Sunday, April 01, 2007

Subscribed Hashers: Zoria, Vineet, Iipui, Neela, Siddiqui, Carl, Madhuri
Regular Hashers& visitors: Rajesh Poddar and Niti
Guests: Adam, Albert

We walked up to the Banyan tree that Adam, a photogram-mer and artist, Englishman in New York, had been planning to see, since his first visit to Calcutta some ten years ago, without getting around to making the expedition. Iipui picked up some flowers of the cannon ball tree and she and Adam were entranced by the heady perfume. Siddiqui seemed to be smelling Mahua everywhere though we couldn't see the yellow flowers that are supposed to be so intoxicating. I have a bottle of Mahua from Shantiniketan and as a farewell to Margherita on 22 April we can organize a brunch in the garden with Madhuri taking charge of the Mohua Rum Punch, and Carl of the smoked beler sarbat! This was the first time that Adam had seen a bel/wood apple tree. I saw a red dragonfly which I promptly called a grasshopper. I'm not very on the ball early in the morning!

We saw a mongoose, langurs, kingfishers and the white birds bakla (take your pick of egret, pond heron or whatever).

Back at the Taj, we put on our new red and black T shirts with the logo in front and the Kolkata skyline(of the yellow T shirts) on the back and the Taj on the sleeve. For guests it's Rs.200, for hashers and visiting hashers it's Rs.100 and subscribed hashers it's inclusive. So if you haven't already paid your thousand, please do so for the next 6 months! Adam has bought the Tshirt and will become a subscribed hasher when he's back in town later this year. Madhuri's backpack is also in the pipeline!

Niti, who is here for the week, was happy to join the hash with Rajesh who gave her a lift. They left early after breakfast. We had a leisurely breakfast and Adam even showed us the hand bound art books he's getting made in Cal. The calligraphy is taken from the epitaphs of our Park Street cemetery!

Rajesh P. will be traveling for 6 weeks. Rajesh Nath was away in Delhi. He'll be heading to Aranayak, an hour away from Calcutta on the Kona highway, this weekend. It has started getting pretty hot in the mornings so we shall have to switch to our summer time of 7 am and this Sunday being Easter Sunday we will meet in front of St. Paul's Cathedral near the Birla Planetarium and walk around Victoria Memorial before heading to Thandai/Malgudi Junction on Camac Street for breakfast. In the afternoon there is a Free Film Festival at Princeton Club between 3 and 6 p.m. It's open house so please join us for the premiere.

8 April 7am in front of St. Paul's Cathedral near Birla Planetarium, walk around Victoria Memorial to Thandai on Camac Street

15 April 7am in front of Taratala Nature Park to walk around Mudiali Fisherman's Cooperative Breakfast at Taj

22 April 7am in front of Calcutta Rowing Club, to walk around the lakes. Breakfast at Banana Leaf

29 April 7am Central Park Breakfast at Sojourn

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