India

A Four Day Bengali Wedding: Day 3

We’re Going to Ibiza? With two days of a marathon wedding behind us, it was time for a day of letting loose; a day of taking off the fancy clothes and just being us. I’d enjoyed the shining Indian attire and the oos and ahs I got from locals as I made my way back […]

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A Four Day Bengali Wedding: Day 2

India

Before the Wedding Ceremony When you wear a sari, you need the correct undergarments. My pre-made petticoat fit well, but the top that was tailored for me did not. After I returned from the flower market, I dashed through the markets in the Sudder Street area until I found a vendor who carried ready made […]

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Photo Essay: A Visit to the Howrah Flower Market in Kolkata

captured on memory card

I visited three cab drivers before I found one who understood where I wanted to go and knew how to get there. After a short drive, we stopped in front of what appeared to be a slum with people selling random goods in front of it. “This can’t be the right place,” I thought. The […]

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My Two Kolkatas

India

On the first day of the wedding festivities, I walked into the opulent lobby of the Oberoi Grand. Everything about it was truly grand: the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, the flower arrangement in the center, the piano, the amount of space, the way I was greeted by the employees. It was clear that there […]

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Photo Essay: Scenes from Kolkata

captured on memory card

In Kolkata, I didn’t have a lot of time to wander and take pictures of the city, so I always tried to have my camera ready to capture everyday moments and sights that I found to be interesting. Most of these pictures were taken in the Sudder Street area or from the backseat of taxi […]

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Songs for the Road No. 8: A Mehndi Folk Song

etcetera

I’ve had Mehndi/Madhorama Pencha in my music collection for a while now and have always loved the joyfulness of it. The percussive clapping and the freewheeling female vocals always inspire me to move. It wasn’t until after the wedding I attended in Kolkata that I found out that mehndi is the application of henna and […]

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Photo Essay: Exploring the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata

captured on memory card

The Victoria Memorial is Kolkata’s main attraction. Architecturally, the building draws from both Indian and English aesthetics and it looks like a cross between the Taj Mahal and the White House or the Capitol Building. It’s quite a stunning building and the memorial grounds also include expansive and well-maintained gardens and lawns. Inside the memorial […]

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You Can Check Out Anytime You Like…

backpacking

I woke up to the sounds of tinny music and movement. With my body seriously confused about what time zone it was in, I hadn’t slept much. But once I regained an awareness of the fact that I’d spent a night at the Hotel Diplomat, I got out of bed and immediately got into a […]

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