Bijoya

Growing up, I didn't resent an occasional friendly jab of "Angrez ki aulad" ("spawn of the English") from Raju. Raju meant that I wasn't being very Indian (or Bangali). That quality has traveled and aged well. In spite of residency and citizenship, nobody would accuse me of being overly Texan or American either.

But there's an exception - the Durga Puja.

Vivian - I can't read or write Bangla. But perhaps I can impart to you a bit of that other essence of being bong - the Durga Puja. I can recollect only a handful of Pujas - during my HPS years and occasional trips back during Puja. But the memories are powerful. Five days of celebrating and visiting and new clothes and late nights and the sounds of frenzied drumming and scents of dhoop and the tastes of bhog and the trips to the pandals and the kola-koli and pranam. In my world of festivals, there's Durga Puja, and there's stamp collecting.

Happy Bijoya greetings to all.