Halloween time...

Halloween is round the corner….Neighborhoods are getting dressed like an traditional Horror Movie set, Ghosts, Jack O lanterns, Witches, Spiders, black/white cats, Pumpkin faces are artistically adorned and easily be seen everywhere!!

Few Years back, when we started celebrating Halloween, it was not more than an opportunity to have a Costume party, prank, sharing scary ghost stories and giving candy to the young kids who come for Trick or treating…

                                             with family

                                             and friends....

Till this year, when my little one asked me, mom-- why we celebrate ghosts…I started digging, why we celebrate this ghost party so zestfully…

History says, Its Celtic festival of Samhain (end of summer), in Old Irish, celebrates the end of the "lighter half" of the year and beginning of the "darker half", or regarded as the "Celtic New Year”. Where they (Celts) dressed in scary costumes and masks, so that ghosts wouldn’t be able to recognize them as they left home to look for food. They also make offerings to the gods and the ancestors. They believe the entire evil and bad thing should go away and happiness should prevail everywhere. It was actually first celebrated in northern France, Ireland and the UK by the Celts. In the 1930s, trick-or-treating was becoming popular in the United States.

Now I can more relate to the festival and excited to celebrate with fun and spirits. It’s been a great way since it helped eliminating the fear in kids for ghosts or any unseen black shadows/spirits. They are rather more excited to dress up in scary or funny costumes and eagerly looking forward to go for Trick or Treating in the neighborhood. 

All I wish in this Halloween is to have peace in lives, world and The Recession (evil) should go away, more business should come and Economy should get better so that we all can have our job secured and families to be happy ever. We all should get more reasons like Halloween, to celebrate with family and friends with joy and happiness throughout the year. Happy Halloween!!!

My Cuppa black coffee!!

Amazingly energetic brewed drink always makes me get going for the day or revive me from the exhausted spinning circle of the day. Now when most of my nights are occupied with little kiddos care, in the morning one black coffee gives me the super duper instant boost!
Whenever I enter my office and pass through my aisle, the browning color and the intense smell of Coffee makes me feel good and brings smile on my face. I always mumble to myself ….man I am so much in love with you and your smell.

These remind me, my first encounter with Coffee. Of course that was Nescafe…
One fine morning I woke up seeing my dad and mom enjoying their coffee and asked us (me and my brother) whether we like to taste once….with lots of creamy milk and sugar.Surprisingly, we thought we are now grown up enough to have caffeine, other than milk and protein shake! Wow that was a great treat for us…
Eventually I inclined to the taste of coffee and fell in love with it and its smell.Especially in my Hostel days I used to have a coffee maker to enjoy my kind of filter coffee. Still remembering my apartment’s balcony in Bangalore where I had spent few coolest moments enjoying my coffee while it was raining outside. The pleasant breeze makes my cup of coffee more enjoyable than anything.
The late night FM (non-stop) songs kind of creating perfect ambiance for relaxing.

In India, where Tea is more popular and common drink than coffee, I found both Tea and coffee are perfect drink to make your sense up and running but it should be made with passion and should be enjoyed every sip of it while relaxing.
Now a days my favorite coffee is Latte with whip cream from Starbucks, still the smell of coffee is what I really cherish and look forward to have it at times…..
I would love to have a break for coffee/tea with a bit of free moments and want to enjoy every sip while it lasts!

From the twilight of memories…………

While the whole atmosphere buzzing with Mahalaya’s slok, all new albums for “Pujo Sankhas” are out and easily be heard here and there…Durga Pujo is round the corner !!

We never missed to tune into All India Radio, for the broadcasts of poet Birendra Krishna Bhadra’s recitation Mahishashura Mardini. Let me wish you all.. 'Shuvo Mahalaya'

As we grown up in Northern part of India, every year we used to go Kolkata to celebrate Durga Puja.  Kolkata is THE place to be in during puja.I can still recollect those incidents of Puja days;

Among those stories, there is one with Chaltar Achar, That day we all cousins were passing through one isolated place, suddenly the elder most amongst us said, hey guys please hide your precious stuff if you have any because this area is not safe! And my little bro, immediately hide his portion of Chaltar achar into his pocket as that was the most precious thing he was carrying at that moment…..hahaha!

Pujor food includes, aloor dum, dhokar dalna, kasha mangsho,luchi, Mishti doi.Indulging in endless amounts of street foods like Vegetable chop, Mutton Roll, Egg roll and lot more mouth watering stuff.

Each day (5 days) of Puja, we used to wear new dresses for morning/evening and in-between. Pandal hopping was not less than an adventure that time.Week long party on the city’s streets and everywhere different communities welcome with “ Sarbojaniin Durga Pujo- Apanader uposthiti ekanta habai kamma” slogan.

Still can hear in heart those beautiful songs like… Amar pujor phool bhalobaha hoye galo .., Nai ba ghumale priyo rajani ekhono baki…,  Tumi ashbe bolei….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOsPd_vyGX4&feature=related

May be these scenarios are no where close to puja these dayz…but

These are the typical memories I reminisce during this time of the year………!!!

When you Smile at me...

It's like the beginning of all things, hope, a dream of possibilities...