Sen's Bucket

Sanjibani Sudha by Sanjeeb Chattopadhay In life, the viewpoint differs in as many ways perhaps, as they are people, and also people that have been there. In this entire permutation and combination of views, there always needs to be a 'break'; break from a conventional outlook into something which is more real, critical, has the right filling of humor and sarcasm, or even some moral science in some cases. This is exactly what Sanjeeb Chattopadhay's Bengali masterpiece 'Sanjibani Sudha' does, and does it in the way characteristic of the writer. The fine art of writing about something, making it tangible, entertaining in the right bits, criticizing it without including toxicity in narration, is the work of a seasoned writer, and Sanjeeb babu does it perfectly.

Adarsha Hindu Hotel by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhay There was once a time, when eating at eateries was very different from today; the codes of service and management were strongly different from current dispensation. This holds true for the characters too, even though racism was also more clearly present in everyday life. Politics at work place existed even then; mismanagement and employee favoritism was known. Humane people were perhaps more common. These are some of the overarches that comes strongly when delving into the world of Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhay's Adarsha Hindu Hotel, set in the city of Ranaghat in pre-partition Bengal. The book is obviously about more things, but these remain some of the broader underlings of this Bengali novel. 

Small Towns Big Stories by Ruskin Bond An existence and a life-long romantic relationship, with the smaller towns and cities of northern India's hilly areas, Ruskin Bond excelled at documenting life in these places. So much so, even if one may not have any plans to alias with cities like Shamli or Deoli, knowing the characters in these heartland areas becomes far more vivid and true, with Ruskin's style of writing. There could well be those who don't perhaps, even think of Ruskin's works to be anything serious, but it can be said with great moral conviction that, there is every bit the chance, their views change. In a world of conflict of various shades, it makes for great read to delve into lives whose shades are more realistic, vivid, perhaps romantic in ways, sketched on the literary canvas by a person, who knows how to do it best. Great read, Rusty!

Latest entry from the Jack Daniel's stable Jack Daniel's as a name has been known to always pull off something stunt-worthy, when it comes to taking their stable of Tennessee whiskeys, to whole new heights. This time, they bring in the the 'Tennessee Fire', which truly stands by it's name. Introduced by Brown Forman India, the company being the brand's guardian in India, this liquor comes into the Indian market slightly later than some of the international markets, but will truly be a strong test for the Indian whiskey drinkers. By their own description, the Tennessee Fire happens to be " Tennessee Fire is a specific blend of Jack Daniel’s very own cinnamon liquor and Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey, the brand’s signature product."  

Some of the sample shirts at the event With 'Make in India' aspirations to drive the country's growth still very much in priority, it was quiet the positive development watching one of India's homegrown enterprises taking a bite of the Indian sportswear market. Alcis Sportswear, based out of Noida, have targeted the similar kind of space where typically the big names of the sportswear world, have made their hay and turned into corporate behemoths. Alcis has launched their line of jerseys/t-shirts, most of which use distinctive fabric technology and recycling, to create products which are much more eco-friendly, distinctively fashionable, and even within the budgets of many. While typically the bigger names of the industry have made hay with a few tweaks of designing, Alcis proves that there is enough to do in the space of sportwear for the Indian entity too.

The length of the pool from the other side Fitness and hobby activities are always a lucrative idea for all, and when there is a pool involved, things are meant to go a notch up higher. New Fitness entity Fitso SEALs have ventured into the NCR region with the unveiling of the region's first pre-heated indoor swimming pool, where pros and newbies can splash alongside. The pool is based within the basement section of the LPS Global School in Sector 51 Noida, which by itself is a relatively new campus, giving in a sense of freshness to the entire launch event taking place on the 17th of December, 2017. The place did warm up, owing to the presence of locals and management alike, to witness the facilities, get word on the memberships, and perhaps even buying if it fit their budget.