A brush with BanglaMy interest in Kolkata had always been strong, so when I fixed a return to the city this year, I decided I would have to learn some of the Mother Tongue. It seemed a natural choice, and an important task, if I was to get the most from my experience. Thus began the long search for...

Oh! Kolkata takes some getting used to

I’m standing on the metro platform. It’s what, eight in the morning? I’m not looking pretty and I’m certainly not feeling great. In fact, my stomach is reeling from the dodgy paneer I ate last night and I’m perspiring like nobody’s business. Suddenly a small round ...

Fizzy pop and ethics

I was recently sitting in a popular dive with an American guy, analysing the differences between Pepsi and Coke. Our mundane conversation was proving enjoyable - a rare snatch of pointless but jovial discussion in the Kolkatan pressure cooker. And so it came as a surprise, whe...

In the eve-teasers’ den

Announcing my annual return to India early this May, the usual grievances got voice—disproportionate worries featuring water borne disease, being mauled by elephants, or perhaps even being sold into prostitution (thanks, Danny Boyle). When I pinpointed destination Delhi, how...