Mini's Scripts

The typical question that comes across every human being during their life time is – Who am I? It also does sound more like the dreadful question as always asked to start a conversation – tell me something about you? Coming to I – Even before I could understand that – God first, World next and I last – I had glued this into my neurons - I first, World next, God last. My identity as gratefully handed over by this social world is firstborn of my wonderful parents, eldest of siblings, related to many a relatives, student, best friend of a few, friends of some, acquaintances, employee, national, transferred national – Errrrrrrrrr! Wait! I am an Indian! I can’t be a British yet in my mannerisms, although by now I have blended into the non-fashionable, nearly obese, always working, Sunday grocery shopping, and weather conversing general populace. As an Indian to the core – I am more of a foreign calling/skyping weekender, pound – rupee-rate-converting deal hunter. Just today as I was havi...

For every profession there is a course here. And mind you, you are not qualified to even start your own business until you have the license to run your SBU (small business unit, read home business) , or that you must have done a short/long course and have a certificate to prove it. In the early days, I did not pay much attention to it, but now that I'm R&Ding it, I'm simply not happy. Too many restrictions or a very well-organised system - don't know which side to choose! Starting with the education system, while the schooling is free, all that you might have saved, flows out as university fees. Another alternate to this situation is that most students begin working and then either go to college later or do a certificate course. As I'm told, having a university degree is great but even a certificate will do. As an international student the education fees are usually higher or sometime more than double the fees paid by UK nationals. Even in India, we do not charge...

My earliest memories of making faces at the swear words (like sala ) goes back to my nursery days. I was programmed by the elders in the home to give a sullen look whenever someone used ' sala ' while talking. My oh my! I was too good at spotting this 4 lettered word. With each passing years my vocabulary multiplied with razor-sharp and accurate insults in Nepali, Malayalam, Hindi and of course the other tongue (read English). The small section of population that consists of people like me who have lived in hostel all their life can vouch that the first thing they learnt in any new language was how to swear at others in their language! In Rome- do as Romans do! Haah !

Being idle at home, that too all day long, I can't seem to find anything else to read apart from the evergoing US' War against Terrorism and the 'Recession'. The same RECESSION has diverted ‘human participation and curiosity index’ from global warming and bin Laden to ones savings account. It has just taught us how wrong is splurging on unnecessary things. Dear me! It also includes limiting food consumption. Well, hasn’t the recent crisis showed us how the Bush govt has led the world in financial showdown after it (reason being approval of numerous funds and multibillion war projects like Iraq and the ever-evading Mr Laden). As the wise men say that there is nothing to gain by sitting over past follies except learn, so let’s count out the ways in which a common man/woman can save as the future looks bleak if not bright. *Always deposit your money in some safe place apart from banks (the current Indian ICICI dissolving rumour gave enough sleepless hours both in and out o...

Finally... Here I’m! Coming to UK was never in my 'to do' lists. I was working like a robot on instructions about applying for passport, applying for visa, medical tests, journeys, farewell parties, until the final moment came when I bid goodbye to my parents at the Kolkata airport at 4:15 am on 17th Oct 2008. It was a day of 'many firsts' - my first air travel, my first foreign trip, my first aerial view of earth and clouds...hmmmm...what bliss. During the eight hrs flight, I was either sleeping or eating or watching whatever silly stuff the monitor could offer me. And before I could realise, it was landing time. I was glad and shocked that I had come so far from home. There were many surprises in store. Like a curious kid, I was always pulling my window shutter up to see outside and lowering it when sunlight reflecting sharply, blacked out my vision for a while. I know that I must not be biased, but Kolkata sure looked all dirt and gravel, and poor Ganga, she look...