Constellation.

It was a juncture which have never been witnessed before. The four biggest stars of Modern Indian Cinema releasing their movies in the market, in a span of days within November-December 2008. A rare aggregation of stars, and their intellectual contributions.
Salman Khan with Yuvvraaj.
Sharukh Khan with Rab ne Bana di Jodi.
Aamir Khan with Ghajini.
Akshay Kumar with Chandni Chowk to China.
A star studded year, with the hope for many many more to come next year, for humans like to dream and wake up to their dreams.... Good Morning 2009, its almost time for you to wake us up in our dreams...
Lets dream better and bigger....

The Last Four Months...

Recently, a number of comments have been on regarding the drop of class in my Blog articles. Actually an idle frame of body as well as mind, locked up within the four walls of this Calcutta residence has, locked up the versatility of the thoughts that once had flown out like just melted crystal clear water. Sometime it feels to top blogging, but again, I have had a heart to this, till I drop!

Anyways, lets come back to the original posting. Its about the last Four months of this present year.

SEPTEMBER 2008:

The personal life was way too down casted. With abstract thoughts, morose outlook and many things marred with the then occurring events spanned through out the month. The tension of GRE on a personal capacity along with many other personal problems were spanned with intermittent remedies brought about by Soccer, with The Calcutta Football League taking place. The three superpowers of Calcutta made the headlong battle to win the title, in which ultimately the oldest soccer club of Asia as well as India, Mohun Bagan won, dismaying many and culminating scorn from the rival camps especially East Bengal and Mohameddan Sporting.

OCTOBER 2008:

The festive season of Bengal was back with the Pujas 2008. It was a sweet little time with many plannings to top up the whole experience. Still, the flavors of life had started to become bland and needed a quick break through. It feels really baseless without a number of activities taking place. Through out the month I felt of going into a state of unwanted and forbidden depression, but controlled it with the sweet breeze of autumn across the land.

NOVEMBER 2008:

The month started with two greats of Indian Cricket announcing retirement, on during the Aussie Series and the other after the Series. The former was Anil Kumble and the latter was the most successful captain of India, Sourav Ganguly.
With these heavy news came a much more heavy news of a much greater magnitude. The 59 hours that grappled the whole world towards set their ears and eyes towards Mumbai, India for the latest of the terror attcak in Mumbai hotels. The Taj, The Oberio and the Nariman House. Also to name the many who died or got injured at the CST. It was 26th of November, a 26/11 that remind the horror becoming the biggest terror attack in the heart of India.
187 lost their lives, some fighting against the terrorists snd others taking cover from them. 10 people came and devasted the whole nation, which later on unmasked many politicians and that led to an uprising against them through out the nation, from Kashmir to Kanya Kumari, from Imphal to Ahmedabad.

DECEMCBER 2008:

The present month started with an uprising of the common Indians against the politicians who were truly baseless in commenting what ever they could. The national sentiment was in such a pinnacle that if a war was announced against the neighbouring Pakistan, the ONE BILLION strong Indians will be on their toes to fight them. More over the politicians, theor comments ignited the intellectuals and forced them on road, Voluntarily demonstrating posters of greater importance, that too when the Lok Sabha ( House of Commons) election was round the corner. Here are some of the really humorous posters, witty in true sense.
Deigo Maradonna set his foot on the Indian Soil for the first time igniting the sentiments of soccer and the soccer crazy Indians. Kolkata was the hub stop for the God of Soccer, where he stayed for two days. Here is a small presentation in his name.

So far..so Forth... waiting for the New Year to End on a smooth note. An official article regarding that will be on soon, may be with the beautiful pictures of the Kolkata, my Home Town...
----SOMNATH PAUL.

The Fifth to the Eighth month of 2008.

This article is the continuation of the last article regarding the first four months of 2008. A simple and minor attempt to commemorate the year, through blogs. (Who knows, when the earth gets devastated by a future cataclysmic collision with a comet, these bytes would stay to give the aliens about the insights of 2008, the year that was....)

MAY 2008:

Not an eventful month in any aspect. Only that the rigorous student life was over, and I would soon be a post graduate from University of Calcutta.

JUNE 2008:

"It feels quite like the Hitler's Nazi out there to sink the Spanish Armada. " This was one of the most important tags especially in Europe through out June 2008. The Euro was back, and it was a final between the hugely talented Germany and the Spanish team. But like all the surprises in store, Spain won their one of the most sought after title the comprehensive manner.

June was also the month which saw Halloween take its advanced appearance, with a Friday falling with the date 13th. The speculations of something bad to occur in Friday the Thirteenth played in every TV chat shows and even in the news channels. India TV went a step ahead with some of the most versatile speaking with the air.... no WIND of Mystery... Quoting them, like my very close does: यह क्या हो रहा हैं.... यह शुक्रवार तेरा का असर हैं... क्या होगा आज क दिन.... Blah Blah Blah...

JULY 2008:

Number Seven was not lucky. as India was grappled with the WORDS BACK. This was a secret code and the Bombings of some of the small and big metros through out India brought the height of speculations of an emergency. Infact the era of terror was jut about to hitback and it will cost the national sentiments and economy a lot.

AUGUST 2008:

The NANO Project of Singur was in its final humdrums. With the National Highway being blocked by the local party, it was truly an unruly sight and sounds of Bengal that lead TATA to leave the state and seek for land else where within the national for the success of the project. The land remains a barren untilizable strecth, without use...

And then on 11th August, the whole India was on its toes, when Abhinav Bindra won the first ever GOLD medal for India in Shooting, followed by a brace of sucess in Boxing and Judo taking India to a commendable position the Olympics 2008. This was India's first gold at the Games, which itself was over a century old.

So much for the POST #217. Signing off... Somnath Paul.

Looking Back the First FOUR months of 2008.

A few more days before the year 2008 bids farewell. And @ this juncture, everything plays back with the mixed orchestra, of sweet to dull melodies... Be it the start of the new year, be it the friendships, be it the few odd tours here and there, and then on a much wider aspect, in the social arena, the national arena, things have been a mixed bag. Here are some of the reflections, that I would like to look back and may be provide a few links, in the blogs that I have written or recorded without any profitable motifs...

JANUARY 2008:

In Indian Sports, January was a month of Cricket and her Controversies. The age old word rivalry continued, but this time it got a bit dirty. After the Monkeygate Controversy between Harbhajan Singh (India) and Andrew Symonds (Australia, Host), the Aussie Brand wagon to create history was yet again halted by the Indians, a feat once achieved in 2001, now in 2008. Two articles can be cited regarding these:

*Monkey Gate Controversy: http://somnath-is-here.blogspot.com/2008/01/who-are-baboons-of-cricket.html
*The Perth Test: http://somnath-is-here.blogspot.com/2008/01/stopping-aussie-bandwagon-yet-again.html

On a much peronal note, myslef and my friends had planned an outing to Ghatshila just after out third semester got over. It was some tour that have, as according to Arijit, "ignited our senses". We still talk about the tour.

FEBRUARY 2008:

Again back to sports, and what more can be better than a new Mantra of Entertainment in Cricket? The Indian Premier League or the IPL got inaurganated in the first season inviting players from all over the world and also the youths of india to play for eight cities, of eight states of India. A much bigger version compared to the pioneers ICL, BCCI invested as well as cultivated a huge sum of money as revenue. In its first season, the so called weakest team, The Rajasthan Royals beat kings and emperors to prove that they are truly Royals.

MARCH 2008:

March continued with the sports extravaganza, with the Under 19 Indian Cricket team winning the ICC U-19 World Cup Cricket Tournament in Kuala Lumpur. Apart from this the month went eventless.

APRIL 2008:

The last month for the article, IPL started with the Kolkata Knight Riders trampling the Bangalore Royal Challengers. Expected win but with unexpected performance by Brendon Mc Cullum of NewZealand for the KKR!

And then the Reminescence of Science College days started setting in with few blogs being kept in the account. For the end of post graduation days came slowly but steadily.
POST 1, 2, 3. Read them if you wish...

Till now Post #216 has the reflections of the first four months of 2008. More to follow subsequently.
Signing off for now....














Somnath Paul. Kolkata. 28/12/08.

Time to Say a Bye...

POST #215.

Surely the above heading shall have you all get the sniff of something very unique. Its about converting from an irrational frame of mind to a rational frame, and that too in a day.
11:45AM : We boarded the Ranaghat Local from Sealdah. Joydip, Budhaditya, Kanad, Ankita and myself, represent a section of the lyaad group which has members namely Arpita, Abhisek, Soma, Raktim, Dhiman and the little master, Arijit. Raktim, Arpita and Dhiman couldn' make it, but the rest were all but determined to make it over to Abhisekh's house, may be for the last time in many many days to come... Till now, the thought didnt grip us like what it did and devastated us in the last few minutes.

The train came to a halt at Barrackpore, from there we went to Moorgimahal, Abhisekh's place and gotten ready to get a helping over the beautiful cake to commemorate the day, by Abhisekh. A HAPPY GET TOGETHER cake, that made the event a cake walk for some smiles as well as some tears.

Arijit came in a little late. He too joined in the aprty, and before long we made our way to Gandhi ghat, but in the middle of our way, decided against going there for we had some other things in mind... We would sit together to cheers some of the best memories a person could have given a friend circle! Our Lyaad Group, as we had named it since our University Days, studing Genetics, have overseen the tension of time and its tide, and have shaped up into a strong friend circle where we have a strong ELEVEN members, even outside our class arena...

Before we made ourselves comfortable at Ubique, Barrackpore, we took a small walk across the Banks of Ganges, from Gol Ghat to Ferry Ghat! The crane looked awesome in the golden reflection and so did our group members with the river in the back drop. On the other banks was Sreerampore. Feels quite thrilling to think that one place can be accessed through Howrah while the host bank can accessed from Sealdah, two extremities of Rail Junctions of Kolkata/Howrah!

The group slowly and steadily advanced towards Ubique, the three star Bar cum Resturant of Barrackpore Cantonment. Everybody were upto a few sips. The Fosters, Mc Dowells and Smirnoffs . But as time advanced, and we were about utter the words, farewell.... we felt that things will never be the same again... may be ever!!

Abhisekh will be off to Lucknow in a few days time to pursue his PhD. Ankita will be off to Delhi to stay with her family. I, in near future will, may be not around... and so forth... In Dil Chahta Hain, there was a touchy dialogue which in english, if translatedwould mean that the Ships come to the harbour, only to leave and seperate when they are reloaded or unloaded! Everything depends on time, to steer the ships... may be in time, they will meet either at the same harbour orin a different place all together! Its very easy to say, philosophically feelsenriched text, but as Portia says, Its easy to teach twenty that to one of the twenty to follow your own teachings, a validation made by the untrained and disobedient eyes of Soma and Ankita followed by the hearts of us... Soma made the tears come out, Ankita got induced and we felt the heat inspite of a bone freezing chill outside.

But this photo outside Ubique will remain an asset, for ever...

Best of Luck Guys, hope to see you all soon!!!

May be..... soon... or later...

What's Next?

POST # 214.

After GRE, its now the fag end of December, 2008. Most of my pals have taken their share of NET this Dec, 2008. Now with a score that is le reckoning, and a very reckoning TOEFL in the mixture, it feels to suffocated and at the edge of sheer discomfort, I sit down to think... What's Next?
For the moment, its festive season, and more so its winter here in Kolkata. And it has been a cheerfully chilling season in the last 10 years. The thought to enjoy the life sets in with the extra punch of Cappucino with the occasional concotion of Bloody Mary or Save the Private Ryan, or may be on the rocks, a peg of Peter Scot. The nose grows red, the ears steam and the palate flood with the thought, leave aside writting.
And then.....?
It will be 1st January 2009. To me, it now seems that some plan have gone haywire! The barbs are really prickly to touch. They are cold, and shockingly painful. The inputs of the Christmas nor the New year has had any affect on the coming new year. It will be faced coldly. Private tuitions dont fulfill the demands of the future. The application process too is quite far fetched. A thought that nurses itself within the nursery of no hope? Bull Shit? Its no time to think like that. But what can a sole being think out when he is totally empty and life's smile, too, is down into the unknown blacks!
I cry...... till I smile!

JAI HIND.

Post #213

A Pakistani, a Bangladeshi and a Sardarji are sitting at a Pub in Bavaria drinking beer.


The Pakistani drinks his beer and suddenly throws his glass in the air, pulls out a gun and shoots the glass to pieces. He says 'In Islamabad our glasses are so cheap that we don't need to drink from the same one twice.'



The Bangladeshi [obviously impressed by this] drinks his beer, throws his glass into the air, pulls out his gun and shoots the glass to pieces. He says 'In Dhaka we have so much sand to make glasses that we don't need to drink out of the same glass twice either.'



OUR Sardar, cool as a cucumber, picks up his beer and drinks it, throws his glass into the air, pulls out his gun and shoots the Pakistani and Bangladeshi. He says



'In India we have so many Pakistanis and Bangladeshis that we don't need to drink with the same ones twice'.




!!!!!!!! JAI HIND !!!!!!!!

30th Federation Cup.

POST # 212.

18th Dec 2008, was a day when we saw one of the best soccer matches in recent times between two arch rivals, Mohun Bagan (The Mariners) and East Bengal (The Burning Torch). The oldest Arch Rivals in the history of Asian football, started since 1925.
In the Semi Finals, the latters were over frustated to have a win against the formers, as Mohun Bagan was riding a 8 consecutive winning streak against East Bengal, with 6 wins and two draws. This time, The Federation Cup semis was a place to prove, and every team in whatever mind set regarding the recent past, had the full focus and pressure on. The initial minutes were when Mohun Bagan showed their poweress, prowling over the opposition from both the flanks. Marcos while Lalkamal Bhowmick made the perfect horns with the center forwards J. R. Barreto and B. Bhutia (Indian Football team Captain) made inroads. Isfaq played the sudden torrents, tearing past the East Bengal left flank with shear pace and good passes. But after the initial 15 minutes, East Bengal began to take momentum. The stats, in the first 15 minutes read MB: 3 EB: 0 (shots on goal). In all the three instances, the ball recociated from the post. One of Marcos Free Kick, two from Isfaq. All of a sudden, EB took control of the midfield.
The first half ended 0-0.
Eats Bengal had made way to the semis beating all the teams, and conceding goals. In contrast, as framed by EB, MB made their limpings into the Semis.
With the second half, the Bencharifa Magic started to weave its way through. Mohun Bagan were much more composed. The 8 great shots on target by EB in the first half were no where to be seen. Hadnt it for the MB Goalie, Sangram Mukherjee, MB would have been trailing by 3 goals, leaving aside MB's bad luck. Mohun Bagan made waves of attacks when suddenly in a cross from the midfielder, they scored with a brilliant volley. It occured in the 63rd minute. In the 68th minute, Jose Ramirez Barreto made a diving header from the free kick cross of Marcos to bring the equalizer.
The game went upto half time with lots of midfield tension. Barreto got a Yellow Card, while East Bengal earned four yellows!
The tie breaker, EB missed their all important 3rd kick, taken by their Sunil Chettri. Sangram made a clever dive to stop it as he has done in many shots taken by Chettri. For MB, it was 5, EB made 3. The Final score read MB(1) 6-4 (1)EB. For MB, Barreto, James Singh (jr), Lalan Puia, Marcos, Lalkamal Bhomick passed their goalie, Subrata Pal.
Anyways, it was an action packed 120 minutes + tie breaker.

Now the next target is DEMPO SC, an outfit from Goa. We will win the CUP, after 2006. It is the record 17th time Mohun Bagan has advanced to the Finals of the Federation Cup, winning it for record 12 times, with the 13th time to go this year.

When Everything gets into the Whirlpool...

It swirls around like everything getting gulped into the drain after the lid of the bath tub is left open at leisure. It is this moment when the sense of sensibility, sensuality and senescence makes their crumpled way, cramping out of the now smaller gateways of the IQ. They try to burst out of the CELL.... paining, ever increasing on every home run that the adversity makes. Tough asks and demands.
Pray all turns up well.

The Ignited Indians...

Its been a long time that we have kept mum. Sixty years is quite a long time to reckon, but the leaders have falsely showed their silence amidst the storm. After the Mumbai Fiasco in November, 2008, the Indians all over the Union have aroused with new sentiments and ideas, and some of the innovative posters as a part of a visual movement enamoured the stretched arms of the youth and the old alike to voice their common resentment and aversion for many power crazy politicians. I recieved the pics from a mail, as I am just a pert of this movement, to show a note of support for the movement!

The Rocking Horse Winner.

POST # 209

I have seen the shadow sway to and fro, have seen the arm chair rock like the pendulum of the old grandfather clock. Even when D.H Lawrence created magic with his own Rocking Horse Winner, I can relate that to my own wooden horse that kept swaying long time before my wonder years. The boy's family lacked money to set up a social standard, maintain it infact! And, December end, another person thinks of proper, fruitful investment of what he has gathered in his past five years. Guess who is gonna be a winner, is not the question, but the stories and the brocade of beautiful visions comes to the mind... I dont know whether I can win the match, but yes, I have opted for being a part of this hugely competitive race. Who ever wins, I wish that my life keeps its smiling ways, rock solid!

I keep thy fingers crossed, and lie in wake, in the hands of fate, to curve out a good news into my eventless life!

Blemishes all The way...

POST # 208.

Today the Prince of Football did set his blessed feet on the land of Fertility, in the City of Joy, Kolkata, India. The welcome on his arrival in the early morning was too overwhelming for him to come to terms that India holds so many fan following of his. His interpreter decoded: I don't believe that they have come to see me....! There were about 30000 strong men and women, children and senior citizens, who wanted to catch a glimpse of this great man who had the capability to single handedly manage a game and be called as Mr. Football!
Mr. Diego A. Maradona, the World Player of The Year, The Player of the Century (1900- 2000), hundreds of Player of the Match, and The Century's Best Goal scorer came to Kolkata, where every player dream to come just to feel the vibes that runs in the arteries and the veins. They are all Indians, they are either Mohun Bagans or East Bengals or Mohameddan Sportings... but today they were the follower of God actively.... but as the saying in the colloqial goes which means, that too much curoisity spoils the party, is what happened tonight at Yuva Bharati Krirangan.
In the immense Fan Fare, and with so many people wishing to meet the great player, all forgot that there exists a thin line between Hooliginasimn, Indecency (on one side) and Decency and Courtesy (on the other). Even my mom, who knows nothing more than the name Maradona, commented on the miss management on behalf of the organisers. After the exhibition match between the CM XI and EAM XI, there rush was exceedingly obnoxious! What harm would have occured if all the mementoes were delivered to him in an orderly fashion on a podium with proper announcement!!! No, they felt most comfortable presenting it on the ground, and shaking hands.... some who didnt even played football...just for the sake of a picture!
More courtesy lacks! In the midst of the exhibition match, there were people who felt like introducing themselves, taking autographs, when it appeared that the man was watching with his great mind, "TRYING" to focus on the on field actions!!! It felt really bad... really....!
Mis-management and blemishes at their apogee! Great taste to the palate... well what ever sourness spurred on the occasion, hope it gets sweetened with the famous Misti Doi and Rasgolla, tommorow, and he SIGNs OFF with the FULL Smile...

Whispers of The Heart.

POST # 207.

The December has already expanded it's wings to cover up the whole world, with its chilling spells. And today, Mr. Diego Maradona makes his first step in India, and that too in Calcutta / Kolkata. His two days stay in India, the God of Soccer, would grace his fans from what has been one of the best year end extravaganza that the Kolkata Crowd has ever witnessed. Back in the 60s, The Black Diamond, Pele of Brazil graced the Yuva Bharati Krirangan playing against Mohun Bagan, the Oldest Soccer Club in Asia and today, Maradona, the God of Soccer would let his footfall on this same turf, of YBK... and when he does so, the one lakh strong crowd would surely felicitate the great. Although an year ago, it was Oliver Kahn, the legendary Goalkeeper of Germany, played his last career match against Mohun Bagan, in YBK, as part of Bayern Munich... but this is totally different.

Due to lack of tickets, I will not make it, but would not miss the program on air, directly from YBK! For me Maradona is better than Pele, and I am a die hard fan of Argentina as well as Mohun Bagan.

Many Many years ago...

I last wrote some comments in a Daily Newspaper. Today I am surprised to find that the copy is still available online...
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1020910/asp/calcutta/story_1175141.asp

Scroll down... I have my name: Somnath Paul, Class XII, Calcutta Boys'.

Winter is White Hue with the Cold Blue...

The motto, the theme of many people today In India is to stand together and pray for th peace of the departed soul in the November 2008 attcak. That's why all Indians are almost wearing white, to show unity, and strength, the internal and most important factor binding the thousands of sects in the nation today.
I will also be there in white, so lets make this writting whiter!!!

Select the blank part above by draging your mouse over with left button pressed and you will get the message!!