Duke University and Durham

Durham in North Carolina is the seat of the Duke University. Its quite a cute little town, like most small US towns I guess. The landscape is well crafted, with green forests and lakes and waterbodies in between, dotted with small towns very close to each other.
Durham downtown is small. We went to a mall complex as well as the mills converted to pubs and restaurants. Quite a relaxed chill environment. And there is sooo much space everywhere! Between buildings, and shops.. Everything feels so grand and spacey. Coming from Bombay, it does mean a lot:).
I also visited the Duke University in Durham and what a breathtaking
place it is to study! With woods all around and nature trails within the university to spend time in. The student halls are built in stone, typical European style. The university chapel is a pretty picture as are the stadiums in the campus.



Am just posting some photos. Quite an old-style inspired university, must be a pleasure to study in:).

First Impressions : The big apple, New York

My first visit to what some people say, is the best city in the world. And my first impression? Well, I'll reserve my judgement till I give the city more time, have heard it grows on you:). As of now, I liked the city, and could feel there is a lot to do there. But that will be confirmed only later on:).

Anyways, since this visit was quite touristy as I had a lot of free time with myself, let me just talk about what all there is to see and do on a short trip to NY. The standard places which any tourist would go to would be Times Square, Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building. I did a walk from 33rd Street onwards on Broadway till Times Square and found it one of the most liveliest streets I have ever been on.
 There were so many people everywhere, quite fashionably dressed and generally having a good day outside. Its a nice walk, with lot of shops and coffee places to spend time at. And of course the skyscrapers all around you, wherever you go.. quite a trademark of New York, isn't it?

Times Square is fully lighted up as you may have already seen it
on TV and movies, countless number of times! Its surprising to see this place always full of people irrespective of the time of the day! And its too crowded! But I guess anyone will give this place a visit, it being the tourist centre literally. You may go there once to visit but never again!!

You can take a ferry to the Statue of Liberty island if you are very
keen,but I would actually suggest to take the free Staten Island ferry which goes from New York to the Island and then back. It gives a good view of the statue, which I think is quite nice.



Plus its a nice ferry ride too especially when the weather is good! You get to see a different view of the famed Mahattan skyline too! As for the Empire State Building, I did not go up but supposedly its a must-do.

In downtown, you can go to the Southstreet seaport, Pier 17, a happening place with lots of eating places and with a view of Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Bridge.
Its a nice place to sit and have a coffee while observing
whats happening around. There is the famous 'Bodies' exhibition also here, which is apparently quite interesting. Did not get a chance to see it though.




Ground Zero in downtown, the site of the WTC is another place visited by many. As of now, its fully under construction and you can get a look at the kind of building that will come up there.

Also, there are couple of parks here and there nearby, two of them
where I went being Washington Park and Union Park. Its nice to sit there and just chill and relax, I just loved spending time there. With students all around just relaxing and having a nice time. There might be some village markets there too, with people selling foodstuff and fresh produces. You may also see some people sitting there with chess boards inviting people to play with them for money. Don't go by their lacklustre dressing, they will play with you, beat you and take your money too!

Central Park is another must visit. Its huge, splendid and an
oasis in the city. You can even boat there, or just laze around sipping a drink next to the lake, or just attend a festival going on around it. There are couple of museums also nearby which are apparently good. Did not get a chance to visit them, or the Broadway shows either, but both are something I am really looking forward to!

Eating places abound in New York. Every few paces you will come across another eating joint, and most of them serve very tasty food. From the roadside cheaper options to the high end ones, they are all there.

I don't think I can even begin to write about the food New York has to offer. I tried a couple of places at the Village which were good. And of course, Little Italy. The Italian food there is just as it is in Italy, looks simple and tastes heavenly, just like home cooked food. Bars are in plenty too, and generally lively till late and very chill. But beware, the bartenders serve alcohol with generosity!

Transport is good and easy, with the convenient subway and the Path and of course the cheap cabs. And cabs can be even more fun if the driver is a South Asian, you can be sure of a long and interesting chat all the way:).

New Port in New Jersey is a popular place for all the desis to stay. With a view of the Manhattan skyline, living close to New York but with the comforts of a small town US city, quite an interesting place I wud say!! The go-to place for anything Indian, whether food stuff or movies:)

New York can get pretty hot in summer, I never knew that. Was quite a revelation. And of course the winters will be baddd! Lets see how it goes...

Shopping seems quite good in the city, whatever little I saw of it. One shop I was really impressed with was Macys. What a store!!! Its huge, with multiple floors and selling anything and everything at great prices. And if you land up on a sale day, a very good deal too! Would love to shop there!!

Anyways these are my first impressions about the city. On the whole, a nice experience, a lively city, very buzzed. Lets see how the real experience is like!!

Non Bohemian Goa : Leela

This would be the first post about a luxury resort, but the Leela in Goa does deserve one:).. Twas my first stay at the non-bohemian Goa, away from the Bagas and the Calangutes.. The world of private beaches and saunas and casinos:) and quite a pampering experience it was...It was a little too short, just two days, as it always is in Goa but we made full use of the time we had!

The Leela in Goa is spread over a huge area.. The rooms all have

a lagoon view, with the lagoons built artificially within the resort. The landscaping at the resort is quite elaborate, with stones and waterfalls etc. The facilities for different activities within the resort are ample: you can cycle within the resort, dip in the pool with its own waterfall and caves:),

lose money at the casino, pamper yourself at the spa, try your skill at golf, party at aqua, take part in activities conducted by the resort (especially for kids), browse through their CD collection if you in the mood for indoor recreation, play tennis! And so on..

The biggest plus of course is the huge stretch of private beach

just next to the resort. With very few people and very turbulent waters, just the perfect way to relax in the sea, isn't it?

Also the casino is something which you don't really get in other towns of india. One negative though, the tables are all machine operated which isn't the same as being in a people operated casino, but what the hell! You lose money anyways!!

The resort has a couple of good eating options. The Italian

restaurant at riverside has the perfect location with the ferries and the village on the opposite side of the river. At night with the twinkling lights, it was a sight to behold. Food was nothing much to write home about there though.

There is an Indian restaurant too, jamavar, a coffee shop, a seaside seafood grill next to the sea (its closed during monsoons though) and the poolside bar. The poolside bar has happy hours at really cheap prices and a view of the golf course and the sea beyond. A great place to just sip and relax!

All in all, a good resort, allowing you to pamper yourself, relax and have a good fun filled time...

The lost cause of Calcutta..

Or Kolkata to be correct. But frankly, no one cares. Either about the name (thankfully!! unlike Mumbai!!) or about the city either (sadly!), or actually I think Calcuttans do care about the city.. Its the authorities which lack that feeling! A renowned city of old, and look at what it has become now? Surely no one cares about what its called since there are much more and bigger problems in the city to worry about.

Anyways, I had a short stay in Calcutta and am just writing about what i saw and felt about the city during this stay. Of what all the city could have had to offer, if.. Calcutta was a grand city built by the British long ago and in the typical British style. You can see the remnants of the grandeur still, wide roads, huge stone buildings, built to beauty, parks and open spaces left for leisure... Yes, that is how the British had built the Calcutta of old.

Of the places to visit in the city, the main attraction is the Victoria

Memorial of the same British times, a grand building celebrating the British empire. It sure is grand and charming, with attractive gardens all around. In the evenings, lot of people gather around eating the roadside stuff and generally strolling in the gardens nearby.

In stark contrast is the Calcutta of today, a city of chaos (yes, its an exaggeration, but it is so ironic, given how the city was originally built !!). The traffic is terrible, there is a general lack of driving sense, cars are parked on roads blocking the traffic, people drive wherever they want to with no respect for rules, what else can you call it but chaos? The time it takes to reach from one place to another is always at least 1.5 hours, irrespective of the distance and the time of the day!! Crazy!!

The hand pulled rickshaws still abound in the city and that sight will hit you whenever you see them. How can something like this still exist? Well in Calcutta it can.

Another sight native to Calcutta (I have never seen it before, or

thought it possible) is of the traffic police holding people with a rope to prevent them from crossing the road! I was shocked to see but apparently this is usual!! If the police does not hold the crowd, they will continue to cross the road and the cars will not be able to pass!!! This was very funny actually:). The traffic police is present everywhere in the city though, they are essential to the working of the city. Wonder what would happen without them managing the traffic!!

The government for one does not really seem interested in the development of the city (or the state for that matter!). This is evident from the time you enter the city: at the airport itself. I would rate Calcutta airport as one of the worst in India. The toilets actually stink!! I did not know that this can happen at airports also! Its actually a shock, that this is what the state of Bengal is coming to. With Bengalis being one of the most educated people in India and since a long time, its a shame how little development happens in their own state!

Enough of the cribs now though:), time for some positives for the city! Shopping being the major one and puchke being the other one:). The puchke of Kolkata are sooo tasty, their huge size which is difficult to eat in one go, the yummy spicy water, its just heavenly!! A must-have for anyone in Calcutta even if for a short time!

Also the shopping for embroidered stuff in Calcutta is one of the best in the country. The designs, the quality of embroidery and the variety is something you may not get in other cities of the country. We did most of our shopping at Burra Bazaar which is the Chandni Chowk of Calcutta. Its tough to get there with the traffic, but once there you will be pleasantly surprised with the amount of stuff available in the market.

Shop after shop with tons of stuff, your mind will reel with what all is available there. Sarees, lehengas, suits, all kinds of work and countless designs. If you are fond of value-for-money shopping, this is the place for you.

Jewellery in Calcutta is also good, with countless designs available. And lastly, if ever in Calcutta, definitely visit Sree Leather, you can get whatever you want in leather, shoes, bags, purses, belts, jackets and so on, all at throwaway prices. For someone buying such stuff for much more in branded shops, the shop will make you go crazy. Its a must visit again.

P.S. I know a lot of people who love the city and am sure Calcutta has a lot to offer. This article is just based on my short stay in the city, and just on my experiences. I am sure its not the full picture, but its at least my picture of the city, just my view that there is so much more that the city can become, which right now it isn't. Hope I dont offend anyone:)