5 Must Watch Movies this Christmas & New Year

There must have been so many different lists compiled by so many different people about everything under the Milky Way, be it list of best smart phones or lest of best lipsticks to use during winter!  But, sometimes its fun to simply jump onto the band wagon (Or would it be a reindeer powered sledge!). Of course, I am a big-time movie buff and ergo my list of favorite movies to watch this season. But, is there any diktat from St. Nicholas aka Santa Claus regarding the type of movies one should watch? I certainly am not aware of any such memo which Santa might have sent.

So, what type of movies should one watch? While compiling my list, I have tried to keep one thing in mind. Christmas is a time for happiness. So, all the movies I recommend are comedies, i.e. they have a happy ending. Secondly, all of them, and I might be accused of stretching the imagination, espouse some value or other of the spirit of Christmas.

So, watch the movies at leisure and let me know if you like them. And, I honestly believe, these are all evergreen movies, worth watching again and again. So, you can definitely watch them again, if you have seen them all!

In keeping with the trend of any list worth its salt, I will count-down from 5 to 1.

Number 5- One Fine Day

Starring 2 of the most talented stars in contemporary times, George Clooney and Michelle Pfieffer, One Fine Day is the story of two single parents (Pfeiffer & Clooney) whose paths cross one rainy morning in the city of New York, and keep crossing the whole day. Pfeiffer (Melanie) is a divorced single mother, who works as an architect. Clooney (Jack) is a divorced journalist who finds himself saddled with his daughter by his ex-wife (who has re-married and is going on a honeymoon) for the whole week. Melanie’s day starts off on a bad note, because of Jack’s forgetfulness, which causes her son and Jack’s daughter to miss their field trip. This forces both parents to take care of each other’s children, because of the extremely busy work schedule they have. At their respective workplace also, Melanie and Jack face crises which are potentially job threatening. The story beautifully weaves the different incidents the parents face both at work and in managing the kids through the day. Of course, what makes the movie eminently watchable is the wonderful performance by Michelle Pfeiffer, as the hassled mother who is trying to juggle her career and her personal life. Clooney is his usual charismatic easy-going self, as a father who is suddenly made to cope with unforeseen situations.

A feel good movie, it will definitely put a smile on your face, even on the coldest night.

Number 4- Milagro Beanfield War

Directed by one of my favorite directors and actors, Robert Redford, Milagro Beanfield War is one of those quaint movies which never quite make it in the box office. A mix of fantasy and reality, the movie deals with an issue which is quite relevant in today’s India. How do people react when development and big business reaches a rural community?

Set in the fictional rural town of Milagro somewhere in New Mexico, with a predominantly Hispanic population, it tells the story of Joe Mondragon, an unemployed handyman, struggling to eke out a living for his family. Mondragon rebels against the big corporation building a new township in Milagro. All the landholders have sold their land to the corporation except Mondragon. Due to water laws, which allow only the corporation to use the water, Mondragon is unable to use the water from the irrigation ditch running past his farm. A rebellion more impulsive than planned, as the story reveals, the film studies the different perspectives of the situation, without portraying any of the characters as completely villainous or heroic.

I say it’s a must watch this Christmas!

Number 3- Falling In Love

Ok, this one is probably the most intense of all the 5 movies I recommend. For Hindi and Sharukh Khan Movie buffs, it might interest them to note that the Karan Johar movie Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, is based on this movie starring the wonderful Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro. Watch this to decide whether KANK is anywhere near to the original!

2 married strangers meet randomly while shopping for Christmas gifts for their respective families. Their gifts get mixed up, and they again bump into each other on the train to New York. The meeting soon blossoms into romance, before either can realize the same. It’s a story which is makes outstanding viewing, due to the excellent performance of Streep and De Niro.

Why is it ideal for Christmas? Who gives a damn! It’s a good movie so added it to the list! J

Number 2- The Best Years of Our Lives

An absolute golden oldie, this 1946 movie directed by the great William Wyler, is one of my absolute favorites. I must have seen this movie at least 20 times!

Considered one of the greatest films ever by Roger Ebert, the film has a 97% freshness rating at “Rotten Tomatoes”.

Set at the end of the 2^nd World War, the movie deals with 3 servicemen returning to their home in the fictional Boone City, and trying to adjust to the life after war.

Fred, Homer and Al meet and become friends while flying back home.

Fred, who used to be a soda fountain operator at a drugstore, became a decorated Captain in the war, He returns home to find that there is no job other than that of the “Soda Jerker” which he is not very keen to be. His wife also enjoys leading a social life, which the salary of a soda jerk does not permit. Moreover, it’s much more glamorous being the wife of a decorated captain than that of a soda fountain operator.

Homer had lost both his arms from burns suffered when his aircraft carrier was sunk. Homer and his family now have trouble adjusting with his disability. This even causes him to move away from his fiancée, as he does not want her to marry a handicapped man out of sympathy.

Al, the senior most of the three, was a bank loan officer, with a wife and an adult daughter, and a son in college. He is offered a senior position in his bank, as the bank expects many servicemen to approach the bank for loans, and having a serviceman would be convenient. Al also has trouble adjusting back into civilian life. To add to his troubles, is the attraction which develops between his daughter and Fred.

The movie is superlative in capturing the inner struggle of its protagonists and how it affects the people around them. Of course, it would not have been possible but for the excellent performance of all the actors.

The movie is about hope and the strength of the human spirit in overcoming any obstacle.

Number 1- It’s a Wonderful Life

Now this is a movie which always is a topper in any list made of movies, whatever category. So, watch it anytime, and you will know you have seen a classic. Of course, it’s something of staple for Christmas time movie viewing. Somewhat similar to the telecast of “Gandhi” by movie channels on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary on 2^nd October. This Frank Capra masterpiece stars James Stewart as George Bailey, a man who wants to commit suicide on Christmas Eve, because he feels he is worth more dead than alive.

The story is not new and has been dealt with in different ways in numerous movies and stories. It’s the story of a man who gets a glimpse of what life would have been, if he had not existed, to realize the difference he has made to people around him.

In this story, Bailey leads a life full of sacrifices to allow people around him to fulfill their dreams, be it saving his little brother from drowning in a frozen pond, causing loss of hearing in his left ear, or providing the money saved for his honeymoon to prevent a run on his bank.

It’s a story, which as I mentioned has been told many a times, but I am sure you will still love this one.

Honestly, there is not much to differentiate in the level of performance or direction in this movie or “The Best Years of Our Lives”. But, this movie somehow is just right in keeping with the spirit of Christmas. Hence, it is number 1 on my list of movies to watch this Christmas.

Watch them and let me know if you enjoyed them as much as I did.

Merry Christmas!

Story of An Ordinary Indian Doctor- Dr. Nasser

Being a salesman has its rewards. The one which I treasure the most is perhaps the opportunity it provides to meet with people from varied walks of life during my visits to the various retail showrooms in Calcutta. Everyday, I keep meeting artists who want a smart looking phone, professors from USA holidaying in India, doctors in search of a high speed internet connection, army men enquiring if they can use the phone in Kashmir, rickshaw pullers wanting a low tariff recharge, foreigners asking for directions to the Victoria memorial, bus drivers wondering why their phone is not ringing, employees of foreign embassies requesting for service engineers who can speak proper English...the list goes on...and on...

I met Dr. Nasser, during one such visit to one of our showrooms. He wanted an internet connection for his laptop. We chatted while the transaction was being completed. I came to know that he worked in a well known city hospital. The conversation ended there.

Next time we met was few months later. It was in the same showroom where we had met the first time. He had come to pay his monthly phone bill.

We started chatting about the weather, literally, and before we knew it, he was telling me about his life...

Nasser is the youngest of 2 brothers and 2 sisters. A Kashmiri Muslim by birth, he grew up in the beautiful city of Srinagar. His father was a civil servant in the state government and mother a housewife. His elder brother is a Chartered Accountant. When he wanted to pursue medicine as a profession, his father was against the idea. He wanted his son to become a civil servant. But, sons seldom listen to their fathers, and Nasser completed his MBBS from Government Medical College, Srinagar. He followed this up with a master’s degree in Lucknow, before landing up in Calcutta to pursue his super-specialty course from a well known hospital.

Probably, there is not much to write about Nasser, which is unique enough. But, then again, I found his thoughts reflecting that of many young people including yours truly.

He still wonders whether he took the right decision to stay back in India. One would say, it’s the right decision to stay put give back to your country. But, consider this. Of the 8 friends in his batch who completed their MBBS, 6 went abroad and decided to settle down in the US. This made Nasser wonder if he was doing something stupid, considering majority of his peers were following a different path.

“I know, I will be earning a lot less than what I could have, if I had shifted to the US. But, then again, some of my teachers who inspired me have done just that. They are not just good, but great doctors and are world renowned. But, they have resisted the temptation, and decided to give back to society despite the various challenges”, says Nasser.

“I know, I may be a small fry in the larger scheme of things, but I am confident I can definitely make a difference, howsoever miniscule. Which is why, after completion of my studies, I want to go back to Kashmir, and practice there. I feel, I can make a bigger difference there considering the lack of facilities in the state.”

I asked in return, “Don’t you think that the environment abroad is more conducive to pursue your practice? Will it not provide a much better learning environment? Which in turn, will help you become a much better doctor?”

Nasser replied,” You see, the foreign hospitals definitely have far better facilities and they do provide much better work environment. But, the Indian system teaches you to become street smart, in a way which no first world country can. There is a very good reason for this.  Let’s assume you have high fever with certain x, y and z symptoms. In an US hospital, usually the doctor will have a set of tests conducted which will give very accurate results, and assist in good diagnosis and subsequent treatment. This is the way they are trained. But, in India, our teachers have taught us to approach it in a different way. For the same patient described before, our teachers would ask us, out of these 5 tests, which do you think is the most appropriate for a patient with x, y and z symptoms? ”

According to Nasser, there is a very good reason for this approach. In the west, most of the developed nations are welfare states. Hence, medical expenses are in majority of cases taken care of, by the state. So, conducting plethora of tests to get to the root of the problem is not a cause for concern, for the patient. But, in India, in most cases, the patient’s family would need to shell out the money for all the tests. In most cases, that would be a big burden on the pocket. So, the doctor has to go for the most effective and least expensive path. For an Indian doctor, learning to be street smart, is not just smart, but a matter of life or death.

This logic of Nasser was further corroborated by another friend of mine; Dr. Sajid. Sajid is a surgeon, who has many patients from the lower strata of the society. He told me the story of Iqbal.

Iqbal is a rickshaw-puller in his mid-forties. He has a wife and 2 kids at home. He visited Dr.Sajid with severe lower back pain. For a proper diagnosis and accurate treatment, an MRI was essential. But, an MRI would cost few thousand rupees. And Sajid’s experience told him, that a surgery was required, to treat the problem. That would cost more money and a period of complete bed rest. But, Iqbal is a daily wage earner and if he stays away from work, his family starves. So, what does the doctor do in such a situation, where the best option is not practical for the patient?

Dr. Sajid advised Iqbal to ride his rickshaw maintaining a certain posture which would minimise the damage. He also advised Iqbal to regularly exercise to strengthen the area.

Was it the best possible treatment? Definitely not. But, for doctors like Nasser and Sajid, it’s all about providing the “best fit” treatment.

And it’s because of doctors like Nasser and Sajid, the Indian medical system manages to carry the burden of over 1 billion people.


Note: Names have been changed to protect privacy

Did YOU visit the Paraguayan Harp Concert?

For that matter, do you know when Paraguay earned its independence? And from whom did they win their independence? Don’t worry; even ‘Know-All’ did not know this fact, till he visited the Paraguayan Harp concert which took place in Calcutta last week.

I am a great believer in destiny. Some people would consider it just a coincidence that when I visited ICCR auditorium to watch the dance recital of Rabindranath Tagore’s dance drama, Chitrangada, performed by a friend, I noticed the information standee of a performance of the Paraguayan Harp, by Ismael Ledesma to celebrate 200 years of independence of Paraguay from Spanish rule. Not me. Now, we Calcuttans are always bending over backwards to proclaim our inclination for all things cultural. But, I am not aware of any performance of the Paraguayan Harp, which has taken place in Calcutta before.

Extremely curious, next day I showed up at the designated hour at the ICCR.

Paraguay is a landlocked country in South America with its capital in Asuncion. Small in size, with a population of mere 6.5 million people, it has 2 official languages, Spanish and Guarani. Both languages are widely used. Interestingly, 95% of the population is Mestizo or mixed (European and Native American). This, thanks to the rule set by the first Paraguayan president, Jose Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia in 1814, which forbade colonial citizens from marrying each other, and allowed them to only marry blacks, mullatoes or natives! Paraguay has recently experienced one of the fastest economic growths in the world.

The most popular instruments of Paraguayan music, Ledesma informed the audience, are the Paraguayan Harp and the Spanish Guitar.

The Paraguayan Harp is made from wood and usually has 38 strings. It has an exaggerated neck arch and is played with the fingernail.  But, the interesting fact revealed by Ledesma, was that the Paraguayan Harp traces its origin to India!

Paraguayan music needs to be classified into 2 parts.

Paraguayan Polka or Danza Paraguaya( Paraguayan Dance), a style of music developed in the 19^th century. It is different from European Polka, as the former combines both ternary and binary rhythms, which give it a peculiarity.

Guarania is a style of music created by the musician Jose Asuncion Flores in 1925, with the purpose of expressing the character of the Paraguayan people.this is accomplished by the slow and melancholic rhythms of the songs.

The Guarania enjoys great popularity in the urban areas whereas the people in the countryside prefer the faster paced style of the Polka or the combined genre of “Purahei Jahe’o”.

Ledesma started after a round of introductions from the Paraguayan ambassador to India, Genaro Pappalardo. The music was mellifluous and Ledesma had the audience spell-bound with his versatility. For those who have never heard the Harp played before, it is something of similar to the Indian Santoor or the Jal Tarang. But, the tunes played by Ledesma were a mix of tunes, of which some were Paraguayan folk based and some his own creations. But, the common factor in both was their ability to mesmerize the audience.

He was able to imitate sounds of nature, like the chirp of a bell-bird, which sounds like a bird or that of a waterfall, with equal aplomb! He even imitated the sound of a train and the various noises made by a bus.

Or, for instance the piece called “Happiness in January” which he composed during winter in Paris, which according to him gets very melancholic during that period.

Ledesma, besides being a Harpist par excellence, also showed his sense of humour, while interacting with the audience. “It feels like home here in Calcutta. The buses here are just like the ones we have back home in Asuncion. Also, most people here are of my height, so I don’t feel short!” The audience laughed out loud to show its approval.

After the hour long performance, the audience felt like chanting the Pepsi slogan, “Dil Maange More”.

The little man from Paraguay had won the crowd over, with his child-like smile, humorous quips and stunning performance.

The only disappointment of the evening…. The organizers were selling CDs of Ledesma’s music outside the auditorium. I rushed to the counter and asked the price. “Its only Rs.799 for a CD” I got the reply. Alas, I the great patron of credit cards had only Rs.600 cash in my wallet.

With no ATM in the vicinity, I sadly started walking towards the Maidan Metro Station, to take the next train home.


Footnote: Information about Paraguay and Its music is sources from www.wikipedia.org and the pamphlet provided at the concert.

Feroze Shah Kotla- Delhi's 5th Innings

“Why don’t you go visit Feroze Shah Kotla?” Bill asked me.

“Feroze Shah Kotla? The well known cricket stadium? But, isn’t the cricket series between India and England over?” I wondered. I was visiting Bill and Kay in Gurgaon during Diwali, in what has now become an annual ritual for last 5 years. This year had been no exception, and I was in town during the designated week, end of October.

It was the Friday after Diwali and both Kay and Bill had office, which meant I was left home alone. That’s what prompted Bill to propose the trip to Feroze Shah Kotla(FSK), and made me wonder, why on earth I should be visiting an empty stadium!

Bill explained patiently, “No, Mr. Nincompoop! I don’t want you to visit the stadium. Feroze Shah Kotla happens to be the ruins of what once was Feroze Shah Tughlaq’s palace”. “The stadium” Bill continued, “happens to be so named, because it was built adjacent to the Kotla. Incidentally, Kotla means House, ergo; Feroze Shah Kotla is House of Feroze Shah. The place is not crowded, and has loads of opportunities for good photography. You will enjoy it.”

For a salesman, last week of the month is the worst time to be on leave. And the 25^th floor is not the best place to make phone calls. So, I decided to descend down to earth, spent couple of hours on the phone, all the time, walking while talking! By the time I had finished, it was around 2 pm and I took a rickshaw to Huda City Centre Metro Station and from there a train to Rajiv Chowk. An auto ride of around 15 minutes, and I was in front of Feroze Shah Tughlaq’s palace.

Feroze Shah Tughlaq was the 3^rd ruler of the Tughlaq dynasty (1320-1414 AD), who succeeded his more famous cousin, the genius whose ideas were ahead of his time- Muhammad Bin Tughlaq. He established the city of Ferozabad, 5^th city of Delhi, in the year 1354 AD. The Feroze Shah Kotla happens to be the core of the city ferozabad, and was established as an imperial capital. According to historian Shams Siraj Afif, Ferozabad was an extensive city, extending from the hunting lodge on the northern ridge, established by Feroze Shah, today known as Pir Ghaib, and to the south, till Purana Qila or Old Fort. The city was quite populous and probably had population of around 150,000.

Also known as Kushk-I-Firuz, Feroze Shah Kotla, as per various chroniclers including the great invader Timur, was a grand and opulent royal citadel of Ferozabad. However, none of the costly stones and gilded and painted features, as described them, exist today. Today, what remains are only ruins of this once grand architectural splendor. As the saying goes, what goes around comes around. In later centuries, building material for construction was plundered from Ferozabad for the construction of cities like Din Panah, Shergarh and Shahjahanabad. It’s ironic, because construction material for Ferozabad had been sourced by plundering the older cities of Siri, Jahanpanah and Lal Kot!*

As I reached the gates of the Kotla, I realized something which is consistent for all monuments maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Firstly, that they know their job when it comes to maintaining the priceless monuments. And secondly, that they are either absolutely ignorant about how to promote these places, or extremely shy about it! You see, the FSK main gate is a good 100 meters from the main road. And there is nothing except a small board which is almost hidden by overgrown shrubs and leaves of trees, to make people aware of the place. It’s as if ASI actively wants to dissuade people from visiting the place. Thankfully, I was forewarned by Bill about this, and had no problems in finding the place.

After buying a ticket worth Rs.5, which incidentally, a foreigner would require to pay Rs.100 (is that not racism, by the way?) I was finally inside FSK!

The place has 4 parts- the palace ruins on the right, a Baoli, the pyramidal structure which supports a huge Ashokan pillar and the ruins of the majestic Jami Masjid.

I decided to start with the palace ruins.  The palace ruins have 2 parts- the Diwan-i-aam or the Palace of Commons and the Diwan-i-Khas or the Palace or Courtiers and counselors. The former was used by the king to hold court for the general public. The latter was used for nobles, courtiers and other men of importance. Not much remains today of what must have once been grand structures, and contained by the 15 meter high citadel walls. Modern residential buildings overlook the walls and have encroached right till the edge of the walls.

The Diwan-i-khas had even less to offer. Today it is just a large open space, which sadly, I found badly littered with papers and thermocol. There is a huge tree in the middle of this, which was visually very striking. After spending some quiet time, I decided to move towards the Jaami Masjid.

The Jami Masjid was the largest mosque before Jama Masjid was built. Today only the remains of the congregational mosque stand. The doorway was once decorated with carved stones, which have since been plundered. In the middle of the courtyard, used to stand a domed structure which had the works and achievements of the Emperor inscribed. The mosque was built on a series of underground cells made of quartzite stone and covered with lime plaster. Timur was so impressed by the grandeur of the mosque, that he apparently had a similar mosque made in his capital, Samarqand, using craftsmen taken from India.*

It was Friday evening, and I was just in time for the evening namaaz. There were many families who had either come for the evening namaaz or just for an outing. Outside the masjid, I saw men performing wazu(act of cleansing one's limbs and face before namaz) in front of few plastic water tanks, placed just for this purpose. Climbing up the steps, I suddenly came to a huge open courtyard. Men and women were scattered around, chatting in small groups. I was standing there quietly, unsure of what I wanted to do next. Suddenly, a small boy, not more than ten years old, walked over to me. He had a black polythene bag with him. He took out something from the bag, and offered to me, saying, “Uncle, Yeh aapke liye.” It was a jalebi. I was touched by the gesture. Knowing from past experience, that kids love being photographed, I offered,”Ao, main tumhara ek photo kheech du.” The boy was polite but firm,”Nahin, nahin, mujhe photo nahin kheechna”. Respecting his right to privacy, I withdrew.

My next destination was the pyramidal structure, adjacent to the masjid, supporting the huge Ashokan pillar.

The Pyramidal structure was specially commissioned by Feroze Shah, to support the 13 metres high Ashokan Pillar, with a diameter of 65 cm at the top and 97 cm at the bottom. The pillar had been originally set up at a place named Topra, near Ambala by the Maurya king Ashoka, with inscriptions of his principles of governance. To transport the 27 tonne pillar, Feroze Shah had the pillar wrapped with cotton silk and laid on a bed of reed made of raw silk and transported in a massive carriage with 42 wheels and drawn by 200 men!*

 I could see that many men and women were on top of the pyramidal building but apparently all the gates were locked. Then, an elderly lady showed that one of the grills of the gate was broken and that was the only way in! I wriggled inside and officially became a trespasser in the eyes of ASI!

The steps, as in all historical buildings, were very steep. But, once you reach the top, the view will take your breath away.  I was just in time to a get a bird’s view of the namaz at the adjacent jami masjid. I managed to get some wonderful shots. The stadium and modern roads in the background provided a stark contrast to this ancient but grand structure.

Next up was the Baoli (well) about which Bill had spoken as a must watch. Sadly, this place was also under lock and no broken grills materialized for my convenience, through which I wriggle through!

The Baoli or well was a source of water for the citadel. Unlike more common step wells this does not have steps leading to the level of water. The circular well, open well, has provision for water to be pulled up by a pulley. A complex system of pipes and channels pumped the water to the roof and from there to the outside.*

As I was cursing my luck at not being able to get inside the baoli, and clicking photos from the outside, suddenly a voice called from behind, “Hello, yahaan photo lena mana hai”. I ignored the voice and kept on shooting. The voice kept on repeating the same thing,”Yahan photo lena mana hai, photo mat lo”. Finally, the same voice said, “Uncle, humara ek photo kheech dijiye please!” I turned around to find a small boy of around ten or eleven and a girl of around thirteen or fourteen. I smiled, “Zaroor, ao samne khare ho jao” The girl, who seemed to be his elder sister, shied away. This made the boy hesitant. I reassured, “Koi baat nahin, tum to aa jao. Tumhara photo lete hain”. Reassured, he posed stiffly as if ready to sing the national anthem. I said, “Arre thoda haso to sahi. Achcha batao tum kaun se class me padte ho?”

He gave a wonderful smile and replied,”Class 6D”. I smiled inside at his innocence. I said my good byes to the kids and started walking in the surrounding lawns, with the chirping of the birds returning to their homes, providing company. I was lost in thoughts when suddenly my mobile phone rang. It was Kay.

“Where are you? Still at the Kotla? There is a problem. You have one set of keys and Bill has the other. I am unable to get back home. Get back home as fast as possible”

I turned my back to Feroze Shah’s Kotla and started walking towards the exit.

*Source: Archaeological Survey of India

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Food of Calcutta- The Blue Poppy

One of my previous blogs had discussed the growing popularity of Tibetan cuisine, primarily momos, in Kolkata. Easy to make, non-oily hence more healthy and affordable. These are some of the reasons, which have made momos popular in the city. Today I intend to write about a restaurant which I discovered as late as August 2011, even though I have been residing in Calcutta for more years than I care to remember.

The Blue Poppy, is a non-fussy, basic sit-in joint serving Tibetan, Nepali, Bhutanese and Chinese cuisine at extremely affordable prices. For those familiar with Calcutta but not aware of the restaurant ( and to my surprise, there are so many of them), The Blue Poppy is located on the first floor of Sikkim House on Middleton Street.

Its a small, approximately 40 seater joint, with basic amenities. The decor, though not expensive, is quite tastefully done. The lighting and the lamp shades used deserve special mention. The first thing that comes to notice is the warmth of the people. The 2 ladies who manage the show, are extremely cordial and ever smiling. They keep a moving around and exude informal warmth, which is very refreshing. They will also guide you if you are in the mood for trying out some of the non-regular food items.

But, it’s the food which is the real show-stealer. For those who have been frequenting the Tibetan food joints of Elgin Road, it’s a must visit place. For one, restaurants on Elgin Road have lost their way over the years, be it regarding the quality of food or the overall service quality. And, Blue Poppy is really a hands down winner in comparison, on both counts.

I have been to the place many times and have stuck only to the Tibetan fare till now. Besides the steamed momos, you can also try the Kothay. It is steamed momo, which has been fried on the pan. The pan fried momos are also very good and definitely worth a try. But, whatever you eat, don’t forget to try out the chilli sauce which my nephew and niece call the nani sauce...so hot that...nani yaad aa jayegi!  One observation. The size of the momos seems to have reduced recently.

But, my favourite dish is the Mixed Phaktu. It may be termed as the first cousin of the thukpa. There are 2 differences. The broth or soup of the phaktu is much thicker and the noodles are hand-made. Hence, the shapes are different and nicely non-uniform. All in all, extremely deliciously and very filling.

The Chinese fare served is quite ordinary, and I would not recommend it. My friend had tried out the Nepali thali, which has an assortment of vegetable curries and a chicken preparation. All these are served with rice. He was not too impressed, but I am quite curious to try out not just the Nepali thali but also the Bhutanese dish. Will update on those on a future date.

The crux of a long story...must visit place for any Tibetan food lover.

Pujo Kemon Katlo?

One of the Idols of Durga

That’s a question, which is on the lips of all Bengalis meeting any other Bengali speaking person on the face of mother earth, for at least couple of weeks after Bijoya Dashami, the last day of the 5 day long Durga Pujo festival. This after the first statement- Shubho Bijoya, a greeting to any person one meets after the Vijay Dashami.



Durga Pujo, is something which has been written about, photographed, debated about, by innumerable people across the globe. But, none of these can really prepare you for the sheer scale of razzmatazz which plays out in the city of Calcutta during this period. You really have to experience it in person to understand what I am talking about. If you have not done it yet, please book your tickets for next year’s pujo NOW!

Sea of People out on the Streets

But, I don’t want to discuss the glitz and lights of the pujos or even the sea of human beings descending upon the streets of Calcutta, all sporting million dollar smiles and new clothes, in that order. I don’t want to discuss the copious amount of food any average Calcuttan consumes during these four days, nor the fact that one hardly stays at home during this period, or the fact that hundreds of thousands of people roam around the city all night long, without any security concerns whatsoever.

Like any big event, the anticipation of the approach of Durga pujo is much more exciting than the four days of the event itself, which is gone before you can say Ouagadougou! People in Calcutta spend way beyond their capabilities on new clothes and gifts for relatives. Calcuttans staying outside, count the number of days to D-Day (nowadays the countdown is done on the walls of Facebook!), when they descend from all across the globe, to the city of their origin.

But, it’s the AFTER pujo period, which hits you with the intensity of a nuclear aircraft carrier! The day after Vijay Dashami, the streets wear a deserted look, which a stranger to the city might consider to be the result of a curfew. People reporting to work, do so with a hangover of four days of revelry and a heavy heart. And the only topic of discussion- you guessed it right- Pujo Kemon Katlo?

Pujo Kemon Katlo?

Which roughly implies- How did you spend the time during pujo?

I asked this question to many people/friends last week and found varied answers, from people of different strata of society. I am sharing the responses of 5 of my friends.

Pujo Kemon Katlo?

Answer from middle aged Security Guard at my GYM-

Arre Dada, aamader aar pujo te ki aache?

What’s there for us during the pujo? I had to spend the entire pujo at the gym building itself. Since the gym was closed during 4 days of pujo, I could spend the time watching the coverage of various pujos on TV, inside the gym. Of course, my kids want to go out, but then again, what can I do? My job is such that I cannot afford to join the revelries...

Answer from Vegetable vendor at the local market:

I return home from the wholesale market at 1:30 a.m. in the morning after buying all the stuff for the next day’s market. And then, I am back in the market at 6 a.m. Tell me dada, after such a hectic day, where does one get the energy to go pandal hopping? But, still I had to take my kids out, or else they would be having long faces.

Answer from young Fish vendor at the same market:

Oh Pujo! I had a great time! You know why???

·         Firstly, because it did not rain at all during the pujos. So, I could really enjoy myself.

·         Secondly, because I had managed to get myself a volunteer’s pass, which allowed me along with 3 of my friends to enter some of the famous pandals, without having to stand in the long queues.

It was hectic. After all, I had to be in the market from early morning till late afternoon, but then again, this is durga pujo. Its once a year, so I don’t mind the extra workload. The fun I had made me forget all my tiredness...

Answer from a Rickshaw-wallah in my para/locality:

Babu, I did not have a good time this pujo?  You ask why?? How can we have a good time, if we can’t make some extra income!! This year the police did not allow us to ply after 4 p.m. during 4 days of pujo. They had made the rule for both auto-rickshaws and rickshaws, but the auto-rickshaw drivers put on a road block and were allowed to ply. No such luck for us. Tell me dada, if you cannot go near the pandals, how can you get passengers??

Na Dada, this year pujo was not good for me...

But, the best response was of course from Biplab, the Head Steward at a famous Calcutta restaurant, known for its wonderful Biryani and other mughlai cuisine. I must add that Biplab is an extremely cheerful, energetic person, who can make your experience even better. Being a frequent customer, we share quite a friendly relation. This was his answer:

Pujo??? That’s for guys like you to celebrate...For me it’s the same routine questions to be asked-Sir, what would you like to order? Biryani? How many plates, sir? Special or regular?

Yesterday, we had customers till 4 a.m. in the morning, and even in the wee hours, they will start ordering all the way from starters and finish with desserts! And today again I was back early morning, after couple of hours of sleep.

You should the antics of some of the customers. One group of people came at 3:30 a.m. and ordered for Biryani. Nothing unusual there. Then they asked if we had any Dal??

I said- Sir, we have Dal Makhani, but are you sure you want dal with Biriyani?

Customer: Sure, sure... we don’t mind. Dal die biryani mekhe kheye nebo!!! We will mix it with the biryani and eat it.

I nearly fainted on hearing that!!!

Let me tell about another customer. Post dinner, finger bowl was placed in from of him. He squeezed a lemon in the water and gulped it down! I gaped in horror. The customer said- Don’t worry, it will help digest the food better!!!

Tell me, after all this; do I need any further entertainment during pujo? My customers provide me enough entertainment.

Shubho Bijoya!

Food from the streets of Calcutta- Momos

For someone who claims that his raison d'être is food, not having written even once about food seems like a bad idea. But, at the outset, let me admit something. Great lover of food though I am, my knowledge of cooking ends at preparation of instant noodles! Of course, any bachelor worth his salt will vouch for instant noodles being an absolute lifeline, especially, if you are staying far away from home, in a place where the food sucks….

This brings me to two of my favorite cuisines, Tibetan and Chinese. Indians at large and Bengalis in specific have this uncanny ability to embrace things they like to such an extent that one is reminded of the saying, “more loyal than the king….”

So, Cricket happens to be the unofficial national game of India, Bata happens to be un-official national footwear company of middleclass India, and Chinese food, believe it or not, happens to be the national food of India too!!!
And though the Tibetan nationalist movement has not made much headway into the vice-like grip of the Chinese over Lhasa, it’s a different story all-together as far as the battle gastronomique being fought between China & Tibet is concerned, which for the un-initiated, is being fought on the streets of Calcutta!
One has to really see it to believe, the way Momos have captured the heart or, to be precise, stomach of the everyday Calcuttan…

Be it the busy intersection known as Exide More near Rabindra Sadan, or the footpath in front of South City Mall. Be it the mouth watering chicken momo served in the swanky Mainland China restaurant or the amazingly delicious pork kothay available at the Blue Poppy. Momo has become Calcutta’s favorite breakfast, brunch, lunch, evening snack and dinner.

The street foodies’ paradise that Calcutta is, there are of course, many mouth-watering alternatives available for the non-vegetarian janta. Top of list, of course has to be the various types of rolls, egg, chicken, egg-chicken, mutton, and what not. And yes, please don’t even think of comparing rolls with the pretender known as Frankie, which is available on the streets of Bombay. It is no match. A closer potential competitor may be considered the Arabian dish named Shawarma, which you can try out at the Arhan Thai. It’s basically a sandwich like wrap of shaved chicken or any other meat served with pita bread. I can’t get enough of it and must have introduced practically all my non-vegetarian friends to it. But, the common flaw with both rolls, and shawarma and food of similar genre, is their calorie content.

That’s where the Momo is a hands down winner, for the increasingly health conscious citizen. Momos are made with a white flour and water dough, in which a filling of different kinds of meat is added. The dough is generally given a crescent shape, and steamed. The lack of oil makes it a hit as does the fact that it is extremely value for money. It can cost as low as Rs.40 for a plate of five momos. Moreover, from the business point of view also it is very easy and inexpensive to make and requires very little space to put up a stall. This is vital in a metropolis which is bursting at the seams. I find momo stalls doing roaring business on busy intersections like Park Street, which are practically set up on a small folding table.

Easy to cook, affordable, delicious but comparatively low on calorie, Momos have arrived and are here to stay…..

bon appétit!

The History of Democracy- Is Anna a Manna from Heaven?

Someone recently joked that, Santa Singh & Banta Singh are on the verge of committing suicide. Why?? Because Manmohan Singh & Anna Hazare have replaced them as the most joked about people in last few weeks!

By now there will not be too many middle class Indians in the world who have not heard about Anna Hazare or the Lokpal bill. As is the wont of the middle class (I am one of them), most have some opinion or the other about the issue. But, I would not bet my salary on how many of them actually know in detail about the issues involved.
What’s my opinion on the issue? I feel the Lokpal bill questions the form of rule which the constitution framers of India had decided, in all their wisdom, for the country- Representative Democracy.

So, is it really is the most suitable form of governance for a country of over 1 billion, or for that matter any country?

Apparently, democracy is not such a new concept after all. Some concepts of democracy have been followed in Ancient Athens way back around 500 B.C. These folks had a form of democracy, in which every citizen voted for himself for every bill or legislation. It’s called Direct Democracy. It was not really such a cumbersome idea back then, considering population in these city states was few hundred thousand at most, and women, children, slaves and foreigners were not considered part of the voting citizenry. So, most of these city states had just a few thousand voting citizens. In Sparta for instance, only men above the age of 30 were considered as citizens with voting rights.

Ancient Rome was also another follower of democracy. What is interesting to note is that even in those times, corruption was rampant and senators resorting to bribes to influence the results was commonplace. This, in the great Roman Empire, and not in a third world country like India. Apparently, even the great Julius Caesar was not above resorting to the not so noble means of bribery! I guess some habits are too old to eradicate. Of course, once Caesar’s powers became absolute, he reduced the powers of the republic and became a dictator, which may have been the cause of his increasing unpopularity amongst the Roman aristocracy and eventual assassination.
Over the ages, there seems to be a propensity amongst human beings for the democratic form of governance. Their success in different parts of the world in different ages may have been to varying degrees. But, there has been no lack of attempt.

Be it the Aztecs in Central America electing a supreme speaker, the Althing or parliament of Iceland founded in 930 AD, the Sejm in Poland or the election of Gopala, the founder of the Pala dynasty in Bengal in 8th century AD, democracy has been practiced since a pretty long time.

And though the tenure of democracy may be pretty long and illustrious, even longer has been the existence of corruption. In fact, one can safely say that as long as there has been civilization, corruption has been its steady companion.
But, there is nothing to suggest that democracy has done any harm to the cause of human rights. In fact, in contemporary times, the eastern European countries, which were part of the Eastern Bloc or satellites of the former Soviet Union, have all embraced democratic parliamentary elections post USSR collapse and seen improved human rights and improved social and economic standards. Be it Poland under Lech Walesa, Romania under Ion Iliescu or Bulgaria under Zhelyu Zhelev, most of the eastern bloc countries saw improved economic conditions post democracy in the early nineties. Needless to say, with varying degrees of success. But, the improvements did not come overnight and some of these countries faced severe economic and social problems initially before tasting success.
So, is it a good idea to tamper with the democratic system of governance? I say no. The solution for corruption cannot be a Lokpal in which few people will pass judgement on who is corrupt and who is not. And who is to monitor whether the decisions of the Lokpal have not been influenced by factors other than yearning for justice?
If we really want to make the country less corrupt, the search has to be inward rather than outward. There are enough existing agencies to check corruption in India. The challenge is to ensure that the people in charge are honest in discharging their duties rather than creating another new agency. Will the people manning the Lokpal be from another country or planet, who are immune to or unaware of the concepts of external pulls and pressures and temptations? I have my doubts.

Anna Hazare, to my mind, has been able to create a vent for the pent up frustration in the people of India. As on date, that seems to be the only achievement from the drama which unfolded last few weeks. Of course, it’s very important to find release to pent up emotions, else they can explode and cause serious damage.

But, as someone commented, it’s not as if corruption did not exist earlier in India or that its quantum was less. It’s only with the increased media presence and scrutiny, their exposure has increased. Is it a good thing? I am not qualified enough to comment. But, free speech, one of the perks of democracy, which allowed Hazare, in the first place to get the publicity in last few weeks and months, may be threatened, if absolute power is given to a bunch of people, not answerable to the people of India.

Some of the salient points of the Lokpal bill which I find impractical to implement:
1. Will have power to initiate action or receive complaints of corruption from public- How does Lokpal plan to tackle the flood of complaints and subsequent delay in meting out judgement and punishment? Will it not be a repetition of the Indian Judiciary?

2. Will have power to initiate prosecution of guilty- Again issues of sufficient manpower. How does Lokpal guarantee corruption free judgement? And what role does the existing Judiciary system have in such a scenario?

3. Will have police powers and ability to register FIRs- If Lokpal has police powers, they would need to investigate cases. Will they have sufficient manpower or expertise to carry out the same? Will it not make the existing police force redundant?

Instead of creating another body, is it not a better idea to try and reform the existing systems?

• Why not make the enforcement agencies, like the CBI and police independent like the Election Commission, free of political pulls and pressures? Hazare can fight and increase awareness so that these bodies are not answerable to political masters.

• The biggest challenge to the Indian Judiciary is the sheer number of pending cases in the courts. Why not show some political will and open more courts, employ more people, increase automation and get rid of archaic systems. I am sure, this is easier said than done, but, isn’t it better than creating a parallel judiciary?

Tell me what you think...thank god (I mean democracy) for free speech!

What’s in a Name? Lots!

She is one of the greatest loves of my life....though I am sure I am not the first one to have fallen for her....Many before me and surely many more after me will also fall for her. She is not getting any younger, in fact according to estimates; she is roughly 1000 years old. But, her beauty never fades and her charm lies in the fact that she can adapt according to and with changing times. Yes that’s the beauty of my love, the English language.
But, though my love for her is un-conditional, I cannot say the same about my feelings for her strict mother...the English grammar. The purists and the linguists will disapprove. How can you love the one and ignore the existence of the other, they ask? What would she be, without the character and structured life that Mother grammar gives the daughter? Is it possible at all to truly love the daughter (language) without understanding the mother (grammar)?
True. I agree. But, the fact remains, as far back as I can remember, I always had an uncomfortable relation with Mother Grammar. And every Indian school student will surely remember the bible of Mother Grammar, the ultimate grammar book- Wren & Martin.
I hated it. With all my heart. I still can’t make out head or tail of the book. Don’t get me wrong...the book is very good. But, though always a pretty good student of English, I always used to do pathetically in grammar. Even today, if asked the difference between or to point out an adjective, a verb, an adverb or a preposition in a sentence, I would give a blank face. This never fails to confound most of my friends, who have a common love for the language. In fact, I still remember one of my friends’ (a teacher of English- no less!) admonishment, after discovering my ignorance of these basic tenets of the English language, “Are you for real??? How can you possibly not know all these basic things? And they are so simple to understand! ”
I ran for cover.....
But, there is only one class of words, which I never have problems with- The Proper Noun!
What’s life if you don’t beat around the bush a bit!! And that (finally) brings me to the main topic of my story...the usages and interpretations of the Proper Noun! And as I have discovered to my amusement, horror and personal experience, there is nothing PROPAH about the way people treat the PROPER NOUN... And ever since Mr. Shakespeare declared that a rose by any other name is just as beautiful.... people have gone about like nobody’s business to ensure that his words remain true!
I still remember the words of my favourite English teacher, Mrs. Kutty. You can pronounce proper noun in your own way...or something to that effect. And having got this mantra...I went right ahead and used my license to kill!
It was in the year 1994 or 95. One of my mentors in life-BG, for whom I was doing a summer job of pasting and posting mailers, was keen to introduce me to western music.
He lent me 4 audio cassettes (CDS were still exorbitantly priced and DVDs unheard of). 2 of the albums, I don’t recall. 3rd one was of the group ‘America’. The last was of an American duo, whose songs I found very soothing and was generally bowled over by their music. So, I come back to office all excited and declare, “I LOVED the songs of SEEMON and JAARFUNKEL”.
BG almost fell from his chair, “WHAT? WHAT DID YOU SAY?”
Me (now not so excited): “Wwwhy? The cassette you gave me....of seeeemon and jaarfunkel”
BG (Look of horror still fresh in my mind):”Oh My GOD! It’s Simon & Garfunkel...not whatever you just said right now!!! ”
I think he had a scowl set on his normally pleasant face, for the rest of the afternoon! Incidentally, it was the album “Mother & Child Reunion” which BG had so kindly given to me.
So that was one of my many faux pas with the not-so-proper-NOUN.

Let’s now fast forward 10 years. I was in the city of Chennai, in my first job. As I soon discovered, my name was pronounceable in so many DIFFERENT AND DIFFERENT ways, which I could never have dreamt of.
Lets take some examples which became commonplace.
Phone Call-Incident 1:
Me: Hello
Voice at other end: Hello, is this Mr. Satyaaaa....nandan
Me (with amusement): Yeah, Sayantan it is....

Phone Call-Incident 2:
Me: Hello
Voice at other end: Hello, is this Mr. Satyaa....narayan
Me (wearily): Actually, it is.... Sayantan...but you can call me anything!
Voice at other end (embarrassed): Sorry sir, hello Mr. Sayantan.....

But, my favourite of all was this guy, who was working in Perot Systems, if I am not wrong. He would call me up on the cell and start,”Hullo Saitan!” And i would reply,”Sir, my parents lovingly named me Sayantan, not Shaitan sir! ” Of course, after a few days, I gave it up as a lost cause.

You see....my name reeks of bong...I mean if there ever was a list of typical Bengali names compiled, I am confident to be on the list i.e. all fellow Sayantans of the world. But, as I found out, I am not alone!
Take for instance, the case of my good friend Penelope. Not Penelope Cruz, but Penelope B.
Someone in office once called her name as “Penalope”. I, the unsolicited guardian of the proper noun, cried out” Maan, Its Pe-ne-lope with stress on the e and no aa in between!”
But, Penelope or Penny as she prefers being called, after many such misadventures is quite used to these, and just tells people, “Just call me Penny” without batting an eyelid. She has, according to her, in her lifetime being called by names as varied as Penalope, Peneelopa, Feni (yup, the famous goan drink!) and the best of all- PenaPole!!! As in South Pole, North Pole and Penapole
I nearly fell on the floor laughing, when I heard the last one!
And this phenomenon is not just restricted to India. As my friend has found out during his trips to continental US and continental Europe.... His name is Somdeb, but as he found out, it can become Som-daab, Somdeo (tending towards Deol!), and last but not the least, after several desperate attempts, one person called him, Somday....as in Monday, Tuesday.....
So, is it really important how you pronounce names or proper nouns? I guess, you cannot really avoid such genuine mistakes, which are bound to happen when the world is shrinking into a smaller and smaller place, where people of different cultures, languages and yes pronunciation meet and interact.
How to deal with such situations? With a sense of humour which will make it easy on both parties. After all, I can assure you, the person making the mistake, is even more embarrassed when he or she realises the faux pas....
Or you can follow the saying “If you can’t beat them, join ‘em!” as is done by another friend of mine Prasanna, or Prakkhanno, as the name should be pronounced. But, people find it too difficult and Prasanna is absolutely cool about it....

Ok. Enough of the proper noun...
It’s late in the night...time to unwind with some vintage” Seeemon & Jaarfunkel”!

The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat

My mom has a big problem with my liking for English movies like The Matrix or X-Men or Iron Man. Movies which, according to her, must have been directed by someone who is not in the right frame of mind or definitely high on cocaine! Because she can’t understand the point of movies in which people are flying around in strange suits (Neo in Matrix) or having tongues (Toad in X-Men) which can be used as a weapon!
She has no patience for” such absurd movies”[sic] and would prefer movies which are serious and have a proper story...or a comedy but with a good story but no flying men!
This made me think. Where do the ideas for these so-called ABSURD movies come from? Is it not true that life inspires fiction more often, than the other way round?
Is it not true, that fact is stranger than fiction?
For instance, have you seen the movie “50 First Dates” starring Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler? It’s about this girl (Barrymore), who has a car accident which causes her to suffer from Anterograde Amnesia, a loss of the ability to create new memories , which causes each day’s events to erase from her memory overnight , and for her time has stopped on the day of her accident. It was an absurd comedy and we all laughed watching the movie. I mean it’s an Adam Sandler movie, right?
But, what if there were actually a person like Drew Barrymore’s character out there somewhere?
Read out the excerpts of stories, from Dr. Oliver Sacks’ “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and other clinical tales” published in 1985, and judge for yourself. Dr. Oliver Sacks is a New York based Neurologist, who was awarded the CBE (Commander of the British Empire) in 2008.
Take the case of 49 year old ex-Navy man, Jimmie G. He was admitted in Dr. Sacks home for the aged in the year 1975. An intelligent, personable, likable man, he had very clear memory of his growing up years, the town in Connecticut, where he grew up, and early years in the Navy, when he served in the WW II. But, there was only one problem. He believed that he was living in the year 1945! And he was still 19 years old and Truman was the president of USA and of course, Allied forces had just won the Second World War!
And of course, like one of the characters in “50 First Dates” he had extraordinary loss of recent memory, a condition known as Korsakov’s Syndrome. In one session, after Dr. Sacks had examined Jimmie for a sufficiently long time and then gone out of the room to come back in couple of minutes, he found that Jimmie had no recognition at all of the doctor or the interaction which had taken place till few minutes back. He was extremely good at arithmetic or algebra or games like checkers and tic tac toe if it could be done at lightning speed, but totally lost at chess. The moves were too slow and he lost track! The doctor tried to encourage Jimmie to keep a diary, in which he would write down his experiences. But, this move also failed because he would keep losing his diary all the time and even when the diary was physically attached to him, he would not recognise his own handwriting and was always surprised and indifferent, that he had written something before. He was a man with no “day before”. As Dr. Sacks put it, Jimmie was both aware and not aware of this loss of ‘self’. If a man loses an eye or a leg, he is aware of the loss. But when he has lost himself, he is not there to know it. But, though with no recent memory, he had a strange inertia and gave an overwhelming sense of “something missing”. The only person whom Jimmie recognised was his elder brother, but was always perplexed as to how he looked so old! But, these were the only emotional meetings Jimmie had, the only so-called connection of his past and his present...

Now take the story of Christina, for instance. A self assured, robust 27-year old mother of two, she worked as a computer programmer at home. Intelligent and cultivated, Christina liked hockey and riding and was fond of the ballet. Active and fit, she hardly had any illness in her entire life. So, somewhat to her surprise, she was found to have gallstones, for which removal of gall bladder was advised. She was admitted to hospital 3 days before the operation. The day before the operation, she had a strange and disturbing dream. In her dream, Christina was swaying wildly, very unsteady on her feet, could hardly feel the ground beneath her, could hardly feel her hands, and kept dropping whatever she picked up. Naturally, she was distressed by the dream. But, later the same day, the dream came true! She could not stand unless she looked at her feet, could hold nothing in her hands and they ‘wandered’ unless she kept an eye on them. She could not even sit up- her body gave way! Her face went slack and expressionless, jaw fell open and even vocal posture was gone. In her words, she felt DISEMBODIED. Her condition worsened so much that doctors considered putting her on the respirator. On examination, she was found to be afflicted with a condition called Acute Polyneuritis.
She had lost her Proprioception, i.e. one’s own perception or sense of the relative positioning of neighbouring parts of the body. Proprioception is like the “eyes” of the body, which she had lost, and it was as if her body had gone blind. But, there is no limit to the strength of the human mind. Christina, the tough woman that she was, fought back. After the initial shock and horror had worn off, she started moving, using her vision as substitute for the lack of Proprioception. The natural movements, to which we never give a second thought, had to be replaced by an artificial, regulated movement. She managed to bring about some semblance of working life, but only with extreme vigilance on her movements. Her life was condemned to this artificiality, and of course that had its emotional toll. The lack of social support and sympathy was an additional burden. Disabled, but nature of disability not clear. How do you explain lack of Proprioception to a normal human being?

Third is the story of Dr. P, a gifted musician, who was well known as a singer for many years, and then as a teacher at a school of music. It was in the School that he started facing strange problems. Students would present themselves in front of Dr. P and he would not recognise them, i.e. not recognise their faces. The moment they spoke, he would recognise them. Think this might happen to lot of people. Well, hear the next development. Dr. P started seeing faces when there were none. So, this led to many hilarious situations, not uncommon for Dr. Calculus in the Tintin comics, like patting the heads of water hydrants and parking meters, taking them to be heads of children!
When Dr. Sacks visited Dr. P at his home to observe him further, he found that he could recognise abstract shapes easily. So platonic solids like a cube, dodecahedron and icosahedrons presented no problems. When shown photographs, he easily recognised Churchill’s cigar and Einstein’s characteristic hair and moustache. But, shown photographs of his own family, he could not recognise almost anybody. When shown a red rose, Dr. P described it as “A convoluted red form with green attachments!” Only when asked to smell it, did he recognise it to be a rose.
On one occasion, while leaving Dr. Sacks’ chamber, Dr. P started looking around for his hat. He reached out his hand and took hold of his wife’s head, tried to lift it off, to put it on.
He had mistaken his wife for a hat!
I will be honest. I bought Dr. Oliver Sacks’ “The man who mistook his wife for a hat and other clinical tales” for a very simple reason. I liked the curious name! But, as I read on, I found that the title is the least interesting part of the book. It has many interesting stories or case studies, which in Dr. Sacks’ easy going and humorous style makes for wonderful reading.
Of course, I had prior experience of his writings, having read his “The Island of the Colorblind and Cycad Island”. But, having read the book, I strongly feel that it is worth every penny spent; if you want to experience the saying- fact is way stranger than fiction.
Speaking of the absurd or strange, after reading these stories, I somehow find flying men in red capes and men bitten by radioactive spiders developing supernatural abilities, a distinct possibility! It’s only a matter of time, before I find a specimen Homo superior, to my mom. Yup, I dream of the day when we will both find the movie, X-Men enjoyable and real.