Shyamoly...

Your jacket is still in your cabin. I am left feeling that you will be coming to get it. I still feel like theres chances we meet in the ladies rest room brushin our teeth. I am looking forward to checking those nice, witty gtalk status lines. I am waiting to hear how the last chemo went. You needed more updates on how i am doing with my crazy problem. Theres a lot more movies in my hard disk that we need to exchange. I still have to see birdemic with my friends and tell you how it went. Dont you want to comment on my forwards? We are all waiting to see your hair grow back thicker and better. My rafting experience was just as great as you said it would be. The pictures are out, I'll ping you the links.


Thought i had enough time to understand that you cant do any of these. But im surprised at how long its taking. We weren't friends ... were we?... woudl ppl who ping each other on the communicator and gtalk more often than call, qualify for friends? I think i had called you only thrice. I am caught feeling confused when i tell my friends that I lost a... a friend or a colleague? This has been plaguing me ever since you have been gone. I let my heart out and cried for sometime on that day. And shed a few involuntary tears hear and there everyother time you came into my mind. I didnt cry enough for a friend did I?
So you have gone off on a nice long vacation without telling anyone... oh you are doing some back packing are you? Nice. So how long will you be gone? Donno... hmmm. As long as you enjoy the journey eating a lot of bong sweets along the way how does it matter. Yeah i understand, it will be difficult to update your gtalk and facebook statuses esp when your travelling.
This is what i want to think of your disappearing act.
I am honoured for having knowing a practical wise witty strong compassionate woman whos life-savings was a huge group of friends who stood with her through thick and thin in every literal sense. I wish i could be that good.
May I live with the spirit you had.

NITA EATS OUT @ Oh! Calcutta, St.Marks Rd.

Vegetarian+Non-vegetarian
Bengali

RATING:
@ THE RESTAURANT
Taste: 3.5/5
Price: 3/5 - 350-450 per head

Service: 4/5

Ambience: 4/5

HOME DELIVERY
Available but haven't tried.

COMMENTS: First thing that stood out was the extra nice waiters - very polite, pleasing, very welcoming. However I should tell you that my mom and I have been super thirtsty ever since we got back from there. Just to set expectations right, the briyani has a strong taste of rose water - not that its bad, but for those of us who are looking for something spicy and hot, this wont be it but it is an interesting taste. The Paturi we tried was great and we liked the koraishutir dhokar dalna a lot.

PICTURES:
ADDRESS: 15&16, House Of Lords, St. Marks Road, Bangalore-560001
PHONE: 22277722

Vernacular Architecture

As per Wiki :

“Vernacular architecture is a term used to categorise methods of construction which use locally available resources and traditions to address local needs. Vernacular architecture tends to evolve over time to reflect the environmental, cultural and historical context in which it exists. It has often been dismissed as crude and unrefined, but also has proponents who highlight its importance in current design.”

I learnt this word about 2-3 yrs ago when I went to the Interiors Exhibition (an exhibition for interior deco, furnitures, etc.). Right outside the hanger was a stall put up by the Center for Vernacular Architecture. A lovely man and his wife and their beautiful daughter showed us some of the designs and explain the concept of Vernacular architecture. I liked what they showed.

 

The heat that we experience in our Garden City now a days suddenly reminded me of my grandparents old home and then these guys. So I looked them up and found a nice site. Some of the houses are very beautiful. When I do build a house I would like to use some Vernacular Architecture in it.

 

Perhaps we will start appreciating our old ways.

 

http://www.vernarch.com/projects.htm#residences

Alma Mater

I had been to the Technical Museum, here in Bangalore recently. I enjoyed being there. When we went to the canteen which is on the terrace, I spotted a building on the opposite side with a big sign board that read ‘Alma Mater’. My brother, our nieces and I tried hard to read the rest of the board, but didn’t find anything that gave an idea of what it was all about.

 

Well here it is. Quite interestingly, its an organization that helps people to discover and maximize their potential.  

http://www.almamater.com/home.htm             

 

I particularly like some of the things I found on this page http://www.almamater.com/values.htm