Monday, 28 December 2020

Visited Ma on 2020-12-26 to pick up the cakes she baked for us




Ma called me on 2020-12-26 morning to tell me that she has baked two variants of cakes, viz. with dry fruits and oats respectively and that I should pick them up for her granddaughter. 
There was no way that I could delay a visit to meet her and also have lunch with her. 



* Visiting Ma on 2020-12-26 
* Made By Ma At Home 
* Timeless Fond Recollections

Friday, 18 December 2020

Ma was visibly happy on getting her Durga Puja 2020 gift from us on 2020-11-12

















Bijoya Dasami was on Tuesday 2020-10-24. 
The fear of Corona was so strong that I could muster enough courage to visit Ma alone for the first time after Durga Puja only on 2020-11-12. 
Ma had categorically told me to refrain from buying her the customary saree for Durga Pujo 2020. 
Knowing her love for cooking even at this age, I gifted Ma a box of Prestige (TTK Ltd) goodies comprising of 1 non-stick kadai, 2 non-stick tawas and a glass lid. 
Ma was visibly so happy. 

Thursday, 17 December 2020

Thursday, 12 November 2020

Visited Ma at Behala on 2020-09-16





Visited Ma at Behala on 2020-09-16. 

Roses grown with lots of love and toil at Behala house on 2019-01-19





My Ma's creation at our house in Behala, Kolkata after a lot of love and toil at a shade lesser than 80 yrs of age. And that too just after a life threatening hip joint replacement after slipping on a wet kitchen floor in June 2018. Clicked on 2019-01-19 at 5.50 pm, a day after my 57th birthday. . . . #TimelessFondRecollections

Sunday, 1 November 2020

Maruti Zen Estilo and Maruti Alto blocked ingress and engress to and from my house on 2020-10-29 at 2.45 pm



The Dutta brothers (Amiya and Arun) of Beliaghata, Kolkata had been purposely parking their cars WB06H1392 (Zen Estilo) and WB02Z3679 (Alto) in such a way that ingress and engress to and from my house was jeopardized. Their house situated at a T-junction is just two buildings away from our house. 
Prior to January - February 2020, it was only the blue Alto which the younger brother Arun Dutta used to park where the Zen Estilo can be spotted in the attached videos. Ingress and engress was extremely challenging because the Alto used to be parked at the T junction in spite of the family owning a covered underground garage of their new house which they completed building around 2016-2017. 
The running board on both sides of my VW Vento sedan has been severely damaged because of the stubborn act of the Dutta brothers. The alloy wheels of my car have deep scratches and the VW logo on the hub of an alloy was lost.  All this damage happened after my car grazed the stone cladding on the roadside quite a few times. 
For atleast 2.5 years or more prior to the onset of the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown w.e.f 2020-03-23, I have politely requested them a couple of times to keep the blue car in the garage or elsewhere. My requests fell on deaf ears. 
The elder brother Amiya Dutta bought the pre-owned Zen Estilo around January or February 2020. 
From the first week of July 2020, the brothers started keeping both the cars outside on the road. They even incited the owner-driver of a white App Cab to park his Maruti Dzire diagonally opposite my house on the narrow road. 
On 2020-10-29 at 2.45 pm, I (Deep Banerjee) tried to take my VW Vento out, first time after 2020-03-23, i.e. after start of lockdown in West Bengal. I was driving to the car workshop because the reverse gear of my car was not engaging.  
I got stuck because there was no way I could have taken my car out. 
It took Arun Dutta over 2 minutes to respond to my continuous honking. His reply standing on the upper floor terrace was "horn dilei gaari shore jaabe na" (my car is not going to move automatically by your continuous honking). I could drive my car out only after he came down a few minutes later and backed up the Zen Estilo. 
Friends, imagine yourself in my place and tell me honestly if any of you'll would have tolerated this stubborn nonsense of a neighbour. Would any of you'll have tolerated the damage of your own car because of no fault of yours! 
What's even more scary is that in the event of exigencies or an emergency, the irresponsible act of the Duttas who are totally bereft of any civic sense can turn out to be fatal for me or my dear ones.

Friday, 30 October 2020

Durga Puja 2020 - Dashami 2020-10-26







My first outing during Durga Puja 2020 with Diksha by scooter to FD block in Salt Lake and to our favorite Mio Amore outlet at IA-265 was only on Dashami (2020-10-26). 
As if the pandemic wasn't enough reason, the reverse gear of my VW Vento couldn't be engaged from Saptami afternoon after the Varta battery was fitted after recharge. 

Reason for reverse gear of my VW Vento not engaging was diagnosed and rectified








A humongous 5 kms in 7 months 7 days, viz. 2020-03-23 to 2020-10-30 😀
That's a record drive for my boy with a German pedigree. 
Some critical illness of my boy diagnosed and rectified after an overnight stay at an 'Indian Roadie Preferred Workshop' in Kolkata. My boy remaining stationary for a long span of time was the reason for reverse gear not engaging. 
Having recovered from illness was reason enough to celebrate. 
At 6 pm drove it to my favorite Mio Amore (The Cake Shop) outlet at IA265 Salt Lake, Kolkata straight from the workshop. 
My boy is raring to roll more. 



* Volkswagen Brand Admirers 

Sunday, 6 September 2020

Visited Ma at Behala on 2020-08-25



Visited Ma at Behala by scooter o remain with her from 5 pm to 6 pm on Tuesday, 2020-08-25. 
Ma sent a maroon mask for Diksha and quite a few cookies baked at home. 

Visited Ma at Behala on 2020-08-14 after 5 months


Visited Ma at Behala on 2020-08-14 after 5 months. 

Tuesday, 26 May 2020

Made Roti for the first time ever on 2020-05-22












It was somewhat cloudy with occasional cold wind blowing outside around 10 am on 2020-05-22. The mood was building up for a drive to my favorite Azad Hind Dhaba in Uluberia on NH16 for Tandoori Roti with Chicken Bharta.
Suddenly, I could hear the grumble of low flying choppers flying over my house in Kolkata. I was thrilled that India's CEO Narendra Modiji had landed in my state to render assistance to Cyclone Amphan affected people.
Soon enough, I started getting paranoid imagining my own photo hanging from the wall with incense sticks burning in front because of the Chinese virus had any of the 'mahathugbandhan' members became the PM of India exactly a year ago in May 2019.
That made me dreaming of Modiji's advice on becoming #atmanirbharshil.
With the #lockdown in force, I couldn't have driven off.
Therefore, for the first time ever in my life, I got down to the action of making 'rotis' knowing well that my initiative could churn out something not fit for consumption.
with 50% atta and 50% maida.