Stories That Stay

A #lone #boat waiting for company at #mandarmanibeach #lovelybeach #bengalsofinstagram #beutifulbengal #mandarmani #seabeach #beachstagram #beachwalk (at Mandarmani)

#sunset view at #Mandarmani near the confluence of Jalda river and #bayofbengal #bengalsofinstagram #bengaltourism #weekendgetaway #beautifulbengal #seaside #sea🌊 (at Mandarmani)

Last year this time...#waiting in #anticipation for #durgapooja #kolkatapujo #kolkata #indiaclicks #kolkataphotography #kolkataclicks #bengalsofinstagram #bengaliculture (at Kumortuli)

Bow to His Highness: Vondaludov Tantrumski #indiedog #indiedogs #indiedogsofinstagram #indiedogsarethebestbreedever #mydogismybestfriend #mydogsaremykids #mydog🐶 (at Patipukur; Lake Town; Kolkata; West Bengal)

Woman! I'm meditating. Put that toy away and leave me in peace. #dogstory #mydog #indiedogs #dogmom #dogmomlife #dogstagram #dogsofinstagram #ilovemydog #dogdiary (at Patipukur; Lake Town; Kolkata; West Bengal)

When the air is heavy with the scent of approaching rain #randomclick #mobileclick #monsoonphotography #cloudscape #trafficlight #streetphotography #instastreet #streetsofkolkata #kolkatagram #kolkataskyline #kolkata (at Patipukur; Lake Town; Kolkata; West Bengal)

"Alone had always felt like an actual place to me, as if it weren’t a state of being, but rather a room where I could retreat to be who I really was." The best part of this book is the honesty with which it is written. There is a reason why it has inspired many. After all, aren't we all bits and pieces of "free spirit" inside without the guts to be free? (at Patipukur; Lake Town; Kolkata; West Bengal)

I picked up this golden book as part of the #readingchallenge2017 (a book I read in high school) and the timing couldn't be more appropriate. You will know why. "While they continued to write and talk, we saw the wounded and dying. While they taught that duty to one's country is the greatest thing, we already knew that death-throes are stronger. But for all that we were no mutineers, no deserters, no cowards-they were very free with all these expressions. We loved our country as much as they; we went continuously into every action; but also we distinguished the false from true, we had suddenly learned to see. And we saw that there was nothing of their world left. We were all at once terribly alone; and alone we must see it through." #highschoolthrowback #bookstagram #bookporn #booknerd #books #bookworms #currentltreading (at Patipukur, West Bengal, India)

If I could go back in time, this is where I would be now. #goa #miramarbeach #sunset #natureshots #naturephotography #mytravelgram #nostalgia #memoriestolastalifetime #memorylane

Miramar is the first book that I have read of Naguib Mahfouz. At 180 pages, this is the shortest book I read, and as expected from a great author, it leaves the most lingering effect. Set in the city of Alexandria, Egypt in the 1960s, the story revolves around the residents of the pension Miramar, its Greek mistress Mariana, and how their lives are impacted when a beautiful peasant girl, Zohra, takes refuge in the pension and starts to work there as a maid. The ending is tragic and the mystery behind the tragedy is slowly built up and unraveled as each chapter is told from the perspective of a resident. Zohra is the steadfast north star and the heart of this intense drama. Amer Wagdi, the retired journalist and the eldest and wisest of the pensioners, narrates the first and the last chapter, thereby setting the conflict and drawing the curtain on the final revelation. What can I say? I can't wait to pick up the Cairo Trilogy! #egypt #naguibmahfouz #readingweek #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #readinglist #classicbooks (at Khobar, Saudi Arabia)

The Black Book of Arabia is a collection of 12 stories of women from different parts of the Arab world. The stories flow linearly; the beginnings hold a lot of promise, the middle feels a bit too rushed as nearly 20-25 years of history is squeezed in here, and the end reveals the struggling protagonists emerge triumphant in life. If it were not for the fact that each story is founded on the real life experiences of real women, these stories would feel amateurish and create little interest. My thought is that these would have made great materials for a documentary or non-fiction. As short stories, they somehow fall short. Kudos to the fighting spirit of women though! #readinglist #readingweek #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #instabooks #instaread (at Khobar, Saudi Arabia)

It's been some time since I posted about the books from my reading list. Gladly, I have finished four books last Month, including three from my Middle East collection, and this and the next few posts will be about them. Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea was a pleasant surprise as I'm not a big fan of Chick Lit, but the narrative in the form of e-mails makes it an interesting and easy read. The book recounts the dreams, struggles, adventures, and self discovery of four young Saudi girls who are childhood friends. It has been called the "Arabian Sex and the City" and was banned after release in Saudi Arabia in 2005. Both views seem extreme to me. I would recommend this book to anyone who is new to the Saudi culture because it offers quite a titbit and insights about clothes, customs, beliefs, and mannerisms of Saudi men and women. And as the author mentions in her note, after reading it, one surely feels that no matter what the place, the hopes and dreams of girls are not very different from girls anywhere else in the world. #girlsofriyadh #saudiarabia #readinglist #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #books #bookworms #bookaddict (at Khobar, Saudi Arabia)

It's been some time since I posted about the books from my reading list. Gladly, I have finished four books this month, including these three are from my Middle East collection and this is going to be a long post. Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea was a pleasant surprise as I'm not a big fan of Chic Lit, but the narrative in the form of e-mails makes it an interesting and easy read. The book recounts the dreams, struggles, adventures, and self discovery of four young Saudi girls. It has been tagged the "Arabian Sex and the City" and was banned after release in Saudi Arabia in 2005. Both views seem extreme to me. I would recommend this book to anyone who is new to the Saudi culture because it offers quite a titbit and humorous insights about clothes, customs, and mannerisms of Saudi men and women. The Black Book of Arabia is a collection of 12 stories of women from different parts of the Arab world. The stories flow linearly; the beginnings hold a lot of promise, the middle feels too rushed as nearly 20-25 years of history is squeezed in in this part, and the end reveals the struggling protagonists emerge triumphant in life. If it were not for the fact that each story is founded on the real life experiences of real women, these stories would feel amateurish and create little interest. My thought is that these would have made great materials for a documentary or non-fiction. As short stories, they somehow fall short. And I have kept the best for the last. Miramar is the first book that I have read by Naguib Mahfouz. At 180 pages, this is the shortest book I read, and as expected from a great author, it leaves the most lingering effect. The story is around the residents of the pension Miramar, its Greek mistress Mariana, and how their lives are impacted when a beautiful peasant girl, Zohra, takes refuge in the pension and starts to work there as a maid. The end is tragic and the mystery around the tragedy is withheld till the last moment as each chapter is told from the perspective of a resident. Zohra is the steadfast north star and heart of this intense drama. Don't hesitate to add this one to your wish list! (at Khobar, Saudi Arabia)

To the "bluised" one out there... #feelingblue #poemsporn #poems #shelsilverstein (at Khobar, Saudi Arabia)

Move over creme brûlée and welcome #ummali (Umm Ali), the yummilicious #egyptian sweet that I've been dying to taste ever since I came to #saudiarabia and it's been worth the wait. Simply loving it! #sweets #arabicsweets #dessert #dessertporn #sweettooth #desserts #dessertlover (at Khobar, Saudi Arabia)

#chandeliers and #lights at display at a shop at @alrashid_mall in #khobar #mytravelgram #postcardsfromtheworld #saudiarabia (at Khobar, Saudi Arabia)

Finally, I get to taste #kunafa , the Arabic cheesecake and probably one of the Middle East's most popular sweet dishes, and tick one off my food wishlist. #foodstagram #foodporn #foodie #foodaddict #arabicfood #arabicsweets (at Saadeddin Pastry)