A Day of Firsts

My first day and a half in Calcutta have been devoid of any especially new experiences. But there’s something about this city that makes everything seem comfortable and reminiscent of simplicity I’ve never known. Experiences new and old kind of loop together to form a continuos emotion- happiness.

So while I walked around with nothing much on my mind, picking up flowers and pointing at old doors and brick facades with the glee of a child in a candy store, I felt quite like the painted woman on the wall (in the picture above). A shadow quite invisible to the goings on of a marketplace, invisible to the multitude of vehicles that nearly ran me over, yet present. Present with the sole purpose of being a witness.

And in the moment’s that I broke the barrier and stopped being just a shadow, I became a tourist. I had my camera out at every opportunity, and the anglicized Hindi to back up that generalization/ very real truth, but it still hurt. In any case, the only probable downside of becoming the tourist was that I was asked to buy more things so no harm no foul.

In a city with boundless warmth, both literal and otherwise, it is so easy to lose yourself. And I love the idea of walking around, aimlessly, taking in everything as it comes. Losing yourself in the hustle and bustle of everyday routine is my perfect idea of experiencing the charm of this city.

By the way, I saw the painted image of this woman’s shadow/ silhouette on two separate walls some distance apart and apparently its on walls across the city. If anyone knows what this is about, do let me know! Its fascinating. The explanations I have been given so far are that it is a commentary on either female foeticide, or of Amartya Sen’s hundred million missing women.

A City of Charm

A sickeningly sweet smell lined the street,

an unrecognized source, hidden in leaves.

In an evening forgotten,

she persisted.

Alone, in a twisted cacophony of noise.

the mind wanders, as sight adsorbs.

Delicate mallige scraped the working hand,

Ruins of the past ornament the new.

Polished boot made rude sucking noises in the mud

A mockery of utmost contempt.

Ochre colors black,

Wind creates torpidity;

and the illusion of movement prevails,

For nothing moves at all, or else so rapidly, the blades of a mill,

appearing stark still.

And only such paradoxes prevail

in a city of charm, of wonder, and breath.

Of people and men,

a sea to pick from, a rivulet to tread.

Suddenly no longer alone,

they were following her.

Cowering in red-brick shadows.

A squelch was her left step, and right.

The night blanketed and the air thickened with heat.

There was an oppressive discomfort in the silence.

Stone paved under-foot reverberated,

the force of a black-boot multitude unknown,

closing in on her. Then they were gone,

and ochre burst through the night,

Again, hand in hand with the symphony of noise,

the city came to life around her.

The notion of isolation equivocates,

There is happiness in this solitude.

No longer cowering, no longer afraid;

with purposeful pace and inconspicuous gait and just like that,

The them became us, as she become them.

The sea, and the rivulet embraced her.

A sweet smell,

Followed the warmth of reception,

In an evening forgotten,

she belonged.

Part 1: Calcutta Revisited

I have been to Kolkata before. And the last time, while I lost myself somewhere between Camac Street and College Street, I went from feeling like a tourist to a welcome entity of the city.  Not to say that Calcutta was suddenly my city. But for all our differences and eccentricities we found a way to embrace each other.

For this reason and many more, I cannot wait to begin my journey in Calcutta. Only this time, I shall be looking out for traditional and contemporary art forms all around the city.

If anyone has any suggestions (although I do already have a lengthy list of places to cover) please do let me know! I’m basically looking to walk around for days on end, with a camera, and a sketchbook.

I also think there’s some poetic justice in beginning this trip to Calcutta by reliving the poem I wrote about my last experience here, almost four years ago.

Do check it out; “A City of Charm“

With Cultural Blinkers

Have you ever been on a diet, craving a Corner House sundae, or something equally delectable, and the only way to cheat without cheating is to eat vicariously through another person? It sounds quite icky, but I have totally made people drink a Malt Shake in front of me just so I could enjoy it through them. 

Well that’s kind of the concept of a travel blog too, right?

I have got the opportunity to travel to Calcutta and parts of Myanmar and have decided to document my trip well, here. I shall be posting about my trip and whatever I might pen down, sketch, or photograph along the way.

I’m hoping to delve into the culture of Calcutta including traditional art forms of mask painting, Kalighat painting and wood carvings. Similarly, Burma is a treasure trove of art and architecture and I absolutely cannot wait to be immersed in all its ancient glory!

This vacation might not be quite as mystifying as I’m making it seem presently. I shall be travelling with family for about 3/4th of the trip. But if anyone has been to or seen photographs of Mrauk U or Bagan, I’m sure you’d agree that I’m in for a journey of a lifetime.

Since my actual/ original blog has nothing really to do with travel, I am creating a separate blog, a temporary one (although I am considering migrating to this at the moment, would appreciate your opinion if you have one on the matter of tumblr vs. wordpress), to create a story of my journey.

Travel creates opportunity to grow through experiences, but with the promise of wild novelty.  You get to walk through the footsteps of others and see their city, their country the way they do (if done right, of course). Here’s to a supremely exciting one month ahead of me, and to hoping that someone shall read this blog while I’m away.