Showing posts with label Humour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Humour. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

অথ বোম্বাই প্রেম কথা

©সৌভিক বসু 

আমি গত 22 বছর ধরে বিবাহিত, সেই জন্য আগেই বলে দিচ্ছি, এই ঘটনাগুলির সঙ্গে আমি কোনোভাবেই জড়িত নই (কেউ জবরদস্তি জড়াবার চেষ্টা করলে সাইডে আসুন - আলাদা করে কথা বলছি), কিন্তু আমার পরিচিত 6 জন ভুক্তভোগী ... একটু আগে জানলাম আরো দুজনের সাথে গত পাঁচ বছরের মধ্যেই হয়েছে।

যাকগে, ভ্যানতাড়া না করে এগোনো যাক...

গত শতাব্দীর নয়ের দশকের ঘটনা। 

মায়ানগরী মুম্বাই, কেউ কেউ বলে ভারতের অর্থনৈতিক রাজধানী। 

অনেক মানুষের মতন আমিও মুম্বাইতে পাড়ি দিয়েছিলাম চাকরি সূত্রে। প্রথম এক মাস এক আত্মীয়র বাড়ীতে থাকার পর প্রথম মাইনে পেয়ে একটা PG তে চলে যাই।

চাকরি সূত্রে অফিসে, চার্টার্ড বাসে, কমন বন্ধুদের মাধ্যমে আমার প্রচুর মানুষের সঙ্গে আলাপ ও বন্ধুত্ব হয়েছিল, কাল প্রবাহে আজ ২৫ বছর পর তাদের মধ্যে মাত্র ২-৩ জনের সাথে যোগাযোগ রয়ে গেছে।

সন্ধ্যার পরে বা ছুটির দিনে, তাদের সঙ্গে আড্ডার সময় এই ঘটনা গুলি শুনতাম।

একটুও বাড়িয়ে বলছি না, ঠিক এই পরম্পরায় ঘটনা গুলি ঘটেছিলো 1995 থেকে 1999 সালের মধ্যে।

কসমোপলিটান হলেও মুম্বাই শহরের ৭০% মানুষ মহারাষ্ট্রের মূল নিবাসী।

সুতরাং অফিসে, বাসে, ট্রেনে যেদিকে দেখবেন ৭০% মানুষ মারাঠি।

এরা মানুষ হিসাবে বেশ ভালো, বিপদে পড়লে সাহায্য-টাহায্য করে দেবেন। দোষ একটাই, এদের খাবার আমাদের বাঙালিদের মুখে রোচে না।

যাই হোক ... ধরুন আপনি অন্য রাজ্য থেকে এসেছেন, শহরে আপনি বিশেষ কাউকে চেনেন না। আপনি একজন অবিবাহিত পুরুষ, চাকরি করছেন, কোনো রোমান্টিক সম্পর্কের মধ্যে জড়িত নেই.... বিধাতার নিয়ম অনুযায়ী আপনি অফিসের কলিগ বা বাসে/ট্রেনে কোনো সহ-যাত্রিনী বা আপনার বসবাসের এলাকার কোনো সুন্দরীর প্রতি আকৃষ্ট হলেন ... একদিন চোখে চোখ পড়ল, আপনার মুখে একটা ক্যাবলা মার্কা হাসি চলে এলো... ভাগ্য ভালো থাকলে ওদিক থেকেও একটা হালকা হাসি, একটা লাজুক চাহনি পেয়ে গেলেন।

এক অফিস বা এক ডিপার্টমেন্টে থাকলে আলাপ তাড়াতাড়ি হয়ে যাবে, সহ-যাত্রিনী বা এলাকার কেউ হলে আলাপ হতে একটু সময় লাগবে।

আপনি মানুষ ভালো হলে, আলাপ হতে বাধ্য... আলাপ হলো, গল্প হলো, এবার আপনারা একসঙ্গে অফিসের পর দেখা করলেন। প্রথম ডেট যদি সাফল্য পায়, তারপর আপনারা আবার ডেট করলেন...

এবার ভালো করে পড়ুন :

আপনার পছন্দের নারী যদি মারাঠি হন.... 

মারাঠি মেয়েরা তৃতীয় ডেট করার ৩ দিনের মাথায় আপনাকে বাড়ীতে নিয়ে যেতে চাইবে মার সাথে দেখা করাবার জন্য (ghari sala na... Nantar aai ragvel) অর্থাৎ "বাড়ি চল , নাহলে মা রাগ করবে)।

আপনি ভালো ছেলে, আপনি একদিন অফিস থেকে হাফ ছুটি নিয়ে যাবেন তাঁর বাড়ীতে ...

মা যদি আপনাকে পছন্দ করে নেয়, তারপর তাঁর ভাই আপনাকে নিয়ে যাবে নিজের বন্ধুদের সাথে আলাপ করাতে... Hey porga majha Bahin chi Chhava aahe (এই ছেলেটা আমার বোনের বয়ফ্রেণ্ড)।

ক্যারম বা ক্রিকেট খেলতে হবে বিকেলবেলায়।


সন্ধ্যে বেলায় বাবা বাড়ি ফিরলে আরো এক রাউন্ড ইন্টারভিউ... পাস করলেই aaj raati jhevan nantar ghari zaanar (আজ রাত্রে খেয়ে বাড়ি যেও)। আমরস দিয়ে বাজরার রুটি খেয়ে শেষ ট্রেনে বাড়ি ফিরবেন।


পরের দিন থেকে অফিসিয়ালি ঘোরার পারমিশন পাবেন ... তবে সন্ধ্যে আটটার সময় mala ghari zanaar, nantar aai ragvel (আবার!!!) শুনতে হবে।


পরের রবিবার দুপুরে খেতে ডাকবে , তখন Kaka (কাকা/মামা), Kaku(মাসি) এরাও থাকবে ...

কুচি কুচি সাইজের মুরগির ট্যালট্যালে ঝোল দিয়ে ফ্যানমরা ভাত খেতে খেতে (যদি না শ্রাবণ মাস বা অমাবস্যা বা পূর্ণিমা বা সংক্রান্তি হয়, তখন ভিন্ডি মসলা বা বেগুন ভর্তা দিয়ে আটার লুচি খেতে খেতে) শুনতে পাবেন ...

Didi, ha Porga changla ahe (দিদি, এই ছেলেটা ভালো) অথবা "Kay bhau, ha kasa porga ahes ?" (আরে দাদা, এ কেমন ছেলে এনেছো ?)।

নেগেটিভ ফিডব্যাক এলে, পরের দিন থেকে you will be ghosted !!! বাসে/ট্রেনে/অফিসে আপনাকে পাত্তা দেওয়া হবে না….


Move on bro !!!


তবে পজিটিভ ফিডব্যাক এলে, আরো এক সপ্তাহ ঘুরতে পারবেন, কিন্তু রাত 9টার কারফিউ থাকবে।


পরের শুক্রবার (যদি না শ্রাবণ মাস বা অমাবস্যা বা পূর্ণিমা বা সংক্রান্তি হয়) মেয়ের বাবা আপনাকে বাড়ীতে মদ্যপান করতে ডাকবেন , পমফ্রেট মাছ ভাজা আর পাঁপড় দিয়ে 3 পেগ ব্যাগ-পাইপার বা রয়েল চ্যালেঞ্জের পর - tumcha aai vadil kadi aanar ? Lagnachi tarikh charcha karnar ( এটাও অনুবাদ করতে হবে ?)... তবে শুনুন - তোমার মা বাবা কবে আসবেন ? বিয়ের দিন ঠিক করতে হবে তো....

নয়ের দশকের ৩ জন এবং এখনকার দুজনের বিয়ে সেই মেয়ের সাথেই ৪/৫ মাসের মধ্যে হয়ে গেছিল।

বাকি ৩ জন বাস/ট্রেন/অফিস পাল্টে নিয়েছিল ...

মাইরি বলছি , এক্কেবারে সত্যি কথা।

😂😂😂😂

মিড-লাইফ ক্রাইসিস

 

©সৌভিক বসু 

আমার বয়সটা ভালো নয়। বিশিষ্ট লেখক কৌশিক মজুমদার বাবু বলেছেন যে এই বয়সটা নাকি মধ্য বয়সের টিনএজ !!! মানে আমি যুবকও নই, আবার বৃদ্ধও নই... মানে Dhobi ka kutta, na Ghar ka na ghaat ka ... ছেলে ছোকরাদের সাথে মিশতে গেলে, কাকু বলে কাটিয়ে দেয়। বুড়োদের সাথে মিশতে গেলে, তারা বিশেষ পাত্তা ফাত্তা দেয় না... সমবয়স্ক-রা আলোচনা করে বসের খিস্তি, ছেলের পরীক্ষা, মেয়ের টিউশন, বউয়ের পেট খারাপ, শেয়ার মার্কেট, জয়শ্রীর আম আর ... মানে, ওই আর কি ...

বয়ঃসন্ধিকালের কথা মনে পড়ে যায়, জানেন ???

বাচ্চাদের সাথে খেলা যেত না, দাদারা পাত্তা দিতো না, সমবয়স্ক-রা আলোচনা করতো অঙ্ক স্যারের খিস্তি, ক্লাসের পরীক্ষা, ফিজিক্স স্যারের টিউশন, বাবার ধোলাই, সচিনের সেঞ্চুরি আর পাশের পাড়ার জয়শ্রীর সঙ্গে লুকিয়ে লুকিয়ে... টুকি টুকি খেলা ..

আপনারা কি ভাবলেন ?? 

সে যাই হোক , মানে এখন বয়সটা খুব সুবিধার নয়, মধ্যে বয়সে পা দিয়েছি, যাকে বলে মিড লাইফ ...

এখন মিড লাইফ এসেছে, ক্রাইসিস আসবে না, সেটা কি হয় ??

আমারও এলো ... 

গতকাল সকালে উঠে মন মেজাজ খারাপ হয়ে গেল... বাইরে চড়চড় করছে রোদ, আমি বুঝতে পারছি আমার প্রেশার-টাও বাড়ছে ... শরীরের কথা ভেবে জলখাবারে শুধুমাত্র ফল খেলাম ... মনটা হু-হু করে উঠলো.... মোবাইলটা হাতে নিলাম খুটুর খুটুর করবো বলে, ভালো লাগলো না ...

ট্যাবলেট নিলাম কমিকস পড়বো বলে, দু পাতা পড়ে রেখে দিলাম...

বই নিলাম, ভালো লাগলো না...

সব বন্ধ করে দিয়ে ভুরু কুঁচকে ভাবতে আরম্ভ করলাম ....

কি করেছি জীবনে ? কি করছি জীবনে ? কি করবো জীবনে ??

কেন করেছি ? কেন করছি ? কেন করবো ?

তারপর ভাবলাম - কেন ভাবছি এই সব ? এটাকেই কি মিড-লাইফ ক্রাইসিস বলে ?

বউকে জিজ্ঞাসা করলাম... সে বলে - আদিখ্যেতা হচ্ছে ?? যদি মিড লাইফ ক্রাইসিস হয়, যাও তাহলে গিয়ে একটা পরকীয়া করে এসো অন্য লোকের মতন ...

আবার ভাবতে বসলাম , সত্যিই কি একটা পরকীয়া করলে মন ঠিক হবে ?? ভেবে দেখলাম, প্রচুর চাপ ... ভুঁড়ি কমাতে হবে, ফেসিয়াল করতে হবে, নতুন জামা কিনতে হবে, guilty conscience ঢাকার জন্যে বউকে মাঝে মাঝে দামী গিফট দিতে হবে, গার্ল ফ্রেন্ড কে ঘোরানোর জন্যে বাইক বা গাড়ি কিনতে হবে, তার আগে অবশ্য বাইক চালানো আর গাড়ি চালানো শিখতে হবে ... প্রচুর চাপ, প্রচুর খরচ !!! আর জানাজানি হলে শ্বশুরের কাছে মারধোর খাওয়ার কথা ভুললে চলবে না !! উনি এই বয়সেও 20 কেজি চালের বস্তা উঠিয়ে নেন, আমাকে রামপাট ক্যালাতে বেশি কষ্ট হবে না...

তারপর ভেবে দেখলাম, ও সব তো পরের কথা, আগে আমাকে সোফা থেকে উঠে বাইরে যেতে হবে...

অত চাপ নিয়ে আর যাই হোক না কেন, পরকীয়া করতে পারবো না...

কিন্তু তাহলে মিড লাইফ ক্রাইসিস কি করে দুর করবো ?? 

এই ভাবতে ভাবতে দুটো বেজে গেলো, কমোড সাফ করতে হবে ভুলেই গেছিলাম, বউয়ের ধাতানি খেয়ে, কমোড সাফ করে স্নান করে নিলাম ...

ভাবা তবুও থামছে না... এদিকে মনটা সেই খারাপ হয়েই আছে, খিদেও পাচ্ছে ...

মিড লাইফ ক্রাইসিস কি ভাবে হ্যান্ডেল করবো ?? এই ভাবতে ভাবতে খাওয়ার টেবিলে বসে গেলাম ....

এক প্লেট মাটন বিরিয়ানি আর চিকেন চাপ খেয়ে উঠে ভাবতে বসলাম .... দুপুরে এবার কি ঘুমোবো না কি সিনেমা দেখবো ??

ক্রাইসিস ?? কিসের ক্রাইসিস ?? পেটে ভালো ভালো জিনিস পড়লে তখন আর কোনো ক্রাইসিস থাকে না ... সবই মধু ... মিড লাইফ ক্রাইসিস কাটাবার ওষুধ পেয়ে গেছি !!!

Friday, March 02, 2007

The ABC Of Bengalis

A is for Awpheesh (as in Office).
This is where the average Kolkakatan goes and spends a day hard at work. And if he works for the 'Vest Bengal Gawrment' he will arrive at 10, wipe his forehead till 11, have a tea break at 12, throw around a few files at 12.30, break for lunch at 1, smoke an unfiltered cigarette at 2, break for tea at 3, sleep sitting down at 4 and go home at 4:30. It's a hard life!

B is for Bhision(vision).
For some reason many Bengalis don't have good bhision.
In fact in Kolkata most people are wearing spectacles all the time.

C is for Chappell.
Currently, this is the Bengali word for the Devil, for the worst form of evil. In the night mothers put their kids to sleep saying, 'Na ghumaley Chappell eshey dhorey niye jabe.' (If you don't sleep, Chappell would take you away)
(Chappell: Greg Chappell, former Australian Cricket Captain. A great cricketer, but currently the coach of Indian Cricket team. Instrumental in throwing out Sorav Ganguly - the greatest captain Indian cricket team ever had)

D is for Debashish or any other name starting with Deb.
By an ancient law every fourth Bengali Child has to be named Debashish. So you have a Debashish everywhere and trying to get creative they are also called Deb, Debu, Deba with variations like Debopriyo, Deboprotim, Debojyoti, etc.thrown in at times.

E is for Eeesh.
This is a very common Bengali exclamation made famous by Aishwarya Rai in the movie Devdas. It is estimated that on an average a Bengali, especially Bengali women, use eeesh 10,089 times every year.
'Ei Morechhey' is a close second to Eeesh.

F is for Feeesh.
These are creatures that swim in rivers and seas and are a favourite food of the Bengalis. Despite the fact that a fish market has such strong smells, with one sniff a Bengali knows if a fish is all right.
If not, he will say 'eeesh what feeesh is theesh!'

G is for Good name.
Every Bengali boy will have a good name like Debashish or Deboprotim and a pet name like Motka, Bhombol, Thobla, etc.
While every Bengali girls will have pet names like Tia, Tuktuki, Mishti, Khuku, etc.

H is for Harmonium.
This the Bengali equivalent of a rock guitar. Take four Bengalis and a Harmonium and you have the successors to The Bheatles!

I is for lleesh.
This is a feeesh with 10,000 bones which would kill any ordinary person, but which the Bengalis eat with releeesh!

J is for Jhola.
No selfrespecting Bengali is complete without his Jhola.
It is a shapeless cloth bag where he keeps all his belongings and he fits an amazing number of things in. Even as you read this there are two million jholas bobbling around Kolkata, and they all look exactly the same! Note that 'Jhol' as in Maachher Jhol is a close second.

K is for Kee Kaando !.
It used to be the favourite Bengali exclamation till eeesh took over because of Aishwarya Rai (now Kee Kando's agent is trying to hire Bipasha Basu).

L is for Lungi, the dress for all occasions.
People in Kolkata manage to play football and cricket wearing it not to mention the daily trip in the morning to the local bajaar. Now there is talk of a lungi expedition to Mt Everest.

M is for Minibus.
These are dangerous half buses whose antics would effortlessly frighten the living daylights out of all James Bond stuntmen as well as Formula 1 race car drivers.

N is for Nyangto.
This is the Bengali word for Naked. It is the most interesting naked word in any language!

O is for Oil.
The Bengalis believe that a touch of mustard oil will cure anything from cold (oil in the nose), to earache (oil in the ear), to cough (oil on the throat) to piles (oil you know where!).

P is for Phootball(soccer).
This is always a phavourite phassion of the Kolkattan.Every Bengali is born an expert in this game. The two biggest clubs there are Mohunbagan and East Bengal and when they play the city comes to a stop.

Q is for Queen.
This really has nothing to do with the Bengalis or Kolkata, but it's the only Q word I could think of at this moment. There's also Quilt but they never use them in Kolkata.

R is for Robi Thakur.
Many many years ago Rabindranath got the Nobel Prize. This has given the right to all Bengalis no matter where they are to frame their acceptance speeches as if they were directly related to the great poet and walk with their head held high. This also gives Bengalis the birthright to look down at Delhi and Mumbai and of course 'all non-Bengawlees'! Note that 'Rawshogolla' comes a close second !

S is for Shourav.
Now that they finally produced a genuine cricketer and a captain, Bengalis think that he should be allowed to play until he is 70 years old. Of course they will see to it that he stays in good form by doing a little bit of 'jawggo' (religious rituals) and 'maanot' (penance).

T is for Trams.
Hundred years later there are still trams in Kolkata. Of course if you are in a hurry it's faster to walk.

U is for Aambrela.
When a Bengali baby is born he is handed one.

V is for Bhaayolence.
Bengalis are the most non-violent violent people around. When an accident happens they will fold up their sleeves, shout and scream and curse and abuse, "Chherey De Bolchhi" (let me loose) but the last time someone actually hit someone was in 1979.

W is for Water.
For three months of the year the city is underwater and every year for the last 200 years the authorities are taken by surprise by this!

X is for X'mas.
It's very big in Kolkata, with Park Street fully lit up and all Bengalis agreeing that they must eat cake that day.

Y is for Yesshtaarday.
Which is always better than today for a Bengali (see R for Robi Thakur).

Z is for Jebra, Joo, Jipper and Jylophone.

Thursday, February 22, 2007

The Travails of Single South Indian men of conservative upbringing / Why we don't get any

(Disclaimer: This was posted on one of the IIM student boards. Its hilarious!!)

Yet another action packed weekend in Mumbai, full of fun, frolic and introspection. I have learnt many things. For example having money when none of your friends have any is as good as not having any. And after spending much time in movie theatres, cafes and restaurants I have gathered many insights into the endless monotony that is the love life of south Indian men.

What I have unearthed is most disheartening. Disheartening because comprehension of these truths will not change our status anytime soon. However there is also cause for joy. We never stood a chance anyway. What loads the dice against virile, gallant, well educated, good looking, sincere mallus and tams? (Kandus were once among us, but Bangalore has changed all that.)

Our futures are shot to hell as soon as our parents bestow upon us names that are anything but alluring. I cannot imagine a more foolproof way of making sure the child remains single till classified advertisements or that maternal uncle in San Francisco thinks otherwise. Name him "Parthasarathy Venkatachalapthy" and his inherent capability to combat celibacy is obliterated before he could even talk. He will grow to be known as Partha. Before he knows, his smart, seductively named northy classmates start calling him Paratha. No woman in their right minds will go anyway near poor Parthasarathy.

His investment banking job doesn't help either. His employer loves him though. He has no personal life you see. By this time the Sanjay Singhs and Bobby Khans from his class have small businesses of their own and spend 60% of their lives in discos and pubs. The remaining 40% is spent coochicooing with leather and denim clad muses in their penthouse flats on Nepean Sea Road. Business is safely in the hands of the Mallu manager. After all with a name like Blossom Babykutty he cant use his 30000 salary anywhere. Blossom gave up on society when in school they automatically enrolled him for Cookery Classes.

Along with all the girls. Yes my dear reader, nomenclature is the first nail in a coffin of neglect and hormonal pandemonium. In a kinder world they would just name the poor southern male child and throw him off the balcony. "Yes appa we have named him Goundamani..." THUD. Life would have been less kinder to him anyway.

If all the women the Upadhyays, Kumars, Pintos and, god forbid, the Sens and Roys in the world have met were distributed amongst the Arunkumars, Vadukuts and Chandramogans we would all be merry casanovas with 3 to 4 pretty things at each arm. But alas it is not to be. Of course the south Indian women have no such issues. They have names which are like sweet poetry to the ravenous northie hormone tanks.
Picture this:

"Welcome, and this is my family.This is my daughter Poorni (what a sweet name!!) and my son Ponnalagusamy (er..hello..).." Cyanide would not be fast enough for poor Samy. Nothing Samy does will help him. He can pump iron, drive fast cars and wear snazzy clothes, but against a braindead dude called Arjun Singhania he has as much chance of getting any as a Benedictine Monk in a Saharan Seminary.

Couple this with the other failures that have plagued our existence. Any attempt at spiking hair with gel fails miserably. In an hour I have a crown of greasy, smelly fibrous mush. My night ends there.

However the northy just has to scream "Wakaw!!!" and you have to peel the women off him to let him breathe. In a disco while we can manage the medium hip shake with neck curls, once the Bhangra starts pumping we are as fluid as cement and gravel in a mixer. Karan Kapoor or Jatin Thapar in the low cut jeans with chaddi strap showing and see through shirt throws his elbows perfectly, the cynosure of all attention.The women love a man who digs pasta and fondue. But why do they not see the simple pleasures of curd rice and coconut chutney?

When poor Senthilnathan opens his tiffin box in the office lunch room his female coworkers just dissappear when they see the tamarind rice and poppadums. The have all rematerialised around Bobby Singh who has ordered in Pizza and Garlic bread. (And they have the gall to talk of foreign origin.)

How can a man like me brought up in roomy lungis and oversized polyester shirts ever walk the walk in painted on jeans (that makes a big impression) and neon yellow rib hugging t shirts? All I can do is don my worn "comfort fit" jeans and floral shirt. Which is pretty low on the "Look at me lady" scale, just above fig leaf skirt and feather headgear a la caveman, and a mite below Khakhi Shirt over a red tshirt and baggy khakhi pants and white trainers a la Rajni in "Badsha".

Sociologically too the tam or mallu man is severely sidelined. An average tam stud stays in a house with, on average, three grandparents, three sets of uncles and aunts, and over 10 children.
Not the ideal atmosphere for some intimacy and some full throated "WHOSE YOUR DADDY!!!" at the 3 in the morning. The mallu guy of course is almost always in the gulf working alone on some onshore oil rig in the desert. Rheumatic elbows me thinks.

Alas dear friends we are not just meant to set the nights on fire. We are just not built to be "The Ladies Man". The black man has hip hop, the white man has rock, the southie guy only has idlis and tomato rasam or an NRI account in South Indian Bank Ernakulam Branch. Alas as our destiny was determined in one fell swoop by our nomenclature, so will our future be. A nice arranged little love story. But the agony of course does not end there. On the first night, as the stud sits on his bed finally within touching distance and whispers his sweet desires into her delectable ear, she blushes, turns around and whispers back "But amma has said only on second saturdays..."

Being British

(Disclaimer : Not an original post)

Being British is about driving in a German car , made with Indian Steel from scrap iron exported from Sharpness, insured by a French Insurance company, filled with Saudi Arabian fuel brought to the UK in a Panamanian Ship to Southampton, going to an Irish pub for an Australian lager, then travelling home having your windscreen cleaned at the traffic lights by Serbian illegal immigrants , then grabbing a Pakistani curry or a Turkish kebab on the way to sit on Swedish pine furniture and watch American films on a Japanese TV while drinking a glass of water from a French owned Water company.
 
Then the following morning having a wonderful breakfast of an Egg from God knows where, fried in Spanish Sunflower oil, Danish Bacon, Spanish tomatoes, Kenyan Baked Beans, all washed down with a lovely cup of Sri Lankan Tea, French Milk, and West Indian Sugar, before going to the Ugandan/Indian Newsagent to get your newspaper made from a depleted Brazilian rain-forest.



As an aside, this e-mail was sent from a computer with a Korean hard-drive, Chinese CD-ROM , Taiwanese RAM, Singaporian Modem.  The Elecricity was supplied with the curtesy of the Siberian Gas fields and Russian Coal, to power the French Owned Power Stations, built with Le Farge cement in Holland.
 
And the most British thing of all? Suspicion of anything foreign.
 
By the way, Do not display the Union Jack as it may upset the residents !!!!!!!! 

Oh and......
Only in Britain, can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance.

Only in Britain. do supermarkets make sick people walk all the way to the back of the shop to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front.

Only in Britain. do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries and a DIET coke.

Only in Britain. do banks leave both doors open and chain the pens to the counters.

Only in Britain. do we leave cars worth thousands of pounds on the drive and lock our junk and cheap lawn mower in the garage.

Only in Britain. do we use answering machines to screen calls and then have call waiting so we won't miss a call from someone we didn't want to talk to in the first place.

Only in Britain. are there disabled parking places in front of a skating rink.

Friday, November 17, 2006

MunnaBhai version of Ghalib


(Disclaimer : Not an original post)

Original
=========
koii ummiid bar nahii.n aatii
koii suurat nazar nahii.n aatii

Munna Bhai
====
koi hope-ich nahin dikhrela hai
koi thopda dikta-ich nahin.

Original
=========
maut kaa ek din mu'ayyaa.N hai
nii.nd kyo.n raat bhar nahii.n aatii?
[mu'ayyaa.N=definite]

Munna Bhai
====
Ek din to ludakna hi hai,
raat ko sone ku kyon nahin sakta?

Original
===========
jaanataa huu.N savaab-e-taa'at-o-zahad
par tabiiyat idhar nahii.n aatii
[savaab=reward of good deeds in next life, taa'at=devotion; zahad=abstinence, restraint]

Munna Bhai
====
Maalum hain agle janam mein bahut rokda milega lekin saala bukaar hi bukaar hain.

Original
=============
hai kuchh aisii hii baat jo chup huu.N
varna kyaa baat kar nahii.n aatii
[varna=otherwise]

Munna Bhai
====
Kaiku mach-mach nahin kar rela hain?
roj to itna bakbak karti hain.

Original
=========
daaG-e-dil gar nazar nahii.n aata
buu bhii ai chaaraagar nahii.n aatii
[daag-e-dil=wounds on the heart; gar=if (short for agar); buu=smell; chaaraagar=healer/doctor ]

Munna Bhai
====
Iske chaati pe churi kidhar maara, bey?
Doctor kidhar ku gaya?

Original
==========
marate hai.n aarazuu me.n marane kii
maut aatii hai par nahii.n aatii

Munna Bhai
=====
Bot magajmaari karke marneku try kiya
lekin maut bhi apun ke saat timepass kar-rela hai

Original
=========
kaabaa kis muu.Nh se jaaoge 'Ghalib'
sharm tumako magar nahii.naatii

Munna Bhai
====
Kaaba tu nako ja, boltahai mein
bindaas reh! tension nahin lene ka kya.

Why Men are Happier !!!!


(Disclaimer : not an original - just a joke)
What do you expect from such simple creatures?
Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves. Chocolate is just another snack.
You can be President. You can never be pregnant. You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park. Car Mechanics tell you the truth.
The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt. Same work, more pay. Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100.

People never stare at your chest when you are talking to them. The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about tanks. A 5 day vacation requires only one suitcase . You can open all of your own jars. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.

Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Three pairs of shoes are more than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public. You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes. Everything on your face stays its original color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe even decades. You only have to shave your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life. Your belly usually hides your big hips. One wallet and one pair of shoes one color for all seasons. You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look. You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.
No wonder men are happier.

Thursday, June 29, 2006

World Cup and Bongs


The World Cup 2006 is on, and how! Jome Kulpi !

Yesterday history of sorts was made when Vikash Dhorasoo of France became the first player of Indian origin to play in the finals. And he almost got France the winner.
Well, Dhorasoo may be the only Indian in fray, but there are a lot of Bongs in action. Firstly, there is another French player, Louis Saha, related to Meghnad.
The absence of Denmark means that the hordes of Badyis are missing out this time. However, a few players from the famous Sen family are playing, like Jan Sen of Germany and Ol Sen of USA.
England's goalkeeper, however, spells his name SON instead of Sen, but he was Robin Sen to begin with.
Lot of Bongs are playing under nick-names, especially for African teams. Togo's goalkeeper is Kossi Agassa, which in Chittagongese means fledgling weed. Another African nation, Ghana, has our own Sri Shiladitya, who has Africanised his name to Illiasu Shilla. Ghana also has Gyan. Then there is Kali playing for Angola. I remember 35 years ago a midfielder called Kali Babu Sharma playing for the big clubs in Calcutta - Angola's Kali must be a relative. Then Ivory Coast has Boka, whose full name need not be mentioned, but the second part starts with 'C' and ends with 'a'. Kalou of Ivory Coast hails from Phuliya. Ivory Coast also has Bakary Kone, who once lived in the corner of Lord's bakary.
European teams have their Bongs, too. That small boy is playing for Germany, in fact he is the captain. Balak is his name, now Germanised to Ballack. Then there is that super strong player for Croatia, Balaban.
Then there is Manish Ray of Portugal, now called Maniche Rai. Spain has a Bong who is very lazy and never hits the ball - Marchena.
Some Bong players are using their family names. Dear Kaka scored a great goal for Brazil yesterday.
Brazil's goalie is Dida, obviously breaking the gender bias (and the age barrier). Brazil of course broke this gender bias long ago, when they fielded Didi in the 50s and early 60s. That player has now retired from football and returned to Bengal as a political leader.
Aruna Kone and Aruna Dindane are two Ivorians who have also triumphed over gender bias.
Then Togo has a strange player who is also using a family name, or two, to be exact. These are Mashi and Mesho, and the player is very, very fit or 'changa'.
The name has been Africanised to Massamesso Tchangai - an 'Ordho-Narishwar' sort of player.
Tunisia has another player who is obviously Bong and obviously suffering from that dreaded Bong disease of 'amasha'. He now calls himself Karim Haggui.

All about Bongs


(Disclaimer : Not an original post)
Overview
There are two kinds of Bengalis that we know. Probashi or Expatriate Bangalees, a fairly large and diverse group and Bengalees who are from Kolkata. This group is incorrectly known as Bongs, as they are merely a subset. However, this is the only group which matters.
Gokhale said of them, long years ago, "What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow." To which Rene Descartes responded, "I think (today), therefore I am (Bengali)." Like all other Nobel Prize Winners, Oscar Awardees and most successful Indian cricket captains, Rene Descartes was also a Bong (this fact is not known outside of Kolkata).

Physical Description
The Bong has a large head, glasses, glistening hair and dark skin.
Older Bongs develop an ample stomach to balance their large heads.
This happens by the age of 25. They smell of Keo Karpin. The average life expectancy is 65 years. What is even more impressive is what they do in those years.
Outside Kolkata, regardless of weather, sex or age, Bongs can be seen in Monkey Caps. This is a must-have accessory as well as a sign to recognize other Bongs.
Early Years
While most Bongs are born with innate talents in singing, dancing, painting, film-making, cooking or embroidery, their creative talents are honed even before they can start speaking. Frequent meets are organized between infants and their successful ancestors and other relatives. MA degrees (preferably from Cambridge, at least from Presidency or Jadobpoor) are displayed over the cots. The infant is exposed to the best of Bengali thought - Marx, Bentham, Kalidas, Tolstoy, Chekov*. This increases the sizes of their heads and the height of their ambitions. Similar examples, though rare, can be found in European tradition as well, like in the case of Mozart. In India, however, Bongs have the sole preserve on such activity during infancy.
Soon, when they grow up a little, their characters are honed in the best of schools. Here, I am not referring to the St. Xavier's, La Marts, Don Boscos and else all. They are important in the nurture a Bong child goes through. What is even more important are the schools the Bong child passes through before school and after school. Many a Bong child wakes up at five o'clock in the morning to attend swimming classes. After one hour of swimming, he attends tennis coaching before rushing off to one of the first heaven schools mentioned above. School finishes by three or so, from where he scoots along to Singing/ Instrumental Music/ Dance Classes, then tuition (for at least three of all five subjects). He rounds off the day with coaching on either Debating or Quiz.
Many a Bong mother will carry the child along through this day, feeling equally energized. This behavior is again not restricted to Bongs. It also seen within kangaroos in Australia who rush along from one clump to another bush.
Growing up
Soon the Bong attains adolescence, doesn't find friends of his age (since everyone is competing for the Nobel Prize or the Indian
captaincy) and finds intimacy in conversation in his/her parents and poems of T.S. Eliot and Pablo Neruda.
When school ends, they move on to the good colleges - St. Xavier's, Presidency or IIT Kharagpur. The best of them, though, move straight to Joo (Jadobpoor). However, in recent years, Dilli (Stephen's obviously) is becoming the preferred destination for some escapists.
In colleges, they decorate their rooms with books or portraits of Robi Guru (Tagore). On the opposite wall, men would have posters of Che/Maradona and women would have Enrique Iglesias, thus expressing solidarity with Latin American culture. All of them share equal interest in the Bong-Rock (Bhumi, Chondrobindu, Cactus, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple).
Later Years
Bongs mature early. Critics have said that they grow old early, but that is nothing but old hat. Years of toil and Eliot would obviously bestow wisdom. The reason they look older is because the sole purpose of a Bong's life is to win the Nobel Prize or the Oscars (and in recent years, captain the Indian team). With great responsibility comes great age. Add to it the chlorine in the swimming pools and you know why Bongs grey prematurely.
As far as their mission in life is concerned, they have been very successful at it. Every Indian Nobel Prize winner has been Bong. So have the Oscar Awardees. And most succesful Cricket Captain. And Bipasha Basu.
Once Bongs have kids though, their mission on life changes. The only raision de'etre for them is making sure that their progeny achieves the heights that they could (or couldn't). Hence, they are mostly found outside of schools, colleges and tuition classes.
Diet
Diet is as important as Robindro Shongeet. There's nothing that a Bong can't eat. However, they prefer protein over other food groups.
The largest source of protein for them is fish, then meat, and then mishti (sweets) made from milk. More than fish itself, it is the knowledge of fish which is coveted and enjoyed.
Carbohydrates are tolerated if they are fried in oil or if it is accompaniment to fish. Luchis (somewhat like a Puri), Telebhajas (pakoras) and Phuchkas (Paani Puri) are the favoured source of carbohydrates. The young Bengali though invariably always has Farex, Lactogen and Waterbury's Compound.
Mating and Procreation
A few Bong end up being in relationships, which lead to love marriage. This is sometimes shown in movies and song. However, most do not have any such social malignancy and end up marrying the woman of their mother's dreams or men of their father's choosing. This results in mixing the right genes for the next cycle of Bongs. Love marriage, by its very nature, is random. It sometimes results is tragedy, like marrying into another country (like India).Hence, it is avoided, wherever possible.
Social Life
Adda, robindro shongeet and cha. Repeat. Do note that the young Bong doesn't have a social life (at least not till he wins the Nobel or gets a Government job).
Habitat
While you may find a Bong in other places (like occasionally in offices), the best time to observe a Bong is in his natural habitat - the best of colleges, the best of schools, the best of coffee houses.
It is here that he will tell you about Balzac while she will recite poetry with gay abandon.
To mix in with the Bong, apply Keo Karpin to your hair and carry a jhola. Hopefully, they won't notice your small head. Do not worry about not knowing the language as the Bong likes being heard.
Famous Bongs
Many famous Bongs have been referred to in this extract. Hence, this section is used to debunk that big myth about Bongs. People believe that Bong men can't be hunky.
If so, then what about Abhishek Bachchan (via mother,) Saif Ali Khan (via mother), John Abraham (via girlfriend), Hritik Roshan (via grandmother) ???