Memories... Back in Time...

9 months ago, I landed in London at around 5 in the evening. My first thoughts - Has London changed since I last visited? Is the Baggage claim as bad as I've heard? I hope some of my friends are still in London!

The rush of questions was interrupted by the view outside the window. I could see London - from way up there, it looked just like it had the last time. My feelings about landing were just the same - only difference - this time round, I knew I had to stay here for a year. So this was going to be my home for the next one year - not just another vacation spot!

The view looked nice. To make sure I could hold onto those images, I used my petty phone camera and started clicking pictures. After a while, I stopped with the pictures and started trying to figure out where my place was, and whether I could see Russell Square Garden from up there - clearly I had my perceptions skewed - I had mixed up Russell Square and Regent's Park! So I thought Russell Square was huge, when it was actually not as big - not that I could see either of them from up there!

I saw a car park...

and some houses.... 

and then some more houses... 

Finally I gave up, and just waited for the plane to land. My thoughts shifted towards what my new life would be like. I was sitting next to another Indian student who was going to study in UCL. At that point, I had no idea that my classes would be held in UCL's Birkbeck. I just presumed that it would be far. 

A new city - all new people (except the few who I knew)... Looking back, I never thought I would be sad just thinking of going back. But the fact is, I am! Right now, we have 60 days of our course left. I would love to go back and meet my friends! But then again, I want to stay here forever! Although I must admit, when I think about it, I do crave going to some places and doing some things which I just can't do here!!

I'm in a fix... If I stay here, I'll miss Delhi... If I go back, I'll miss London... I need a job which will allow me to travel between the 2 and a whole list of other places on my travel list.

The Bong Connection

Before coming to London, I thought I should try and get back in touch with the 'Bong' side of me.

Having been brough up in Delhi, I hardly kept much connection with either the bong side or the konkan side of me! It's not like people living in another city lose connection with their roots. It's just that since your peers are from that area, you tend to find a midde ground!

Just celebrating the same festivals is not really understanding a way of life! festivals and occasions are just a minor section of it! To understand they way people live, you need to 'live' the life they live!!

Just before coming to London, I thought of going and spending time getting reconnected to my bong side. (For those of you who don't know what 'bong' means, it's basically a slang for Bengali)

I wanted to go to Kolkatta to say bye to my relatives before coming to London. It might surprise most people that the way life is in Bengal is different from the way life is in Delhi! However, I was in Cal for only 2 weeks. I was happy that I finally got some time to understand their way of life. What I never thought of, was connecting with the modern Bengali way of life. That too, I did not learn this in India; I learnt this in London!

Many of you might be aware of the traditional culture in Bengal, but how many of you know about their real way of living? Bengali music is for instance always associated to Rabindranath Tagore. Not like that's a bad thing, but that's like associating English literature only with Shakespeare!! While traditional songs are a part of Bengali music's history, it is not the only Bengali music! People hardly know about the upbeat bengali songs! All this, I learnt after coming to London! In fact to be honest, I have never interacted with so many Bengalis in my life (other than my family)

Some Bengali movies, are so much better than Hindi ones I've watched!! But sadly, only Hindi movies seem to portray 'Indian' movies to most of the world (other than film buffs who would know of other films too)! It's true with Marathi movies too, and I suppose with movies of other languages too.

I must say, I'm looking forward to going back and discovering the Konkani side of me next!!

Homesick For The First Time!

The past few days have been maddening. We have been getting one project after another. This is why I have not been able to update the blog! Although I must admit, I have not spent the last two weeks doing only project work! It's Diwali, and as I wrote in my last post, London is in a festive mood. The whole city seems to be celebrating it in some way or another!

I was honestly quite surprised to see Diwali posters on the 'big red bus'! We had a bash at the house on the weekend before Diwali. 3 days of non-stop fun!

So does this mean I didn't miss celebrating Diwali the way we did it back home? NO!

My Diwali started with me waking up late, but still managing to reach class in time. Sad thing was I had Accounting - a subject that I am not very fond of. By evening I was quite homesick! Diwali is just not the same when you don't celebrate it ON Diwali and when you don't have a late night party with friends!

I had honestly never thought about how much I would miss Diwali at home! It's not about the fireworks at Diwali. I know London will have Guy Faux day where the fireworks will beat that of Diwali (or equal it). It's not even about the dressing up and partying -- Halloween has that covered! It's something that for some reason I cannot put into words!

But then I decided to change my mood! We watched a movie and had our own fun! Next day, it was back to school! For now, I have to get back to working on my assignment!

Festive London

I have been in London for more than a month now. The start was super-exciting (if that's a word!). With time, it just started feeling like a second home. I'm sure eventually it will feel like a home, but as of now, it still hasn't taken that place, my 'home' is still Delhi!

I had thought that I would miss all the Diwali fun, but the fact is, I am not... surprisingly! I went to the 'Diwali on the Square' festival a few days back, and I realised that here, Diwali is far more than just being the 'festival of lights'. There were so many (should I call them) 'foreigners', who were dressing up in Saris, and trying to get a flavour of India, that I completely forgot it was a Diwali festival, it seemed more like a Cultural Festival!

This weekend, we are starting of Diwali celebrations at 'home'... Although the actual festival is still a week away, the festivities here tend to kick-off much before (or in case of the Eid festival much after)! I have loved every minute of it. The whole of London seems to be keen on discovering everything there is about other cultures--and that's what I love about this place!

Soon after I had come here, I had gone for an Eid Festival (although Eid was almost a month before the event) at Trafalgar Square. I had the same feeling then, as I had at the time of the Diwali festival. Everyone was having fun, listening to music, some were dancing, some were just photographing others--It was beautiful.

While on the one hand, Diwali celebrations are in full swing, preps for Christmas have also begun! Oxford Street has already started putting up lights. They turn on the Christmas Lights and officially kick-off the 'Christmas Season' sometime in late November. Although for me, it is just like back home, the festivities don't stop till New Years!

113 to Edgware

Sitting on the top floor of bus no 113, I can't help but look down on everyone else (coz of the height of the bus, off course! But maybe I should re-phrase that, since I don't look down too often! Most of the times I look straight ahead. I wonder how many people pass the same route and how many of them actually remember any of it.

For those who have never been on route 113, here are some pictures:

You may look at these pictures and wonder where they are taken ( if you don't know where in world I live)... They were taken in London... just not something you will find on postcards (if you use them anymore)!

So you must be wondering what a stupid topic to blog on, but the fact is that most of us, spend very little time logging what we do everyday... TRAVELING!

There is so much you do and think when you are going from point A to B.... But not many of us remember what we thought about on the bus... So I named this little post of mine after a bus that takes me to school and brings me home again! I have a number of things on my mind right now...

Firstly, wondering if this a new city will become my home forever, or will it just be for a year... To be honest, I am split in 2 or maybe 3 minds! I want to stay, I want to go back home and I want to go to a third place...

Just one look out, and I realized how similar something's are to delhi... The minute it rains, the traffic slows down like a flood hit town (in both places)! And then it clears out within seconds again!

Coming back to what I was thinking about, the second thing on my mind was NOAH. It's a social network project that I took up for myself. The idea behind it is to use the Internet to benefit animals...

People may think I am obsessed with animals, but then that is just how I am!! I have a weakness for animals and birds, and in general nature. Since we have such a wonderful thing such as the Internet, I wanted to put it to better use!

When one connects to people with similar interest, by default it happens within ones own country/region. However, with the Internet and social media taking over our day-to-day lives, it has become quite simple for people to get connected all round the globe!

It was in Prof. Ronan's class that I came up with the idea. He told us to create a 'buzz campaign' for a cause we believed in. The minute he said it, my mind raced--animals, animals, animals... How can I use the campaign for them? There are tons of rescue pages in every country... And then it hit me... I came back that night and just kept thinking about it. The next day, I decided that come what may, I was going to start off my campaign, and so I did!

My sister helped me choose the name, since NOAH is an acronym, and the real name, 'network of animal helpers' is not used by anyone else, I chose it.

My stop is nearing, and so I must leave... More the next time I am traveling by 113 (or maybe when I just feel like blogging!)