My Coffee House Experience

Starbucks may have revolutionised the coffee house culture in the world but many don’t know that India had its own “Coffee House” way before Starbucks was formed. Ask any Bengali about the song, “Coffee Houser Sei Adda Ta”, and everyone will immediately recognise the famous Manna De number. Such was the importance or rather popularity of “Coffee House” that a whole new song got composed on it.

Whenever I would hear the song, I longed to be there where famous people like Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit Ray, Manna De himself and many others graced the premises of the old building. I would imagine how it would be to sit in one corner and have “adda” sessions with friends in the midst of a crowd that probably housed many upcoming famous people.

This summer my dream came true when I got to visit “Coffee House of College Street” as it is fondly called. Honestly speaking it had nothing of my imagination. I has always thought of coffee houses in their present avatars like a CCD or Barista. But “Coffee House” had the old world look to it, which I assumed they preserved with a motive. It was a huge hall of red coloured cemented floors and walls. Dozens of chairs and tables were arranged in an organised manner around the place. I, along with my companions took a corner table of four while at the same time glancing over the many occupied tables with interest hoping to see a known face. Though I didn’t really experience an adda session there, I could well imagine what it would be like to sit there and chat with friends for hours. How I longed to sit there and experience it. As I sipped my cold coffee, I wondered was it in the environment of the restaurant that such intellectuals were born or was it something else. Well, whatever it was for me it was an experience that I would hold dear for ever.

A childhood fantasy ….

Enid Blyton, the lady who rules my childhood memories. The author who taught me the meaning of adventure, independence, fun, friends, gatherings, lemonade, secret clubs, sheds, summer holidays, winter breaks…oh!! So many things, things that I can still identify with even after many many years.

Me and my friends worshipped her. We went a step ahead than others and actually formed a secret club in the hope that we would solve brilliant mysteries and make our parents proud. At the tender age of 9 or 10 we could go out with our pockets filled with a torch, notebook, and pencils in search of adventure (now I wonder, if only adventure could be searched!!!). But once we would reach our so called “destination” all our courage would wither away and we would be scuttling home like terrified puppies. And that marked the end of our adventure.

Today, after many many years, the childhood dream to explore the unexplored came true. My friend and I walked a lonely road talking to glory about life, our frustrations, our aspirations etc, when we came to a dead- end of a road. The end was by an incomplete house that overlooked a stream. Standing outside the house, I wanted to go in desperately, but my mind was continuously warning me not to trespass someone’s private property. (oh! the so called societal norms!!!) After much persuasion from my friend and now I thank her for doing so, we entered. I immediately went for the terrace to get an overview of the stream and the overlooking hill. Oh!! how I loved the place and what it had to offer me. Just wanted to sit down there and spend hours (crying maybe?).

Well anyway, moving on, I did manage to fulfil a childhood dream of going somewhere, doing something that was prohibited but at the same time childish. Just loved the moment when I became a child again and relived my Enid Blyton dreams!!

Does HE exist???

I have often asked myself what God means to me. What is the thing that makes me believe in the existence of the Almighty. But I can never get a straight answer. I just know that there is someone mightier than me somewhere who listens to me and becomes my strength whenever necessary.

I have grown up seeing religious festivities around me. My house has a “seemingly” very powerful God; Narayan. My mother has always said that He is the one who guides our lives and makes things better for us. In school too I would sing prayer hymns with everyone, never understanding its importance or necessity. However, in my adolescence, I could not make myself believe in the existence of this supernatural power. I always felt that this was just a believe my mother had that made her strong. I never saw anything good happening because of Him. Actually I could never see things in that light, could never believe that someone else could make our live better. Often I would ask little things from Him, some very materialistic others being tangiable things. But never did my wishes come true, never did I see any change taking place.

But all these things suddenly changed. When I look back today, I feel it was an overnight’s change that dawned on me. Suddenly I started believing in His existence. I thought why not give Him and myself a chance; why not try to believe in Him. So I did that. But the real change or rather development came when I visited Mathura in the year 2006. I went there with the rather cliché thought of finding a dirty place thronged with thousands of people battling it out to show their believe in Him. However, I was in for a pleasant surprise. I reached there at around 8 in the morning when the temple had just opened. The place was being cleaned and washed and in the background “bhajans” were being played. The whole atmosphere was totally different to what I had expected. The place actually gave me the jitters. Suddenly with a start I felt that yes HE EXISTED.

That was the day when my believe in Him and His powers changed. I slowly started respecting the Almighty. I started thanking Him instead of asking Him, and that was where the major difference occurred. I realised that even before asking Him anything we need to thank Him for all we have. Ever since I have been doing that and have had a rather peaceful life.

Where is Shillong's lost glory heading towards?

No one can deny that Shillong is growing very fast. Every year, there are massive changes occurring in and around the city. The government is doing much for the capital. However, there are certain areas that have been totally neglected over the years. Commuting around the city is one such area and has more than often caused problems for the people. The only means of local transport are the taxis, whereas other cities across India have regular bus services for the same purpose.

In the other cities of India, buses form the main means of local transportation. Moreover, cities like Mumbai, Kolkata can also boast of local trains. Even the smaller cities and towns across the country have local bus for the convenience of the people. However, Shillong is way behind in this basic means of transportation. There are very few buses running around the city and that too far- in- between making it difficult for the citizens to board them. Even if one gets into one such bus, he is destined to be late for his work because these buses run at their own will and stop wherever they want for long periods of time. And if anyone tells the driver or the conductor to hurry they just get rude and ignore the humble request of the passengers.

In the other cities, not only are there efficient bus services throughout the day, they are also well connected with affordable rates. Some cities also have monthly passes, wherein they can pay the organisation once a month and enjoy the services throughout the month. Moreover, these buses have special sitting arrangements for women and senior citizens. The bus drivers and conductors are also well-behaved.

In Shillong, most of the city bus have been converted into make shift lorries for the “bastis”. There are seen more often carrying vegetables and heavy sacks instead of people! Some of the buses are in such horrible conditions that many would avoid them in any case. Moreover, the local taxis have become such convenient means of transport that people do not mind paying extra for better comfort.

It is high time that the government awakens from their deep slumber on this matter and take some steps to revive the lost glory of the local bus services. The now dormant Shillong City Bus Syndicate should probably merge with the Meghalaya Transport Corporation (MTC) similar to the likes of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) or Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and run the local buses. The corporation should also build proper and clean shades for the awaiting passengers. The issuing of tickets should also be made more transparent. The frequency of some of the buses in Shillong also becomes a problem. More buses with better frequencies should be introduced to increase the popularity of the local buses.

If these suggestions are taken up and the dying city bus service is revived it will help each and every citizen of Shillong. It will also help to build a better Shillong in terms of communication.

I VOTED!!!!!

My first experience in exercising my right to vote!!! Oh!! The initial excitement of just the idea of voting was superb. I was counting days, asking my elders about the voting process, basically doing everything I thought “I was supposed to do and know”.

And ultimately the day came!! I woke up at 5:30 with full excitement that I will vote. Though the voting process starts at 7 a.m, I was there in the booth by 6:15 a.m. As I was standing in queue for my turn to come, I realised that I did not even know who were the candidates standing for my constituency. Until then I hadn’t realised that I never gave it a thought. I was quite happy with the idea of voting and with minimal knowledge that a candidate from my locality was standing in the state elections. When I saw the names of the other candidates, I was quite disheartened. Not only because I did not know the to- be- MLA’s of my constituency but also at my ignorance.

After casting my vote (but to the obvious), when I returned home, I started thinking. This mustn’t be an individual case of ignorance but a widespread phenomenon. But who is to be blamed for this. Is it us the voters, the citizens who do not take interest in our political upswings or is it the political parties who control the whole system. In an instant we would immediately blame the latter for not doing enough, for corruption and many more misdeeds. Yes, it is right to say that they are to be blamed. As MLA’s and MP’s these people never visit our homes or localities to see the actual plight of the people and for this reason we, in turn, do not know them. At the most we hear about them time and again in the news papers and if we get very “lucky” than we see them in some function. But as responsible citizens do we do anything at all? We too don’t take any interest in what happens around us as long as it doesn’t affect us.

So, at the end, who is to be blamed? In all honesty both parties are to be blamed for all these things. After actually casting my vote today I realised that I should have known who the other candidates are. And on their part, they should have made an effort to come over and let us know that they are contesting and not just send there workers.

I just hope that my this realisation lasts till the next elections and I do keep a track of atleast the contesting candidates if not of anything else.