Okay. Important work first!
First of all, a hearti\y (and long overdue!) Happy Birthday to Nisheeth, who splits his pants with farts! Enjoy this year, may you have great fun. We went for his birthday to watch the Day after Tommorow, a very weird and implausible movie. We also saw the promos for another movie, which I shall not name, for fear of offending your delicate sensitivities. but which me and PC have planned to watch.
Next, and as important. A happy and joyous birthday to Vrinda Maheshwari. May she never have to feast upon Papayas! Her birthday celebrations will be held on the coming monday, so you shall be told about them then. Congratulations on her SAT score of 1600 are also due, and are forthcoming.
PC's got a 1550 in HIS SAT. Here's looking at you. kid! I have been blessed with a lowly 1400. so you will excuse me for not commenting more about it. PC,Vrinda, Karan, Gyan. Ankush, Please accept my heartiest. though somewhat subdued congratulations.

My Verbal has severely disappointed me again. Will someone please give me tuitions in English?

Moving on to pleasanter topics, today I had a very enjoyable lunch at Anant Dang's place, with Nazneen and Puja Sen for company, where I watched the godfather, and ate wonderful pizza and
spaghetti with meatballs made by Anuradha ma'am, his mother. The movie was one of the best I have ever seen. and I would appreciate someone lending the book to me. The weather in Delhi now sucks, and books are appreciated!

Bhavya has gone to Kerala, a hellhole of the highest order, which has temperatures in the early 30s throughout the year. Though its food, I must admit, is good, the spices make for not-quite-enjoyable mornings-after, and is more suitable for a cool climate. Beaches and backwaters don't appeal to me. Give me hills anytime. Or Calcutta!

The whole world seems to hate Calcutta, on account of it being filthy, and decaying. While the accusations are quite wellfounded, I'd like to know which city in India is not filthy. Decaying it may be, but it has wonderful food, specially Maachher Jhol, and Ilish Paabda. Say whatever about the Bengali, their food is wonderful.

Its also an extremely historical city, specially to one who is obsessed with the Rah, and reflects the grandeur of the Raj quite adequately. Call me an ass, I much prefer Chowringhee or Park Street or the Victoria Memorial to any of the buildings in Lutyen's Delhi, which always seems to be an anachroism. A hodgepodge of Indo-Saracenic-Gothic architecture. A city that is so out-of-touch with the rest of Delhi that it seems a deliberate affront to India. New Delhi has been betrayed by the rest of the city, which is a mess in comparison. People who talk about planning and good roads should see Connaught Place (Or whatever its called in Politicalese) on sunday Rush-hour.

Calcutta also has cheap food! Who in New Delhi could dream of eating Kathi rolls for Rs. 16?
Or authentic Hakka chinese for Rs. 890. with 16 people eating? The second-hand books one gets are amazing, and are sold for something like 6-25 Rs., a throwaway. Try buying books this cheap anywhere in Delhi.

The trams are another lovely feature of the city. A non-polluting, and rapid (for calcutta, rapid!) means of transport which has unfortunately been starved of cash. For those who wish to go at more than 19 kmph, Calcutta also has the metro of sorts, supposedly fully dug by hand, which is rather bad, as compared to those of the world, and Delhi.

A NON Commie, non Momotadi government, run with men like E. Shreedharan. could make Calcutta into a wonderful place to live in within 3 years. The trouble is that Bengalis seem to lack all initiative.