The Land of Pho

Baidurya Travel

It was the first time the three of us were going out of India together, and that too with the entire gang from Ritika’s side! We flew from Kolkata to Hanoi and spent a day there. Hanoi was a colourful city with the familiar buzz of big cities. On the very first evening, we went for the traditional Vietnamese food- pho ga (the chicken soupy noodles) and Banh xeo (a Vietnamese crepe).

Pic 1: On our way to Hanoi

Pic 2: First dinner in Hanoi- Sipping a beer while Ritika keeps our toddler engaged!

Pic 3: Where taste meets simplicty: Pho ga (left) and Banh xeo (right)

The Banh xeo was a learning experience though- we had to combine the leaves with the crepe and dip it in the sauce before eating. It’s always interesting when you are exposed to different cuisines; you not only taste something new, but you also have to learn how to eat it. Just like ilish mach (the Hilsa fish found in Bengal). Just because someone from Kerala or Goa eats fish, they can’t magically come to Bengal and start eating ilish. There is a certain technique to debone and eat it, which most Bengalis have mastered over the years. Not something easy to master quickly.

Anyways, back to our trip. After dinner, we rode their version of a cycle-rikshaw around Hoan Kiem Lake. In this version, the passenger’s back faces the driver, giving an uninterrupted view as we travel.

Pic 4: Cycle-rikshaw ride in Hanoi

Pic 5: Arhat enticed by the fire on Hanoi streets

The next morning we went to the ‘Temple of Literature’, which is dedicated to Confucius. Built around 1070AD, it also hosted Vietnam’s first university for over 700 years.

Pic 6: At the ‘Temple of Literature’, Hanoi

And before meeting up with the rest of the family who were travelling from Delhi, we sat at a cafe next to the gorgeous St. Joseph’s Cathedral, trying the egg coffee for the first and last time! Not suitable for my taste buds.

Pic 7: St. Joseph’s Cathedral (left), the famous Vietnamese egg coffee (right)

We finally met as a group and travelled to Ninh Binh. It was a quaint little town where rice fields, wetlands, rivers and limestone towers all merge to form a beautiful landscape. We visited the Mua Caves and the Bich Dong Pagoda, a Buddhist complex built inside a limestone mountain. Here Tintin climbed the stairs with utmost enthusiasm, and even we struggled to catch our breath.

Pic 8: Entrance of the Bich Dong Pagoda

Pic 9: Trekking the pagoda (left), after the descent (right)

Pic 10: Entrance to the Mua caves, Ninh Binh

Our last stop, also where we spent most of our time, was Lan Ha Bay, which was next to the Cat Ba islands. We gave Halong Bay a pass because we wanted a place with fewer crowds, and Lan Ha Bay was a perfect match. The resort was right next to a secluded beach and overlooked the emerald blue waters and karsts emerging from the water in the distance.

Pic 10: Arhat with his cousin, Ved, at the Flaming Cat Ba resort, Cat Ba Island

Pic 11: View from the resort, Cat Ba Island

We went on a cruise, and it was probably one of the most beautiful scenes I witnessed on the water. Karst limestone towers emerged from the water. They have stood there for hundreds of thousands of years, though in a different form. These structures are skeletons of an ancient seabed. The water was uncannily quiet as the limestone towers absorbed any waves.

Pic 12: View from the cruise deck- the jagged limestone karst towers emerging from the blue waters

Pic 13: The rare times he poses for the camera!

Pic 14: Cruise control- Arhat enjoying the captain’s view

There is a Vietnamese folklore that says dragons descended from the heavens to protect the country and spat out jewels, which are these islands!

We also did our first kayaking in these waters, where Ritika and I questioned the strength of our relationship based on how uncoordinated we were (yes, we were in a fighting phase for a few days!). On the last day, we discovered a wonderful trek next to our resort that led to some beautiful views of the ocean.

Pic 15: Climbing the stairs near the beach (left), the view (right)

Pic 16: Our coordination in the kayak was inversely proportional to our real-life coordination!

Pic 17: View from the top- secluded beach between two resorts

The pristine waters of the bay, the thriving greenery of the land and the delicious pho-  pretty much sum up our Vietnam trip!

Pic 18: Crossing bridges literally (connecting the buildings of our resort)

In the jungles of Garpanchkot

Baidurya A Teacher's Tale , , , , ,

It was Ritika’s birthday. And we were duty-bound to go somewhere close to nature.

And that’s where the beautiful Garpanchkot came in. The drive from Kolkata was long but smooth. The Durgapur Expressway / NH-19 was one of the better roads that I drove on in West Bengal. After a lunch stop in Asansol, we reached Garpanchkot in Purulia. We spent most of the first evening resting and sleeping. 

Pic 1: In Purulia, Oct, 2026

Pic 2: Palash Bithi resort- our cottage for two nights

The resort was located right in the jungle. It had four cottages. A big pond was next to our cottage. In the morning one could see many different birds. One morning, a big pond heron sat for close to an hour staring at the jungle! And then there were hens and ducks cooing and quacking all day on the premises. Quite a noisy bunch!

Pic 3: An endless fascination with ducks!

On Day 2, we went to the ruins of the Garpanchkot temples. It was interesting to learn that the Bargis (Maratha raiders) had plundered this place. The raids, along with internal conflicts, contributed to the abandonment of the old capital, while the royal family later relocated to Kashipur. Clearly as historians point out often that plunder of temples were not done necessarily due to the difference in faith but territorial ambitions.

Pic 4: The ruins of Garpanchkot

One evening, we visited Baranti Lake, which was quite picturesque, though a little crowded at sunset. The hills overlooked the lake and formed a beautiful landscape. Honestly, the real fun was driving to and from the lake. On the way, Google Maps showed a road through the field, and our car was the only one on it. And while returning on a better route, we navigated pitch darkness and again realized we were the only car driving! It was quite a thrill!

Pic 5: Sunset at Baranti lake

On our last day (Day 3), we went to a 7.5 km long nature trail. While walking, we saw spiders bigger than our palms and butterflies prettier than the most beautiful flowers. I was surprised to see this long and beautiful trail completely deserted. Such trails are a rare thing and I am sure people simply aren’t aware enough to access it. Unfortunately, the walk was brief, as Ritika heard sounds and her mind interpreted them as anything from a lion to a bear (I was sure it was construction noise coming from far away!).

Pic 6: Garpanchkot Nature trail- an absolute must visit!

While returning to Kolkata on Sunday, we made a quick stopover at Maithon Dam and experienced it by boat. Arhat was loudly protesting against the boat ride but finally relented. Later, he mentioned he even enjoyed it! 

Pic 7: Boating at Maithon dam (the life jackets are a display of both caution and fear of rocky boat rides!)

Garpanchkot was one of the rare trips where nature was firmly at the centre, not the accommodation or the typical trip checklist. What will stay with us are the green forests and lakes, and the lack of tourists all around!

Pic 8: A jungle trail near the resort

Singapore 2026

Baidurya Travel , , , ,

I got a chance to travel to Singapore in May 2026, thanks to an invitation by a friend to attend Teach for All’s Better Future Forum conference. As it happens, growing up in a family of limited means, a chance to travel is much more than attending a conference- it’s about discovering a new place, culture, people and the way of life.

One of the first things that struck me as soon as I landed in Changi airport was the smoothest possible immigration I have ever faced. I just walked out of the airport by scanning my passport and a camera scanning my face. There were a couple of immigration officers standing to aid travelers who might be struggling with this process. Amazing efficiency!

Pic 1: Singapore Changi airport

As I landed quite early, I dropped my bag in the hotel and headed out for breakfast. I was staying in the Katong area and found a 100-year-old cafe- Chin Mee Chin confectionery where I had the signature kaya toast and kopi (coffee) with soft-boiled eggs that I drizzled with soya sauce and white pepper. Kaya is a coconut jam that they smear on the bread and that does all the magic! Also I increasingly see how soya-sauce dominates the South Asian cuisine.

Pic 2: Traditional Singapore breakfast – kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs, and kopi

Post breakfast, I checked in to the hotel and took a small nap, jet-lagged from the late night flight. Once I woke up, I headed out straight for lunch. And this time it was Laksa– a rich soupy noodles with a coconut broth and filled with seafood. I have a love affair with soupy noodles- be it the Tibetan ‘thupka’, Vietnamese ‘pho’ or the new entrant to my tastebuds- Laksa! I paired that with another unique dish, Otah – ground fish mixed with spices, then steamed or grilled. Easily one of my favourite discoveries thanks to the amazing flavour.

Pic 3: 328 Katong Laksa, the restaurant (left), and laksa with otah (right)

The area itself (Katong) was full of heritage buildings and colourful houses.

Pic 4: Streets of Katong

As my conference was starting from the next day, I wanted to make the most of it in Day 1 itself. So I headed out to the National Gallery Singapore in the hot and humid weather. As I was roaming around, I came across an interesting artwork on the walls of a floor :

Pic 5: Guess what is this?

If you are trying to figure out what this deep abstract object is- let me tell you this is brinjal! Imagine a wall full of brinjal in various stages of flaccidity. Modern art. What a bharta they make at times!

I found a new painting style that I had not seen before though- ink paintings. Look at these two paintings for sometime- what’s standing out?

Pic 6- Chinese ink paintings

After a brief tryst with the museum, I headed out to Merlion park. Merlion is the official mascot of Singapore- a mythical creature with a head of a lion and body of a fish, representing the two names- Singapura, which means lion city and Temasek- its earlier name of the fishing village that Singapore was.

Pic 7- Merlion park

The skyline from this park truly reflects Singapore’s prosperity, the towering banks and corporate skyscrapers rise over the bay. Dominating the skyline, of course, is the iconic Marina Bay Sands, the city’s famed casino resort.

Pic 8- Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

My Day 2 in Singapore started with a school visit to a public school- Boon Lay Garden primary school. Singapore’s public schools are one of the best in the world. It was not only extremely well resourced, but the school leader and the teachers whom we met were highly motivated and engaged. I later came to know that this school is one of the average schools in Singapore. This is one of those schools I would not hesitate to send my own child- colourful and full of warmth. It helps that children of Singapore’s government officials attend public schools- incentives get aligned to ensure the best possible outcomes for these schools!

Pic 9- Boon Lay Garden primary school

The rest of my days were mostly spent on the conference and attending the ‘The greatest show on earth’- a musical by Teach for India kids at Gardens by the Bay. The musical portrayed how our school education system is chaining student freedom and creativity and ended with a promise of reimagining the education system.

Pic 10- The Greatest Show On Earth

‘Gardens by the Bay’ itself was a fascinating concept, with trees and plants sourced from across the world and curated into different sections. Another highlight is the Supertree Grove, where giant metallic tree-like structures covered with creepers and climbers come alive with lights in the evening.

Pic 11- Gardens by the Bay; Supertree Grove (right)

On my final day, I went to the ‘Lau Pa Sat’- an iconic hawker center serving a variety of food right at the heart of Singapore. Singapore has many hawker centers around the country and each of these places has an assortment of small shops selling different cuisines. I relished the Hainanese chicken rice- a dish made with poached chicken dipped in soya sauce and rice made in chicken broth. And I had Char siew noodles- noodles served with Cantonese barbecued pork, and here the noodles being dipped in soya sauce. You just cannot escape soya sauce in this region and nor did I want to!

Pic 12- Lau Pa Sat -an iconic hawker center nestled amidst the towering skyscrapers of modern Singapore


Pic 13- Lau Pa Sat (inside view)

Pic 14- Notice the ever present soya sauce? Hainanese chicken rice (left), Char Siew noodles (right)

I wrapped up my last day in Singapore with a quick visit to Chinatown. It was sweltering hot, so it was a quick walk to Chinatown and took some pastries from the famous Tong Heng Traditional Cantonese pastries. Truth be told, it was underwhelming. Sweets seldom match the diversity and taste that India offers. At least to my palate and limited exposure!

Before taking my flight back to Kolkata, I visited Jewel Changi Airport, home to the 131-foot Rain Vortex- the world’s largest indoor waterfall. For me, it somehow summarized Singapore itself: the audacity and ambition to transform a tiny fishing port into one of the great economic powerhouses of the modern world.

Pic 15- Jewel Changi

Silly fields

Baidurya My Poems

On my long ride back to Kolkata, I stepped out of the car with romance in my soul yearning for the dusk to fill me with wonder.
I went into the fields with the sentiment of staring at the infinity of kash phool swaying in the autumn breeze.
I thought of witnessing the sunset as it dipped into the horizon in a vibrant display of colours.
And I thought I will see and hear the birds fly in droves as they come back to their nests and branches for their evening rest.
I took my “branded” shoes off as I wanted to feel the earth.
All my feet felt in the city were concrete and leather.
It was time to touch the nature.

But,

When I stood barefoot to experience the soft earth below,
I couldn’t help but feel the wet mucky earth wrapping my toes and feet.
I wondered how do I wash it before hopping into the car as I didn’t want to soil the mats or the shoes.
I looked up and saw at a little distance, a cow calmly grazing.
I felt if the cow never bothered about its muddied hoofs, then let me forget about that problem too.
The cow farted
and defecated a pile of dung on the ground.
I looked away and saw two children running holding their kites through the fields.
I smiled at them as it reminded me of Durga and Apu running through Ray’s monochromes.
They were full of life and giggles and they seemed to come towards my direction.
I wondered if I can strike a conversation with them.
Adults need injections of innocence through children in order to stay alive.
As they came nearer me, I saw their tiny brown faces and couldn’t help but notice a big line of mucus drooping through their nose up to their lips.
It really stuck there probably dried by the crisp air.
The romance of innocence suddenly escaped my thought and I didn’t make any eye contact fearing they may actually come close to me.
And I’ll be greeted by their mucus.

By now the sun was merely peeking through the horizon and there were clouds gathering.
I picked my shoes and went towards my car.
I grazed my feet on the road to scrap of as much mud as possible and then let my feet hang uncomfortably from my seat as I headed home.

Joker

Baidurya My Poems

She always had a wide smile.
She put on a good show,
as always.
Masked in the most deceptive mask.
Face fair and bright, accentuated by the kajal bordering her gloom.
Contrasts can play wonders to create an artifice.
She laughed on time;
Spoke on cue;
Reciprocated and validated others on instinct.
An instinct that required careful cultivation of numbing of ‘instincts’.

Her flawless self, seemed like the reflection of a coloured mirror.
She decided her colours, as and when it suited her.
And people were bought in too.
They didn’t hear the chimes and the buzz of her heart.
Or hear the mellow melancholy that dripped from her eyes and her lips.
They couldn’t notice her askance, her appeals for help, her gigantic screams.

They just swooned for her,
And feigned elaborate concerns.
They played their part in perfect harmony to her conceit and self-deceit

They became ‘her’ and she became ‘they’.
Such affectionless camaraderie!

Her autobiography could have been titled-
“Selfie from my better side”.

She tranced around her days,
And shriveled in her nights.
She lived life high. Or so she thought.
Perpetually in motion. Disoriented. Facade.

But; she always had a wide smile.

Perfect parents. Perfect partner.
Oh so perfect social life!
Glamorous snaps. Funny boomerangs.
Such cool friends- all huddled together smiling the ‘oh so perfect’ smiles!
Perfect independence. Perfect freedom.

And so much love!
An exquisite display of vanity that has been
mastered painstakingly to perfection.

But,
let us all swoon and drool over her.
Let’s heave sighs and ‘only ifs’.
Such miseries surround us in the pale comparison to her ‘ecstasy’.
Curated. Hand-carved.

The distance between liberation and decadence is just a little nudge from our empty selves.

Let us all put on a little smile on our face.

Aparajito

Baidurya My Poems

The earth is dry.
Bone-dry
It hasn’t rained since ages.
Not since Kusum came from Ma’s womb six months back
You cannot till the land here
Life will be scorched into a dry despair by this relentless sun
So any effort seem full of naivety and hopelessness
I remember when the drought struck five years ago,
Thakurda did not leave the soil unattended,
People from our graam made fun of him
They thought he has gone senile and will drive the bulls to death
Bulls survived. Thakurda did not. Crops did.
We called it ‘bhogobaaner maya r thakurdar sesh bhagyo’
-God’s wonders and the last luck of my Thakurda

But this time the sun is passionately arrogant
It has come down with unchallenged anger and aggression
The parched land has stopped giving us what we want. Need.
There was a time
when the greens from the soil fed our bellies and our eyes
And now the eyes seem too tired and wasted
And the bellies rumble in hunger
There is not an inch of relief in sight
Nor a gust of hope

I stare into the brown with a strange melancholy and defeat
Why do we have to face such a curse?
Maya? Bhaggyo?
I guess a poor man’s belly need no extraordinary tale to
justify his misery
All in a mind’s work.
All in a luck’s charm.
Life could have been better
If only………
Thuddd.
I hear a voice of metal crashing against the stone-hard soil.
I look to my right and I see Ma
She screams at me with her big expressing eyes
and a lash of her heart,
full of rage and hope.
“My kobi son, somebody’s got to go pick up the axe”
Thuddd.

Twenty 9.

Baidurya My Poems

29.
That’s the amount of years I’ve dragged my brown-damned ass on the earth. And boy, it has been difficult.
Especially the last decade or so.
The more I became aware of myself, the more I seemed to be lost.
Self-awareness led to confusion and chaos.
I have imaginary battle-scars all over me.
Battles with life. And pain.
Battles with anxiety, loneliness and depression.
Being an adult can be a fucking pain.
A fucking fucking pain.
If I had a chance to go back to the age of seven and write an essay on what do I want from a genie, I wouldn’t take a moment to write that it would be freezing my age.
Who the hells wants to fight it out when you can be draped in your Ma’s tenderness and comfort.

But here I am. With some more decades to live god/devil-willing (too early to decide sides).
And I have no clue where the journey will take.
Will I find peace?
Will I find happiness?
Will I find love that sustains?
Will I have made it?

Even a quarter-life reflection few years ago made me make unceremonious comparisons of my life with others.
I wanted validation.
I wanted to know if I have made it this far.
I wanted to know if I was worth it in the smaller scheme of things.

I didn’t want my perspectives to be as hollow as the never-ending Facebooks posts of people who had little less than zilch of a contribution in my life.
But then what explains my hollowness anyways?
What reason or rhyme do I have of those nervous jitters in a packed hall in the middle of a concert?
Or when I am sleeping alone in my queen-sized bed and getting up all of a sudden thinking I’m dying.
What makes me so weak. And vulnerable.
To unknown. To future.
Nights after nights.
Days after days.

I feel that I am losing a little bit of myself everyday.
A bit of myself.
A bit of my love.
A bit of my hope.
And as I see them crumble and flushed away by the winds of worry, I try to hold them back.
With not a speck of success.

Existential crisis.
Identity crisis.
Survival crisis.
You name it, I have it.
Like beads of despair being threaded into a noose of disorientation.

It’s so funny that when I first heard Beatles croon “All you need is love”, I found it too cheesy.
Now I want all the cheese that’s available.
The irony is you can’t even fucking buy this cheese.
It can’t be transacted or bartered.
It can only be received as and when it comes.

Being adult is a bitch.
And I don’t even have the bite
Fuck this love shit.
I want some ‘bhooter raja’ to come and grant me the boon of feeling loved.
Forever.
That sustains.

Rest, I’ll figure the fuck out as my time (and I) waltz away to oblivion.

First Rain

Baidurya A Teacher's Tale

It is the first rain in Delhi this summer.
The rain drops seems a fresh breath on the warm night earth.
Air-conditioners shut.
Windows open.
And I let the breeze play with my hair and eyes.
I stand safely away from the edge of the balcony to keep the rain off myself.
But now and then it comes and flirts with my feet.
I take a step back. It still reaches me.
Touch and go. Wink and miss.
Irritating.
I take a step front to have a more intimate conversation.
It doesn’t touch me then.
Now it’s annoying.
I understand the clouds are grey.
But my mind works black and white.
Binary.
So I take three steps front till I reach the edge of the balcony and firmly place my hand on the balustrade.
I want to speak straight and clear.
I lean out arrogantly pointing my chin at the rain.
It smacks right onto my face and body.
I feel the rain-water take long circuitous routes from my hair, onto my neck and then to my back.
Multiple veins of rain starts running on my forearms.
Desperate and directionless till they find the fingertips from where they make the suicidal drop.
The wind plants a leaf on my leg and I don’t bother shaking it off.
I let it rest and cling onto my skin.
It must have endured the rain for quite a while.
I stretch out my hands to receive some more of the drench in my palms.
It fills it with abundance.
I close my eyes.
I get completely wet in no time.
It was that simple.
Few steps.
Binary.

My January

Baidurya My Poems

Let us take a bus and travel till the last stop it can take us
Far enough for us to not remember our daily chores and hassles
And on reaching, let us not be in a hurry to return
As we alight from the bus, let us discover happy faces with funny accents
Let us check in to a place that has a bed and a fan
Where the walls are clean enough and the paint, old enough
Let us ensure we get a room with a window that opens up to our conversations
And our silence
Let us take our clothes off for they are filled with malice
And let us lie down next to each other for our bodies and mind are tired
Let us lie down till we feel lost and awkward;
till all the discomfort subsides and all the past becomes thin-air
And as we absorb each other’s’ breath with our eyes, let our bodies be in warm embrace of each other
Our legs intertwined
Our hands affectionate enough to discover the whereabouts of the other
Our eyes filled with tenderness
And let us feel the warm fuzzy feeling deep down and skin up
Let our goose bumps be the only one with voice
Let us be upset
Let us be happy
Let us smile till we cry
Let us cry till we laugh
And let us laugh till we are short of breath and words
And all this while, let us forget
Forget the weight of the pasts and the mountains of the future
Let us be unaware of what we hold in our hearts’ crevices and what our mind tricks us into suspicion every time
Let us give in to reality.
Let us give in to deception.
Let us give in to love.
Let us give in to lust.
Let us look deep into each other’s eyes and when we get tired, close it
Let our lips be warm and wet enough
Our bodies like a knot
And let us, my darling, be happy and content with what we have and what we shall get
For the nature offers plentiful to the one that keeps the door open
Let us be a gentle peaceful lake
Let us be a tempestuous stormy ocean
Let us be the depth of the night
Let us be the light of the day
Let us be the comfort of the moon
Let us be the rage of the sun
Let us be the thunder
Let us be the rain

Love for a ‘Cause’

Baidurya A Teacher's Tale

Do you want to fall in love? Great! What about falling in love with a ‘cause’. It is  much more fulfilling than falling in love with a person. Why? Here are my five cents.

1. It cannot be unrequited. Rather it may be exponentially requited. You give in some time and effort to the relationship, and what you receive is way much higher. Your love will just increase over time and your cause will be loving you hundred times over.

2. No loyalty issues. Your ‘cause’ will not feel bad if you take up another cause and work on it. Rather your ‘cause’ may feel that you are able to see the bigger picture and are able to connect multiple things. ‘Cause’ is happy. You are happy.

3. No jealousy. Imagine seeing hundreds of men falling in love with your girlfriend and trying to woo her all the time. That’s a restless feeling, right? Not when you are in love with a ’cause’. You may see thousands of men falling in love with her and just feel better with every man trying to woo her. Cause’s love is infinite and so is its need. And your jealousy is zero. Rather you would advocate for more men and women to fall in love with your ‘cause’ and impress her every single day.

4. No guilt feeling on breaking up. Imagine a girl who you know and have loved you for years and you suddenly realize it does not feel ‘right anymore’. Imagine the pain of raising the point to your girlfriend. Tears, fights and an endless chain of emotional bickering will ensue. Not with ‘Cause’. She understands and she can let go easily. What’s more important is (as said in the previous point) you know that there are thousands taking care of her already. So your absence is of no celestial consequence.

5. Meet more people through your cause. Can you ever imagine your girlfriend introducing you to more girls whom you can look at as a future proposition? Never! But ‘Cause’ will inevitably bring people closer together. Passion for a cause usually results in passionate people falling passionately in love with each other. You know what I mean. Nothing connects people more than a ‘cause’- it has been the age old wisdom. That’s why politicians sow dreams and organizations manufacture vision statements. And you, my dear, is already having a win-win situation with this love. 

So ditch the trouble of finding the right girl. Find a ‘cause’. Fall in love with it. You will never have a frown-day in your life.