A Fire Truck Stop On Free School Street

While walking down Free School Street, I came across something that, quite predictably, made me stop in my tracks.

The Fire Brigade Headquarters was right there, and I couldn't resist pulling out the camera and taking a picture.

What caught my attention this time was one of the smaller fire trucks, which was parked halfway out of the building. Somehow, that little glimpse of the truck against the old architecture made for a rather interesting frame.

Of course, the building itself was reason enough to stop.

I've always found the architecture of some of Kolkata's older institutional buildings fascinating, and the Fire Brigade Headquarters has that unmistakable old-Calcutta character that makes you want to stop and look a little closer rather than simply walk past.

But there is another reason I find myself looking in the direction of the Fire Brigade whenever I'm around here.

The trucks!

I'm always on the lookout for some of the bigger, more specialised and, dare I say, fancier fire trucks in the fleet of the West Bengal Fire & Emergency Services. There is something about fire engines that has always fascinated me—the size, the equipment, the engineering and, of course, the sheer presence of some of the larger vehicles.

So while most people might simply walk past the headquarters, I inevitably find myself wondering what is parked inside.

You never quite know when one of the big ones might be sitting outside, ready to head off on a call.

And if that happens, well... there's another photograph waiting to be taken!

A Weekend of Temples, Boats & The City of Joy

One of my wife's office colleagues was visiting Kolkata from London, and since he had a free weekend, we decided that it would be a shame to let him spend it indoors. After all, if you're visiting the City of Joy, you really ought to experience a little bit of the city beyond the usual tourist stops!

So, we decided to play tourist ourselves and take him sightseeing.

Our first stop was the magnificent Dakshineswar Temple. Perched on the banks of the Hooghly, the temple is one of those places that instantly makes you pause. The architecture, the crowds, the bells, the rituals and the sheer energy of the place together create an atmosphere that is unmistakably Kolkata.

From Dakshineswar, we decided to take a boat across the Hooghly to Belur Math. And what better way to see the city than from the river?

As the boat gently made its way across, Kolkata seemed to take on a completely different personality. We even passed under the Bally Railway Bridge, the massive railway bridge spanning the Hooghly. Seeing the bridge from water level, with trains rumbling overhead, was quite a sight and added another little bit of Kolkata to our river journey.

The river breeze, the skyline, the ghats and the ever-present activity along the banks made the short journey feel like an experience in itself. For Mark, coming all the way from London, this was probably as different from his everyday routine as it could possibly get!

Belur Math was the perfect second stop. Peaceful, beautifully maintained and almost meditative in its surroundings, it offered a wonderful contrast to the bustle of Dakshineswar.

But somewhere between the temple visits, the boat ride and our conversations, the day became less about sightseeing and more about getting to know each other.

Mark and I got along splendidly. It was one of those unexpected things that makes an outing memorable. We started the day showing him Kolkata, but by the end of it, it felt as though we had simply spent a lovely weekend together with an old friend.

And perhaps that's the best way to experience the City of Joy — not merely by seeing its landmarks, but by sharing its sights, sounds, stories and experiences with good company.

A temple, a boat ride across the Hooghly, passing under a historic railway bridge, a little bit of Kolkata's history and culture, and a new friendship thrown in for good measure.

Now that's what I call a weekend well spent!

Learning Street Photography Along The Ghats Of Kumartuli

Every once in a while, you get an opportunity to step out with a camera and, instead of simply taking photographs, actually learn to see.

I recently had the opportunity to attend a Photography Workshop conducted by senior photographer Mr. Jayanta Saha, and one of the highlights of the workshop was a walk through the ghats and lanes around Kumartuli.

For anyone with a camera and even a passing interest in photography, Kumartuli is almost impossible to resist. There is something happening everywhere. Old buildings, narrow lanes, people going about their daily lives, boats on the river, workers, textures, light and shadows—all constantly presenting little photographic opportunities.

But the idea wasn't simply to walk around clicking photographs.

We were there to understand the finer nuances of Street Photography—how to observe what is happening around you, anticipate a moment, look for interesting compositions and, perhaps most importantly, learn when not to take the photograph.

And there was certainly no shortage of subjects.

My first photograph was almost quintessentially Kolkata—a bright yellow Ambassador taxi, the city's iconic old-school cab, photographed against the backdrop of a temple. It was one of those frames where several things that instantly say "Kolkata" somehow came together in one picture.

Then came a rather poignant juxtaposition. I photographed a child ragpicker standing near an abandoned idol of a goddess, with the idol placed against a tree. There was something about the contrast between the two that immediately caught my attention. Street photography often throws up these moments where you don't have to manufacture a story—the scene in front of you has already done that.

And then, towards the railway tracks, I found another frame that I particularly liked. The railway tracks cutting through the area, with people from the surrounding slums sitting beside and along the tracks, made for a very different kind of photograph. It was one of those scenes that you might ordinarily walk past without giving much thought, but when you're consciously looking through a camera, the composition suddenly becomes apparent.

That, perhaps, was the biggest lesson of the day.

Walking through Kumartuli with Mr. Saha, we weren't simply looking for beautiful pictures. We were learning to notice things—light, shadows, people, contrasts, backgrounds and those fleeting little moments that exist for only a few seconds.

Kumartuli provided plenty of all of these.

It was also interesting to see Kolkata from behind the camera in a slightly different way. We often pass through these areas without really stopping to observe them, but when you're deliberately looking for photographs, suddenly every corner seems to have a story.

The workshop was therefore as much about photography as it was about observation.

And by the end of the walk, I think we had all come away with a few photographs, a lot more things to think about, and perhaps a slightly better understanding of that deceptively simple instruction every photographer eventually learns—

Look first. Then take the picture.

A Sunday Evening At Mocambo

 

It had been a while since we had actually sat down for a meal at Mocambo, so one Sunday evening we decided it was time to rectify that situation.

Sunday evenings on Park Street are quite a different proposition from the rest of the week. We've noticed that the crowds are generally lighter, and getting a table is nowhere near the exercise in patience that it can be on Fridays and Saturdays. Even weekdays can sometimes be surprisingly busy, but Sunday seems to have its own little window of calm.

So, Mocambo it was.

We started, as we usually do when faced with the menu, by making life difficult for ourselves. There was no question about the Devilled Crab, of course, so we ordered one each of their signature Devilled Crab and Pepper Crab Devilled.

Both arrived looking every bit as indulgent as we remembered. Rich, creamy, full of flavour and absolutely impossible to eat elegantly. But then again, nobody goes to Mocambo for elegant eating. You go there to enjoy yourself!

For the mains, we decided to stick with the pork theme and went with the Pork Cutlet and the Pork Sizzler. And once again, Mocambo delivered exactly what we had come expecting.

There is something reassuring about returning to a restaurant you've eaten at countless times and finding that the food still tastes the way you remember it. No unnecessary reinvention, no trying too hard to be trendy—just the same comforting, delicious food that has made Mocambo a Park Street institution.

And that's perhaps what we love most about Mocambo.

It never seems to cease to delight.

The food is consistently good, the portions are generous, the atmosphere has that unmistakable old-Calcutta charm, and somehow every visit leaves you thinking, why did we wait so long to come back?

Clearly, we shouldn't have.

Drinks at Oval Lounge

Had driven past this place several times, but never gone there. So today went out for drinks with some friends at Oval Lounge in DLF IT Park-I. I had visited this building several times to the Vodafone office. which has a spectacular view of Rajarhat.

Crowning a Pizza Hut Dinner

I had gone to pick up my wife from her office, and as these things usually go, the next question was — what are we having for dinner?

Since we were already out and neither of us particularly felt like heading home to figure out dinner, we decided to keep things simple and headed to Pizza Hut.

Now, the main reason for this particular visit was that I had been wanting to try their new Crown Crust Pizza. Anything with "Crown" in the name obviously demands a certain amount of attention, so we ordered it.

And I have to say, it was fantastic!

The crust itself was quite something and made the pizza a little more interesting than the usual Pizza Hut offering. Definitely worth trying, especially if you're someone who likes a bit of extra indulgence around the edges of your pizza.

To accompany the pizza, we got ourselves a Strawberry Shake and a Lemon Drink. One creamy and sweet, the other refreshing and citrusy — a pretty good combination for washing down all that pizza.

But obviously, pizza alone wasn't going to be enough.

We added a platter of Onion Rings, Potato Wedges, Hot Peppers and Chicken Nuggets, because apparently we had decided that dinner needed to cover all the possible categories of fried food.

And then came a plate of Chicken Skewers to make sure we had at least one item that looked marginally more respectable!

It turned out to be a rather satisfying dinner — uncomplicated, filling and exactly what we needed after a day of work.

Sometimes you don't need to overthink dinner. Pick up the wife, discover a new pizza, order far too many sides and enjoy the evening.

And on this occasion, the Crown Crust definitely earned its crown.