Habitat for Humanity
Following the Paris attacks that claimed 129 lives on 13 November, President Hollande thundered: “France will launch new air strikes on the IS strongholds in Syria…”
Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump said the Paris attacks would have been different if people had guns. How ridiculous!
Can terror be tamed with guns?
Fragrance of shiuli, silvery white kaash phool swaying gently against an azure sky herald the festive season for the Bengalis. The poet’s heart leaps up in joy–eshehchey sharot himer posrosh… There’s happiness in the air. People heave a sigh of relief following an uninterrupted and unbearable spell of sticky, sultry and humid summer.
Bengalis yearn for this time of the year amid all angst and misery. Forgetting all woes and pains they remain immersed in this time of festivity and fun.
It’s Saturday evening. The area is chock-a-bloc with tourists and backpackers, shoppers and casual visitors. The tide of traffic at Tsim Tsa Tsui runs thick and fast. But in the hustle and bustle of the weekend crowd, one can hardly miss an essential character of the place—its vitality and vibrancy.
Welcome to Chungking Mansions at 32-44 Nathan Road in Hong Kong.
Destination: 53 Martin Place, Sydney.
The address has become a well-known location now after a radical Muslim named Man Haron Monis held hostage 10 customers and eight employees of Lindt Café in the morning rush hour on 15 December 2014. The 16-hour siege ended after the gunman was killed. The incident also claimed two innocent lives.
If you’re visiting Sydney in winter make sure you join a whale-watching cruise that departs from Circular Quay, Sydney Harbor. The whale-watching season along New South Wales’s east coast starts from May and continues till November.
Our flight from Alice Spring (Northern Territory, central Australia) landed at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith airport around 6 in the evening. With dazzling light and sparkling billboards, Sydney looked incredible at night.
Do you know Pratima Bandyopadhyay’s famous song—Amar hath dhore tumi niye cholo sokha-was a remake? Or that Mohd Rafi was the first Indian to sing an English pop. Do you know Jibone jare tumi daoni mala, morone keno tare dite ele phool is not a Nazrulgeeti? He would tell you all this with effortless ease and elan. He is no quiz buff strong in Indian songs. He’s a researcher who delves deep into the world of harmony.
Meet Siddhartha Dasgupta.
Want to immerse yourself in the magic of the Australian outback? Take a trip to Uluru.
The final leg of our journey to Uluru began. As we travelled about 50km, we came across Mt Conner. Mt Conner is often mistaken for Uluru by unsuspecting tourists. When I saw Mt Conner, I could at once make out why this formation fools many people.
Mt Conner is a flat-topped hillock that is about 2821ft high, and like Uluru, is a sacred site for Yankunytjatjara people. It is located on Curtin Springs Station, and the best way to see it is to book a tour at Curtin Springs. Our bus stopped for 15 minutes. I hurriedly got off the bus to take a look as the sun was shining weakly through a cloud cover.
Thanks for stopping by.
