Living with MY nose!

I sort of remember smells. I guess with barely any normal vision, I needed a heightened 'other' sense. And weirdly enough; my nose won. That and an elephant's memory that remembers all unimportant things, smells included.

The smell of India's world cup victory will therefore always be the musty-old-carpet smell of Seminar Room 1. It came rushing back to me when I was sitting there for a PhD proposal seminar...quite the same sense of anticipation and excitement, I'd say! There is of course the smell of "the-world-is-my-urinal" walk to Amul's ice-cream or CCD. And even typing CCD brings to mind that amazing coffee shop smell. It's almost like I go to the shop for the smell and not the coffee. What about the smell of moss when I walk up the hill to my flat? I'm not sure how I feel about that. But yes, last year when the winds brought to 441 the smell of "chatim" flowers and Lakshmi said it was smell of durga pujo, it was like i was home.

The smell of baking when you cross Glenary's in Darjeeling. The smell of Shivangi's tea just in the moments before it is ready. The smell of biriyanii that ma made for a birthday when I wasn't home...smells for which I just have to close my eyes.

There are smells that all of us know: the new rain, the railway platform, the dirty drain overflowing, johnson's baby cream soap shampoo on a baby!

Then there is the weirdest one, the people smells. The cologne mixed with tobacco, the deodorant whose name I don't know, smell of a sweaty brother, the smell of my grandmom's soft old white sarees.

And finally there is the greatest smell of all: correctly cooked meat.

I (Reproduced from my notes on facebook)

1. I am doing this only because Priya asked me to. Priya, by the way is one of my oldest and bestest friends. She is the one and almost the only person who manages to inflate my very very large ego even further!
2. Wherever I go, I get identified as either the intimidating geek or the violent, tending to vegetarian, feminist...why is that?
3. I like spending time with myself. I like it even better when I spend that time doing nothing really!!
4. However, I still think that the best times of my life have been spent in hours and hours of aimless and often meaningless conversation with some of my (adda-loving and often Bengali) friends...
5. I like people who love themselves. And don’t pretend to be unselfish.
6. I love to eat…anything. But I prefer to be carnivorous. And I detest rajma-chawal. It was introduced to my palate by the LSR hostel and I hope that I don’t have to encounter it for a really long time…like a lifetime maybe?
7. I am a huge sucker for personal space. And I guard my territory aggressively.
8. I find it hard to NOT sermonize. And I justify my interference by saying that I care and hence butt-in…am working on it guys! I promise it will be gone someday!
9. I have to say though, that when I do sermonize, I usually am proven correct!
10. Given, 9 and 10, I am often mistaken as ‘mother-hen’. THAT is definitely a mistake because I have no maternal instinct at all…I am simply a very naturally overbearing older sister.
11. Over the 15 years of his life, my brother and I have finally come to an understanding that surprises us both. We don’t want to kill each other anymore and can even have meaningful conversations.
12. I am also particularly fond of my parents. I don’t think anybody other than them could have tolerated ‘me’ for so many years and still remained sane!
13. I talk too much.
14. I am still scared of dogs. All dogs. And it does not help when owners say, “Oh! he doesn’t bite.”
15. I hate uncertainty, I like to know what is happening next, at least in my life…and sadly I never do.
16. I can never be stoic…I let all good things get to my head and revel in it for really long. And when things go wrong I can be morose for months together.
17. I often believe that all emotions can be linked to hormone levels…maybe not...maybe…
18. I hate autumn…it depresses me beyond words.
19. I also am not a fan of durga puja (the time that all Bengalis go insane).
20. I am addicted to tea. Good people drink tea...I like people who like tea.
21. I miss my college roommate all the time. I can never have any other roommate because nobody will match up to her!
22. I hate it when people hang up the phone/go offline/leave the house without saying bye.
23. I am developing a love for Economics. I actually enjoy understanding it and questioning it.
24. I was once called a ‘bundle of contradictions’…am beginning to believe it!
25. I can’t believe I actually did this.

Here we go.

Once upon a time, in a land far far away, I used to talk a lot.

I still do.

I still wish I could talk some more.

Hoping to do so without the rolling of eyes at my constant babble.

See you then

Purna