Recipe For Disaster !!

My son feeds @ 10-12 mins per feed these days instead of 30-35 mins per feed as he used to initially. So the views as below :

• Mom In Law : The suction powers of his jaws have increased over the last 45 days. Hence quantum of milk going in now is more than the quantum of milk going in then; which is why time per feed now is less than the same, then.

• My Mom : No no NO !!! … This is due to someone’s ‘nazaar’. Wait !! Let me burn some red chillies & sarso (which she proceeded to do and in the process clogged the gas burner as she had to throw in the chillies and sarso into the oven per se.).

Kid was taken to the doc today. He had puked in the morning … so decided to take no chance. After coming back from the doc :

• Mom in Law : See ? I told you !!! (with glee writ large on her face) .. Doc also said its normal and that the feed time now will be less, as he is feeding more in quantity

• My Mom : (under her breath) : Iiiiissshh !! Mrs Albert Einstein !!

Learning : Never EVER have your mom and mom in law stay under the same roof more than 7 days. It's a sure shot recipe for disaster !!

The Swan Song

Just for once, cross your hearts and answer the below :

• Who is it that brought in aggressiveness to Indian cricket
• Who is it that every time the media wrote him off, bounced back with a bang (even his nemesis has praised his guts http://cricket.yahoo.com/cricket/blog/stevewaugh/15/15stevewaugh )
• Who is it that had the guts to yell at his team members “I alone cannot bat for you, ball for you. We have played like utter rubbish … and we do not deserve a change in the semis. If this is the way you youngsters play, I can only have pity on you as the Indian selectors are watching”
• Who is it that had the guts to leave his strike bowler (bought at a whooping 950K $) out of the team to give the young teenager (Jaydev N) a fair chance
• Which Indian captain has always rooted for the young blood
• Which Indian southpaw has been so elegant on the left side of the wicket ? Yes, we have plenty of left handers of brute force.. But so elegant a one, no WAY.

Yesterday was his last match in IPL, probably of his career in 1st Class Cricket. If not a standing ovation, then at least he deserves a lament that we will never ever get to see his straight drives, the 'late' late cuts, the creamy flicks off his pads, the aggression, the 'stare downs'.

Dada, we will miss having you around. You are the best.

Always were.

Joy Baba Baleshwaar !!

Have you ever thought / realized / appreciated how versatile a language Bengali is and how we are in no way lesser in having the likes of a universal expletive that is so commonly found in English ?

Read on to find out.

It was a balmy Saturday evening that I was sipping a beer in Hooters in River Valley Road when I chanced upon a bunch of fellow Bongs in the table across, debating on the nuances of English as a language. Being the Chinese New Year weekend and with an insipid crowd, I could not but overhear what they were vociferously debating.

So this guy in the bright yellow Tshirt goes (and he reminded me of 'Teni Da', with his 'Listen to me, I know everything' air) "I tell you. Yes, I tell you. Bengali as a language is as enriched and versatile as any other worth its salt. Guess why and how ?"

Another one, with a roving eye (dunno what he was letching at though, the hostesses @ Hooters out here are anorexic) calmly asked "Why and how ?"

Fuelled by the apparent interest, Teni Da goes "

Just like the word "Fuck" in English, we Bengalis also have a universal versatile word and that is "Baal".

As a NOUN - Tumi ekta boro baal !
As a VERB - Ki baal bokchish ?
As an ADJECTIVE - Baal public saaala
Emoting ANGER - Mere debo baal.
FRUSTRATION - Dur baal.
SHOCK - Bichi toh taak e uthlo baal !!
FEAR - Ureh baal, ebar ki hobe?
JOY - Yes! Jitechi, baal !
SORROW - Baal saala, here gelam?
LOVE - Arre baal, I love you bollam toh. Faltu ghyanchish keno tokhon t heke ?
THREATENING - Paarle baaal chire dekha toh amaar !

I nearly choked on my drink.

Joy Baba Baleshwar !

PS : Apologies if I have hurt anyone with the use of explitives. Intention was to bring a smile on a lazy Wednesday, when the weekend looks so far.

English - The True Blue Bong Way

Inspired by a piece on phonetics by Scribbler just a while back .. Thought would share a similar experience ... Happened about a couple of hours back ...


Was on a conference call with the client team from Bangalore. Client happens to be the biggest player in the Australian finance domain, with an India delivery wing in Bangalore. My job entails designing solutioning for the integration between the client's core business in South East Asia and some identified businesses that the client has picked up from the same area to increase market presence. In my capacity I need to have conference calls with the client's presence in AU as well as the Bangalore team.


So our man from the Bangalore office (a full blooded Bong at that) goes so on the phone ... full pelt and full volume ... "Dephekt Naaambaaar Thaaarty Phaaaiv" .. Oh God ! And I was in splits ! Reminded me of Mamata Banerjee and her diction. You guys should have seen the incredulous looks on the Aussie chaps in the room. They were shell shocked.


Have you ever noticed how most Indians shout on conference calls ? I think it more has to do with the Indian mindset that the further you are geographically, the more you need to shout so if it’s a Bangalore --> Bangalore call, it will be soft, if its Bangalore --> Columbo then it will be louder, Bangalore --> SG, it has to be even louder . I shudder to think how it would be Bangalore --> Washington.


And our man goes on "Obh oll the Finakoool phailes that are being passed thruuh the Daaaata Eeentiiigrataar ...". One of the Aussie guys put the phone on mute and asked me "Maaite .. what the hell is he saying ??"


With a straight face, I reply "He means of all the Finacle files that are being passed through the Data Integrator". They roll up their eyes heavenwards and tell me "Good that we have you maaaite. You are the only one who understands the way he speaks English. You are adding value to the project big time." And then add "Jeeeesus ... Did ya hear him speak English !"


Now it's my turn to smirk. Pot calling the kettle black. Or better a Bengali proverb which goes like this (nothing like the native tongue) "Chuuch koi Chaaalni ke tawr pod e kottto boro phuuta".


Huh !! What has the world come to ! The outbacks will teach us English ? (Why do I feel PG is choking on her afternoon tea on reading this)