Probir Chollo (goes to) London

Here is a fairytale which I am witnessing. Its representative of many such stories that is happening to many in India. It not only proves that hardwork, attitude and smartness can take you places but it also reinforces the fact that inspite of rampant corruption there are ways where ordinary folks can fulfil aspirations. A fact born out by our Prime Minister and President.

Recently Probir, an ex-colleague of mine sent me some pictures. Probir comes from Barrackpore. A visit to the place will give a glimpse of what life is like in a suburb of Calcutta after 20 years of marxism. Its symptomatic of the malaise that is plagueing Bengal. But that is besides the point.

Probir' s dwelling in London (click on the image to enlarge it)

Probir hails from a typical middle class family. He had an average schooling but went to the art school on the dint of his exceptional talent. From there he paired up with Upal (his story is equally enthralling) and finally I met them at Aesthetic under the stewardship of Sourabh where each of us were working hard so that the company thrived with the hope we too will thrive with it. However the script did notquite unfold that way.

After holding himself back very patient for over 7 years Probir finally decided to venture out to test for himself. He is getting first hand answers to his queries that hovered in his mind. Queries about him, about his worth about what was it like in the world outside. Before him there are others (Joydeep, Swati, Srimant) who after having had to leave Aesthetic ventured in foreign land. Going abroad doesnt mean the be all and end all for us Indians. But its symbolic of another achievement milestone. And for Probir I know it means a lot. More than anything else it proves that without knowing English you can still be in England. He has also seen for himself that in England there are many like him (Japanese, Italian, French) who are as bad in English as him.

The pictures show Probir infront of the house where he has temporarily put up in London. Far away from the Barrackpore suburbia where the road in front of his house was just wide enough for his once beloved Alto to slip through. Only some months back we used to be locked in discussion surmising about our future which seemed so intricately tied with some others. But we managed to answer the call (call of what I dont know and cannot define) and are trying to walk the path.

Probir's story should inspire us all to keep going on and on, while we hone our talents, work hard and then put the rest on Destiny and God. And I know what Probir will say after reading this - "Uff Boss! Koto hejatey parish.. shudhu audio". But to that I will say "No Boss! Eita audio noi, eita video".

Image Makeover

Jassi is a craze in India. It talks about a girl who goes on an image makeover. One of the many recent (when I say recent I am always referring to the post liberalised economy) spin-offs of liberalisation is people's penchant for a image makeover. Jassi only cashed on this. Much in the trends of Hollywood superstars and our own homegrown heroes like Kamalahasan many are experimenting with their looks. Even I got hooked onto it sometime back when I tried increase my hair length. But as of my other ventures I ran out of steam and overall it seemed too laborious an exercise. More recently Opu too was bitten by the bug and what a result. From the two snaps that I have posted here is what I think...

The reaction will be between these two extreme (Opu in the left picture is amused while June is scared)

Impact
On impact angle it has hit the bull's eye. It forces people to notice and generates renewed interest. Case to the point this very posting in my blog.

Recall
We are each a walking-talking brand. In an ever changing world you are being evaluated every now and then. On a recall factor this look does have a lot of recall value as against the buck- toothed one.

Convenience
On a light note its definetly a tropical look suited to our weather. However more time and money will be wasted in maintaining this. But these days this is given.

Personality
It redefines the way you are perceived by your family, friends and professional colleagues. While the earlier look was friendly next door neighbourtypes this one is bordering on the villaneous.

Overall, I rather leave to others to put a comment.. please do....

Here are some more pics which I thought I might share from my recent trip to Mumbai....

Biopiracy & Orthorexia

These are two interesting terms I came incross within an hour of each other.

Biopiracy

Sounds familiar? I have heard it for the first time. A sophisticated form of piracy. And objects of this piracy ? Neem, haldi, tulsi, basmati and many more.

Most of us from our childhood have experienced the simple goodness of home remedies. Traditional preventive and curative medicines has been passed on to us from ages. And there are ofcourse many other things which are so enmeshed in our daily life that we take it for granted.

In the present context of globalisation the geographical boundaries are increasingly being blurred by the economics of it. But its important remmember which part of the global whole has been our contribution. Its not just a matter of pride but more pure matter of economics.

Read this and be aware European Patent Office Revokes Neem Patent.

Orthorexia

Orthorexia nervosa is an unhealthy obsession with healthy eating. Orthorexics exhibit an over-enthusiasm for pure eating and healthy food. In moderation, of course, this can be beneficial. In extremis, however, malnutrition, extreme weight loss and even death can result.

Orthorexia is a modern condition, as yet unrecognised by the medical profession. Studies are underway to see if it should be acknowledged. Dr Steven Bratman MD coined the term from the Greek "ortho" meaning accurate and has tracked a cluster of giveaway symptoms.

These are the some of symptoms of Orthorexics:

• Excessive planning of menus in advance
• Experiencing guilt and self-loathing about smallest particle of chocolate
  
• Make startling discoveries like: good food tastes better
• Not eating processed food, avoiding meat, abstaining from non-organic produce, cutting out sugar, dumping all dairy products & stop taking caffeine
• Thinking, talking and evangelizing about your diet for more than an hour a day to glassy-eyed friends
• Caring more about the virtue of what you eat than the pleasure you receive from eating it?
• Social isolation due to your diet?