shaari dariye chhoto chhoto shohurey flat-ghaur.
Hautaash rastar morey matha unchu kore ekla lamp post
~daupdaup korchhe fhike hoye jaowa bishaal aalo.

Durey megher opash theke chhotto shurjer dushtu lukochuri
Bujhi khelar chhole bhulei gechhe aapon udoy-tithi.

Shaada ornaar snigdho haowa bhijiye daey debdarur sheer
sheetaul shantijole.
Aar concrete-r pauth ta taukhon meghalauyer jeebaunto daurpon.

Eshauber majhei kothheke jaeno bheshe aashe mataal kaura ekta gaundho
~ bheja matir aushfut aahobaan.

Jegey othhe nabo raungey rongeen ek nobeen prithhibi.
Baurshar nikkaune mautto ek aporoop prithhibi.
Jegey othhe aamar jhapsha canvas.
Hauto abaar lagbe tatey notun raunger chhowa...

A no-one speaks

Do you remember that day friend?
That day I stepped into this world.
The light hurt my tearful eyes
But you smiled at my face.
For your smile, I endured.
And yet you call me selfish.

Do you remember that day friend?
You held my finger and led me to school.
I pleaded and cried, shaken as I was.
But you instructed me to leave your hand.
For your dream I let go.
And yet you call me selfish.

Do you remember that day friend?
I returned home with a failed grade.
You were sad at the no-one you created.
You told me I "just have to try".
For your honour I became a winner.
And yet you call me selfish.

Do you remember that day friend?
The cause of your sadness was my friendship.
A friendship I thought would last long-n-strong.
A bond of trust, of respect, of love.
For your peace I became friendless.
And yet you call me selfish.

Do you remember that day friend?
You decided to test my beliefs, my strengths.
I stood seemingly unbothered
Even as your words minced my soul.
For your sake I became silent.
And yet you call me selfish.

And now you put me at your fire-chariot
Asking me to handle your reins with faith.
Judgement Day is here, you'd think.
Alas!
Your reins are too cold to scar my fingers,
Chiselled in the heat of a soul on fire.

... granted... you still call me selfish.

*************

Do you see what I see?

Hello World

Don't get me wrong. This is not my first step here. But I'm here after so manNNNny days, it really feels like a new birth... a 21st century resurrection. You see, after struggling with the titbits life served me on a platter, I was a bit tipsy with the overdosage! So I just HAD to take a healthy break... and lo, Mademoiselle has returned feeling absolutely rejuvenated.

Back online, the first thing I felt like doing was going through a few blogs. And guess what I was struck with?!!---- THE BLACK MANIA!!!
What's wrong with everyone???? Every other blogger I see on blogspot uses the same old Minima Black template that Monsieur Douglas Bowman had designed ages back. Well, its a different story that I am fond of it myself, but c'mon, gimme a break! First there's my mom's blog boasting the black beauty look (don't remind me that I've designed it), then all of a sudden I discover Ritayan going for sombre lonely Black-dom, there's another blogger Apeksha using it (she writes really soulful poems like Ritzi, honestly, a commendable poet). Then there's Pradip uncle enthralling his readers/listeners with his Minima Black Template (he's a really talented singer from Kerala, he had won the Meri Awaaz Suno along with Sunidhi, you know)...followed by Joseph, Awatts, Arun... (I should stop. the list of audiobloggers I know is too cumbersome to type out).
Thanks to the popularity of Mom's blog, I actually got the 'oppurtunity' to view a handsome number of audioblogs, so much so that I became TIRED of seeing the same old template showcased in various outfits and decors(they call it 'pimp' for some wierd reason).

GAWD!!!! Don't you think we need to try and be a li'l bit different... for the sake of visual pleasure(no puns intended), or let's say, for the sake of variety.
After all, Variety is the Spice of Life.
    No Spice,
      No Life.

When creating this bit of blogosphere, I was on the verge of selecting the pink template (there goes Debayan wincing at the word). 'Perfect', thought I, 'to reflect a typical naughty, talkative, pseudo-sensible mentality'. But then THE thought struck me and I realised that even Pink is just sooooooo cliche. Everyone who's madly in love with that colour OR who's got an ex-boyfriend who hated pink OR who's got a bf/gf who loves pink would definitely go for that particular template! (If you think its bad reasoning, plz don't bother to comment).

And thus occurred my conscious sojourn into the GREEN pastures of meaningless musings(No reference to a certain 'green pastures' community on Orkut).
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my cute green blog. Make your city, I mean, blog clean and green. Green~ the colour of freshness~ aahhhh!!!
(Ritz has already complimented my blog calling it 'very typical of me'. But he added 'girlie' which I suspect isn't exactly a compliment).



Another remarkable trait I noticed among blogspot`ters is that blogspot.com has given birth to a promising number of budding poets, increasing in geometric progression. Take my buddies for example. Two out of five of them are poets. And most of them write real, soul-stirring pieces. Some of the poems are so damn serious, they make me forget the fact that I'm still alive(!!!) [Oh man, get a lyf!]
[Post Script: Being serious is one thing, being gloom-struck is another.]

Believe me, I tried my best to be affected by this wave of desire(to write poetry, that is), and I ended up with a compilation of extremely silly (read 'uncannily pessimisstic') thoughts all curiously juxtaposed to produce nothing short of a complete hullaballoo.

So I decided to stick to prose. *sigh*

By the way, I removed two pictures from my last post. They made me feel too glum. Spoiled my blog's image (and mine). [I adore the facade I keep. I love the way they know me.]

Anyway. I'll stop here. This one has been a particularly lengthy post (pent-up thoughts lol) and I still have to check out the syllabus for the semester exams. Wish me luck guys.

Tada!!

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Today's Random Image:

The Survivor Is Back

Except for a silly description of disastrous-cooking, I wasn't blogging recently! The reason is here for you to see:

[PIC DELETED]

In case you didn't realise it, that was my dear Bapi's left leg badly burnt. I actually took this picture because Bapi insisted that I wasn't brave enough.
(He got burnt last wednesday, 9th April. The picture was taken on Thursday. And the cooking~thingy was started to impress my bedridden Papa *sigh*)

Bapi's V-E-R-Y strong (mentally, that is). He'd keep laughing and telling everyone that "it just doesn't hurt". Although we all know how bad a 30% burn can feel!!!
His wounds consumed more than five tubes of Sulphadiezene, Neosporin and Ledercolt... and yet he'd insist "it just doesn't hurt".

You know what, its pretty useless getting me to believe that made-up consolation. Knowing myself what boiling-water can do and carrying a huge keloid on my shoulder... I'm kind-of a scholar in this field.

Here's a pic of my 'kute keloid' if ya don't believe me. Chances are, you've never actually noticed it on my shoulder :

[PIC DELETED]

(Its actually cute... kinda looks like a hungry pokemon trying to gobble something... or maybe it looks like a magnified amoeba...Oh! Whatever!!)

Anyway. The blogger is back... after a week long vacation of unrest, my exams flouted me! (DO NOT CHALLENGE GRAMMTICAL ERRORS, they may not be accidental) But I'm still keeping up my smiley-cheerie-naughty spirits. That's called cali (short for calibre, if you're dumb enough to not know it!). Therefore...
Hail All... The Survivor Is Back
To eat into more blogospheric space and bore the hell out of you

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By the way, I recently discovered that my Nokia 6020 is great. I don't care what your cell does, but mine takes awesome pictures. So, from now on, I'll upload one randomly selected image from my 6020Gallery

Today's Random Image:

DISASTER in the KITCHEN

Today I made an 'effort' to make chowmein... (For those saying, "what's so good about that"-> I FORBID you to read further!!!). Anyway! So, as I was saying, I tried to make gravy-chowmein and it turned into a dry, sticky lump of God-knows-what. I mean, making Maggi is just so easy. And even ACT II Popcorn (GOD SHOWER HIS BLESSINGS ON THAT COMPANY...AMEN!) And I really really adore those chutki-mein-taiyaar Knorr soups - tomato/ thick chicken/ sweet corn -----> YUMMY (Those saying "I hate Knorr, ota abar soup holo".... Listen, just don't KNOW how to prepare it. You're ignorant. Admit it.)
I feel, Knorr is a blessing-in-a-packet for kitchen first-timers. *clap* *clap* *clap*

Anyways, as I was saying, the chowmen went so berserk that even my sweet father {who's been ordered 'complete bed-rest'(watever tht means) because of his 30% burn} pulled up his nose and said..."HMM!!" [ He says 'hmm' whenever he's
a) sad
b) disappointed
c) confused
d) secretly ecstatic
e) etcetera
f) etcetera
g) etcetera.... WHATEVER!!!]
So he said 'HMM' and when I looked glumly at him, he thought I was about to cry (Note: I wasn't) and so my dear father said in his characteristic I-know-EXACTLY-what-went-wrong voice: "As a first timer, its commendable. Bhheeeeeshon bhalo. Ranna to pure chemistry. Porer baar thikthak proportion koro. Its FINE! just ektu goley gechhe. apart from that, its first-class!"

Now it was my turn to say "HMM"!!!! Coz Bapi's words did nothing to lift my sagging morale!

To make matters worse, the milk fermented inside the teapot while I was making tea.

"Hell is empty and all the devils are here"

Now who would call THIS thing TEA?????






Still apparently undefeated I went back to my first kitchen-love - Act II.
The result.... tantannnaaaaa....

*smile* *smile* *blush* *blush*

And thus I murderd my hunger and saved the day. *applause*
Now I munch popcorn and watch replays of Team Bangladesh defeating Team SouthAfrica. Now that India's not IN, I support bangladesh, then I'll support WestIndies... then I'll support SriLanka... then I'll support Australia....
not my philosophy.... that was as per general public opinion (polls not conducted)... I'm not much of a die-hard cricket-fan!

(N.B. : If you're thinkin that I'm ignorant BCoz I don't know how to cook... wait till I learn it. Ungliya chaat-te reh jaogey! *smile with twinkle in the eye* )