Serendipity

In the summer of 2014, I escaped the hustle-and-bustle, the dust-and-din of Calcutta for a few days’ respite in the beautiful hill town of Darjeeling. One might say it was the quintessential 'Bong' summer vacation! For Darjeeling is indeed the pride and joy of every Bengali. Nestled in the 'Mahabharat' or the Lesser Himalaya range, Darjeeling was fondly christened 'Queen of the Hills' by the British during the colonial rule. Since then, it has been a much loved vacation spot, attracting tourists from all over India and the globe. Along with all modern trappings and paraphernalia of a bustling tourist spot, Darjeeling still retains the essence of its indelible colonial heritage. And it is this harmonious confluence between the old and the new that lends the town a quaint, distinct charm. An overnight train journey from Calcutta brought me to New Jalpaiguri Station, from where hired/shared cabs leave by the dozens every hour, transporting tourists ...

So I discovered THIS today! Pure joy. Sheer bliss. Gratitude to the kindred spirits out there in the incredibly loving and warm Hiddles Family. Trust Tom to make even a simple word association game the most charming, humorous, disarming, spontaneous and fun discussion ever. And what captivated me was the chain of thought behind each answer; each word that he uttered was like a key to the portal of his beautiful mind. Starts with a cutesy intro. He's probably a bit taken aback to introduce himself. Poor guy, don't blame him. It surely has been years since he had to do that. 'Dangerous game' , 'Box of cats' - ahaa, his Loki is showing. It's so endearing to see Tom's love for the character he has so memorably brought to life. Q1: " Thor:- Hammer. Time. " I'm sorry I didn't understand that last reference. Could anyone please help me out here? Q2: " Odin:- Father. Complex. " Oh yes we get that...

How often do we see a movie star espouse philosophy to eager admirers? How often do we see a movie star espouse philosophy to eager admirers without the least display of condescension ? How often do we see a movie star impart life lessons with such passion? How often do we see a movie star impart life lessons because he truly cares for his admirers and wants them to follow their dreams? How often do we come across a delectable combination of Greek-god looks and incandescent brilliance? How often do we come across a movie star who actually rekindles your interest in academia? The answer to all the above lies in the indescribable magic that is Tom Hiddleston. Like the perfect romantic movie cliché goes, Tom Hiddleston makes me want to be the best person I can each day. Here he is explaining a French quote, something that inspires him ceaselessly. He never sounds pretentious as he talks, just someone who is immensely grateful to have been given an opportunity to sha...

For me, movies are not a mere pastime. It is a ride-along, a journey taken together, living life vicariously. Sometimes the line between the real and the reel gets blurred. Sometimes I find it extremely difficult to detach myself from the story and the characters and move on. These are the movies that overwhelm me; they encompass my senses and influence my thoughts and feelings. At times like these movie watching becomes an enlightening and enriching experience; opening the heart and soul to immense beauty. Of the myriad of such cinematic treasures, today I shall talk about one such film which, in a heartbreaking way, brings alive the immortal Shelley quote ' Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thoughts." It is a British film called the 'Third Star', starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the pivotal character James. The enigmatic title is explained in the film when a conversation between the group of friends reveal that James has always misquoted the Pe...

Sometimes the search for one thing can lead you to another, which may turn out to be an even greater source of joy! I was searching for a particular music piece, the one which had accompanied the 'How I Met Your Mother' episode 'The Final Page'; where a breathtakingly beautiful background score had played as the sixteen steps of the final play, 'The Robin' were gradually revealed. It was such a singularly haunting tune and I couldn't get it out of my head. Immediately, I hit the treasure trove of the internet to discover and download this tune. Since it was an original, composed solely for the tv show, with no names mentioned in the show credits, it was a bit difficult to trace it. Opinions on the forums varied. I downloaded a few tunes, but none of them was the one that I was looking for.  Then I chanced upon this glorious composition. It seemed that most people had mistaken the show tune as a rendition of the famous Pachelbel's Canon. For me, ...

This summer I left the hustle-and-bustle, the dust-and-din of Calcutta for a week's respite in the beautiful hill town of Darjeeling. It was the quintessential 'Bong' summer vacation. For Darjeeling is indeed the pride and joy of every Bengali. Nestled in the 'Mahabharat' or the Lesser Himalaya range, Darjeeling was christened 'Queen of the Hills' by the British during the colonial rule. Since then, it has been a much loved vacation spot, attracting tourists from all over India and the globe. Along with all modern trappings and paraphernalia of a tourist attraction, Darjeeling still retains the essence of its colonial heritage, this confluence lending the town a very unique and quaint charm. I will shortly write another post on the 'Things I saw in Darjeeling' or the 'Stuff I did in Darjeeling'. However, for now it's all about 'Where I ate at Darjeeling' and 'What I ate at Darjeeling'! Day 1  An overnight train jour...