Women and Wanderlust!

::: For my Travel column in the Horizon, The Assam Tribune
::: Published: 29March, 2008
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Angling in the countryside on a summer afternoon, with a pint of beer, smoke and John Denver’s classics for company, is something I can never do. Not because I would sip a glass of Mojitos instead, but because I am a woman. At home (being the only child), in the school, college and later during my years at work, I was quite convinced of the privileges of being born into the female form, till I was stung by the travel bug. Doses of Feminism (thanks to Delhi University) and a little digging into the Da Vinci Code further cemented a logic that we, women, are superior creatures, but physically not as strong and hence, subdued. Male readers may lower your spears – discussing the “war of sexes” is the last thing I would do on a weekend column. I was only brooding over those countless instances when my travel plans got shredded or had to be accommodated with dummy fellow travellers – just because it is “not safe” for me - a woman - to travel to such and such place, alone! Will the world ever change? Travelling solo, therefore, grew on me more out of necessity than of choice and I would very often by-pass advises, never tell my parents (I hope they miss this one) and venture alone just where I want . But to tell you the truth, there have been so many instances when I thought I would be punished for "disobedience" by being sold off to some one-eyed badmash across the border.
I almost gave up travelling and decided to concentrate on parenting Boomer (my 2 month old lab) instead, when I heard of Sumitra Senapaty’s WOW (Women on Wanderlust) Club. It is an exclusive travel club that hosts all-women tours across the globe. It seemed godsent! No, it is not a travel agency. The Club is what is called the “one-stop-shop” that arranges for everything right from your Visa, insurance, air/train tickets to hotel bookings et al – just what travel agencies do. But unlike contemporary travel agencies, they do not charge you the 60-70% extra just because you are without a partner (now you know why they always promote trips for two!). Sumitra analyses the profiles herself and places like-minded duos together. Which means you are not only saved the hassle of travelling solo as a backpacker, but you get a ready-made, like minded travel buddy. Though tagged a Club, it does not have any membership filtering and all you need to join a tour is stand upon your itchy feet and load your wallet a little.
Are you ransacking your brains where did you last heard “Sumitra”? You must have read some travelogue about kayaking in South China Sea, camping at African jungles, or snorkelling at the Great Barrier Reef in the travel sections of Times of India, Verve, Marie Claire or Femina and found a “By Sumitra Senapaty” bolded and highlighted. Simply put, Sumitra is a travel writer and after years of globe-trotting, she finally decided to start her own travel club. Whether it was a realisation of the limitations as women travellers or just the need to share her travel experiences, that inspired WOW, I can’t say, but her concept was a revolution of sorts. The WOW dashboard has trips ready for the year and it reads: Best of Egypt (14th Feb), Turkish Delights (19th April), Best of Italy (13th May), 3 country tour of Czech Republic, Hungary & Poland (9th June) and Leh Ladakh Tour (14th June and 15th August). The departures, however, are mostly from Delhi and Mumbai. The list was wanting in trips within India and Sumitra explained how women travellers with WOW prefer overseas destinations to those in India, because the latter mostly has families or friends to accompany them. Her WOW Club has one traveller from Guwahati so far and sounded enthusiastic when I declared my lineage.
Feel an itch under your feet already? You can reach Sumita at me@wowsumitra.com or 09891655054/080-26658025 for detailed itineraries, tour cost and departures. A warm voice awaits you at the other end, ready with her ‘wow’ ideas to inspire you to live your dreams, and this time, more so because you are a woman!
Next time your boyfriend/husband or your friends yawn at your travel gusto, you know who to call! And for your regular travel queries, you know who to mail (yours truly, that is!).
Post Script: On behalf of my Kolongporiya bodhu xokol, I thank you for your mails. Must say, you readers are amazing! For those who are wondering what I am talking about – a group of NRAs (non-Residential Assamese) from Nagaon, have volunteered to career counsel the aspiring lot in the fields of Travel Writing (me), Engineering (Amar Saikia, Gaurav Dey). Reach us at: kolongporiya@gmail.com.
WOW UPDATES:
1. Trip to Bhutan ((5 Nights, 6 days) :
> Takes off on 7th September 2008, ex Kolkatta.
> Total package cost: RS 39,500 per person on twin share / Single Occupancy – RS 10, 000 extra
>>> Contact Sumitra for Package inclusions and further details

Zubeen never dies!!!

I just missed a heart-attack! Ok, it was a hyperbole – but trust me, it was no less!
An acquaintance informed over Gtalk that Zubeen is dead in an accident at Sonapur, Tezpur.
No English can contain how I felt. Xorioh phool dekhi golu!!! "It has to be a rumour"... I consoled myself as I frantically searched my contact list for all those sources who can be contacted at 11:30pm.

After some bewildered Whats, Hoboi Nuares, Dhet Ki Koisas, and that there was a bus accident in Sonapur yesterday, true, but Zubeen definitely wasnt there - we concluded it was only a fitment of somebody's kamnuhua's imagination and truly a disgusting one at that!

Zubeen is very much alive and kicking at Andaman (from another source). Looking at the watch and going by his reputation, though, my friend concluded he must be lying somewhere drunk.

Houk teu...Bhogobanok kouti kouti dhonyobaad!

Nevertheless (my theme being "Good Things") - the whole episode was a reminder what Zubeen means to me and my likes amongst the Oxomiya (Assamese) lot. Will some Oxomiya doc volunteer, make sure he has regular health check-ups. I am truly worried about his liver, if you know what I mean.

God Bless ZG!

P.S.: Boy, I just came to know he sang in the Jhoom Barabar Jhoom.

A mouthful of the world

Fresh from my cublicle'd life in Delhi, and back home after a year or more, our house felt so spacious that I either felt lost or considered suggesting Dad giving out one part on rent (which, when I did, was met with eye-brows so raised that the plan evaporated there and then). I was actually stunned at what 'Delhi' made of me – Small (it may sound amusing, but I could not find a better word to describe my situation), for I realized I like it better in a small house. Why, my two-room flat there has it all – the loo and the kitchen, a multi-purpose floor that gets turned into a dining space or a dance-floor as per requirement during parties, a terrace for a myriad activities, you name it. I take a shared Auto and though I have to squeeze in, I don't mind. At office, my cubicle remains my arena of activity for, say, some 8-9 hours of the day. On my way back home, I drop by the Spice Mall very often and relax at this particular quite corner at the Food Court. Even at Cafe Morrisson (a pub at South Extension), I managed to find my 'little corner'.

Corners and little spaces, few people I can call friends (handpicked with great precision), my small family, a mouthful of dreams……

EyE talk @ Zubeen Show

The love for music and music lovers apart, the Zubeen Show was an assurance - no matter where we (the Khaars) are, we carry our 'roots' and 'tradition' with us!

The Show was a 'Find your Kind' (the orkut tagline) venue. And as it runs in the Assamese blood (the male blood that is), you (necessirily a female) would actually be hunted down if someone (neccessarily a male) catches your fancy (No harm intended - just a general observation & 'voice of experience'). I was neither hunting or being hunted (I am well past my days of galore, and strangely, no regrets), and interestingly I was actually 'looking' more at the dudettes than the dudes. And trust me, I was once again assured of the sheer beauty that runs in my race - I am talking about the dhunia Oxomiya suali (beautiful Assamese belles) here. I'm proud of you sweethearts!

'Line maara maari' (eye-toasting) apart, our Delhiite Assamese youths kept another tradition alive --- the whole place was stinking of Alcohol and needless to mention, there were light brawls here and there. Good, keep it up - that is how 'we' have always made our presence felt in any function - Delhi, Assam, Bangalore...anyplace!

I saw, met some very old friends and came back home with their phone-numbers, pork momo and the Zubeen-enamor! As for the 'Find my Kind', I will have to go with a Floodlight next time and remind myself to 'look' at men....LOL

~~~ Nidarshana

Zubeen, Me and music..

18th March - North Campus, Polo Ground

And I finally saw Zubeen Garg and he saw me! Dont know whether he liked me or not (lol), but if you ask me my-first-impression -- well, his 'frame' was quite a surprise (read 'dissappointment').

Zubeen’s presence in my life, in most of my Khar (for 'Assamese'/'oxomiya') brethern's life, for that matter, is beyond diction and adjectives. From those days of Anamika (Zubeen's first music album) to Namaste London (reportedly his latest Bollywood release) - Zubeen has been my 'hero' --- and here, (those who know me well) it is not to be compared with my 'Maine Pyar Kiya' and 'Baazigar' hangovers. I grew up listening to Assam's lifeblood - Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, Bishnu Prasad Rabha, Bhupen Hazarika, Jayanta Hazarika. Bhupen Hazarika (Ma's Bhupen Daa), was supposedly the first Assamese ‘voice’ to make its presence felt worldwide. But Zubeen's case is different. I remember how I would frown and cross my brows when Pa would play Rabha-sangeet on my Birth day. Cassettes would dissappear, and I can confess this now for Dad can't be reading this for sure! And then suddenly 'Maya' (Zubeen’s) found its way to my ears and very soon to my heart – yes, it was the first Assames song I fell in love with. And began another phase of my life - Going Back to the Roots...... Used to Bollywood and Michael Learns to Rock's, it took me time to develop a taste for music of my own land and language.

By Graduation, I had favourited more Assamese numbers than Metal and strangely, Bollywood was passe. Xunor kharu Nalage, Neela Sador (Bhupen da), Tumar Uxax, Manuhey Manuhor Babey (Bhupen da), - were the pleasantest discoveries.


Recently someone told me how the 'Elite and Elder' Assamese fraternity raised a furore as Zubeen did not sing the Assamese National Song (O mur apunar Dex) ‘correctly’! I don’t know the lyrics either, but when I listened to Zubeen’s version (during a long drive at Noida Expressway) I had goosepimples!

Such is his voice! Only Roger Waters casts such spells on me..
Height or no height, Zubeen is his voice - oceanic, soulful, god-blessed!

Really liked the 'Jag Lal Lal' number (Big Brother) and Dilruba (London Heights).