London Diaries - Market Hop - Camden Town

Camden Town is perhaps that one place I have frequented the most in London, so much that if I have missed going there for a while it's like withdrawal symptoms that takes me back. 

I firmly believe that I would have been a hippie if not for the 'normal' sort of family and upbringing I had. I am so much a hippie in my way of thinking, what I like and enjoy and I most definitely feel that we all have a bit of that in ourselves. Too bad if you don't. 

Something about the place makes me go back every time. There's always this unexplored part, a new pop-up stall, a new musician that gives me the push that there is a new place to see and a new thing to do in Camden. In fact I am happy re-visiting the same parts again and again if not for the new. 

I can't speak for everyone, but I can say for sure that I have always enjoyed going out window shopping. In fact, more than buying something, I like walking through shops, market stalls, browsing the various items on display. I enjoy the crowded market areas bustling with life. I don't end up getting a lot of things, which is good, as it would purely be impulse shopping and most of the stuff are not really needed. But it puts me to wonder the extent that a cottage industry can go. 

The Camden Market is not just a street market. 'Camden Town' is a huge market place in itself. Camden brings me closest to the 'life of a hippie' fantasy that I have. It's a place with little shops of all kinds, handicrafts from different parts of the world, home grown small businesses selling all kinds of little trinkets, clothes which you don't usually see in high street shops, food and drink of all kinds, a  juice bar on a barge, a little cafe under the staircase and organic this and that food. 

The main highlight of course is the part of the Regent's canal (Grand Union Canal) that cuts through Camden. The Camden Lock being that point where you can see many narrow boats making their way across the canal by operating the locks. It's amazing how the mechanics of this system was designed years before anything was a part of the modern world. 

The banks of the canal are great to hang out...relishing the market food or just sipping a drink or reading a book. The best thing about Camden Market is that it has a bit of everything in every part of it - Food, Drink Stalls, Clothing, Trinkets, paintings, art work, old antique items, goods made by reusing other things - it's the biggest flea market I have ever seen with a huge variety of all things. 

I remember just walking along the little rows of shops getting completely lost in them and suddenly there I see a cafe, once I have had my fill of caffeine I have another set of shops lined up - you can spend all day here! 

And it's not a market where you hear a lot of noise instead something you constantly hear from one side of camden to another is Music  - whether it's Bob Marley playing or John Lennon or hip-hop or rock, or the classics to the reggae beats there is constantly some music you hear and it seems to perfectly fit the setting of the shops. So very unique!

When in London a visit to Camden Town is a must, either during the day to browse through the market or for an evening meal or to experience the night life - This is one place not on the tour bus that circles around London. Go find the hippie in you... Camden is waiting! 

A trip to work

Many moons ago I had written about my daily ride to work from home and back. Something today made me go back and read the 'badly' written post about my everyday journey .Now, lying in bed I ponder what a huge difference it is to my daily journey from the past few years.

Well, first of all the drive to get up early in the morning is really not there. For the majority of the months being cold, grey, damp, all you want to do is cuddle up under the duvet, especially for the owl of a creature that I am! The reality however is that I do drag myself out of the warm zone just to be able to enjoy my morning cuppa coffee while chatting to my mom many miles away. 

The underground or simply the tube in London is one of the best in the world. No doubt. I don't have to give it 5 stars to confirm the fact. In the peak hours however, it's like getting into a tin of sardines which is already full up to the brim. There might not be an inch of space in the tube but what's worth noting is the fact that there is no one talking. The only noise you are left with is the growl of the iron tyres rubbing against the tracks and the announcements. 

It's amazing how so many people travel and there's no conversation what so ever. Being such a crowded city, I also don't recognise any one else travelling on the trains even if I happen to take the same one every day. I can say that in the past 5+ years of travel I have known less than 5 people like that. 

Just as a note to add, there are 2 routes to work and the first few years I took the district line (in other words the slowest line on the tube network). I stopped dong this route as soon as I had a choice as the pace of the train made me pull my hair out.

The other route which I take now is to take the baking hot bakerloo line to Waterloo and change to the main line train to Wimbledon.

Waterloo, where the 1st leg of my journey ends, where I get off to change trains is a circus in its own right. People of all kinds, with all sorts of things are walking in all sorts of directions humanly possible. Though there is an occasional brushing, tripping, dashing into each other it's quite orderly when you notice the movement. 

Just imagine each person inside a car, it would be a traffic jam from hell, but people on foot is a miracle, Perhaps the best traffic management system in the world.

After battling my way through the sea of people, I hit the far end of the platform to check for which train leaves the earliest of the 4 possible platforms and walk all the way to the first door of the first carriage to get on the 2nd leg of the journey.( that would take me right at the exit where I get off).

A short walk on either ends, 2 train rides and a circus in between pretty much sums my journey. 

I do find my humour in a few things - the robotic looks of the fellow passengers, some girls painting their faces to make themselves look prettier, the dosey characters trying to catch some lost minutes of sleep, the craziely sweaty corporates in their posh suits, the oversized headphones and some others like me who have decided to bury themselves in the book that they carry oblivious to the world around them. 

Conversations with fellow colleague(s) when we get a chance to travel together is the better thing about my everyday journey. Nothing beats the human connection which is above all else. 

This happened to them (True Stories)

I find it quite hard to write stories, I see myself a better story teller when I am narrating it myself. I struggle to bring into words the intonations and the hand movements that are such a part of the 'talking me' which makes the story listen-able. 

My mother on the other hand is a brilliant story teller. Well, don't ask her about any movies (bollywood) that she has recently seen (especially if you want to watch it). She would have told it in such detail that you will be left tearing your hair apart if you happen to watch it. In fact, she would have glorified some parts of the film so much that you will also be disappointed that the director didn't do a good enough job of it. 

Well...these stories are true and have been narrated to me by the film encyclopedia that my mom is referred to fondly by my dad. I will try to do justice to the way it was narrated to me already knowing that something will be missed. 

Act of Kindness:

My ajji(grandma) is one of the most careful, conscious and responsible persons I have known. She is always alert about her surroundings and is very independent in her ways. (I do think that the 'being independent' part of me is something I get from her...ok, ok, now I won't get carried away talking about this). So, knowing for sure that she is more than capable of handling her things, her travels, her life my father also leaves her to her terms. One day when she got off the auto from her usual visits to the temple, she walked in excited to show my mother the new saree she had got for her (she keeps picking little things like this for all of us... how sweet). All that done she quickly realized that her little wallet was missing. She had about Rs.2000 and the most importantly the house keys. She was dejected and blamed herself for not being more careful. The sensitive side of her took the better of her and tears started rolling down.  All those thoughts of what was the driver's name (I should have read the board in the auto), what was the number plate, should have checked the seat before I got off were running through her mind and she was sad. My mother comforted her and being common sensical at a time like this called the police station and logged a complaint. Within about 1/2 an hour she received a call back saying that an auto driver has come back to hand over a purse. She was asked to visit the police station and there he was with ajji's purse and the contents intact. My mom rewarded him, thanked him kindly and happily got home. It goes without mention that ajji was elated. Such acts of kindness does exist even today and to have close encounters with it is so reassuring in the ways of the everyday world. 

Diamonds are forever:

It is a given that mom, ajji and the women of that generation coming from a middle to upper middle to the rich have always worn a pair of diamond earrings. It's like their daily jewelery. (wow, had never realized how fancy this sounds until I wrote this). Well... that's that. 

A few days after I was married and sent away, Amma and Appa had to visit Raichur for my mom's friend's father's 60th (they are like my mom's Godparents). It was a train ride and a taxi to get there with a visit to Mantralaya being a must do. Overnight train journeys in India are fun. Some decent planning needs to be done on the baggage mainly on how to secure it, the things required to sleep - air pillows, a bed spread, a cover, arrangements for food (the canteen food on train is usually good but you have take your chances with it). So, with all this my mother was crazy busy and finally at bed time sleep didn't beckon. The draft from the window made her toss and turn until it was a new day and time to get off at their station where the train halted for a mere 5 minutes. In between packing all the stuff, amma froze to realize that her earring was missing from one ear. They searched all over the little train compartment with no avail. Needless to say she was dejected, those earrings she has been wearing for a few decades, precious earrings and all in the span of a night. She silently removed the other, bought an artificial earring and had to carry on with the days. The thought never left her and the loss was huge for her. She couldn't help but think, talk, mention that loss where ever she went. As amma and appa were coming back from the temple on the hot day with my father walking way quicker than my mother she saw a sparkly object stuck to his chappals and Voila! it was the diamond earring! 

What a saga, the earring must have fallen in the train compartment and my dad might have stepped on it, the rubber beneath his chappals grabbing the earring, this could be the only explanation to what has happened. He walked on it for 2 full days before they found it. Well! Some miracles do happen! 

Love of Faith

Two different thoughts having a connection somewhere and intertwined in certain ways are enveloping my mind. One is 'God', the Almighty - the supernatural power as HE's known. The other is  Religion, a belief that one can have in a culture, in rituals & customs, and probably a 'being'. I understand that it's a pretty sensitive topic to write about and publish. 

This can be frowned upon, might not be 'politically right' , may also come across as being naive and may sound really 'cheap' to talk about religions and customs and culture and following a faith.

This is not something about what's right and what's wrong, I bet pens more mightier than mine can talk about all this. 

This blog is here to put together my thoughts about the subject and not to make a point. 

I have been brought up at a home where culture, faith and religion was given a lot of importance. Though we are, as we term 'modern' in our outlook, there are a lot of things driven by the Faith we follow. For example, A celebration of a festival is never missed. If someone invites us to a religious gathering, it is never skipped. We were taught never to say no to a prasad from the Lord. We planned going to temples far and near as much as a Holiday and looked forward to it as much as any other huge vacation that was planned. Being brought up in a Hindu family,all my views, my ideas, the culture that I have known is mainly around Hinduism.

I studied at a Christian School and that exposed me to a bit of Christianity.  I didnt actively do much to learn about it, may be it was the age. Whether I made any attempt in understanding anything or not, I was happily reciting 'Our Father in Heaven...' at least 8 times a day at the start and end of a class. A friend of mine and me used to go to the Church in our school once every week as we were told that it was a good thing to do and also used to take a small leaf from the shrub outside the church as it was considered holy. (Looking back at it today, it was plain simple ragging that we went through from our seniors) 

Growing up in a country like India where there is such diversity of faith and being in a system where everyone knows, if not in entirety a bit about each others ways of life only enhanced the thoughts that ran through my mind about the subject.  

I got married and started living in the western world. The thoughts about religion and caste is never brought in front very often. No one talks about it. Period. It has to be a specific sort of a discussion to be discussing, exchanging ideas about culture and customs. Festivals hardly have a very religious side to it, or even if it does, for the sake of convenience no one follows it. 

Some people I have come across here told me that they wished they had some faith to follow, some belief in faith. Though they have their religions, they have never been keen on taking it seriously or have wanted to know more and do something that brings them close to it.  

Some others are on the other end where they are happy to embrace a completely different religion as the principles of that religion is close to what they think is right, personally. They either adopted it as a parallel religion to their own or take it up completely as their own.

Both these views were quite new to me. The majority of the people I came across back home were those who were brought up in one religion and have either believed in it and Lived their life following it, If not, atleast they have stayed in the same faith without considering any other. There is no real 'Personal' view or opinion that is considered. Some sheep mentality here. 

The third aspect is that of 'no belief in God'. I can barely remember anyone I knew saying that aloud back home even if they didn't really believe in it. Of course, needless to say,here in the western world it is perfectly a normal thought not to believe. After all, it's left to the individual to decide what they do and don't, what they like and dislike, what they believe and not believe in life. Perhaps shows how narrow my circle is. 

London exposed me to ethnicity in a whole new angle. Again, when I say London I perhaps can include the Western World or a place away from Home. India perhaps has many ethnicities however it is broken down as sub-castes which leaves a completely different.... odd idea to it. 

In my small office circle we have people from different places and ethnicities that it was interesting to see their perspective towards one another. First of all this is not a subject that is spoken about. No one is really keen to get into this topic as it can get delicate. However, each of them are aware of little happenings in the others community and there was a quick note of wishes or a quick chat about what they do on a specific day or an auspicious occasion. 

It's a huge change I see in me. I feel totally happy  to visit a Church and light a candle, offer my prayer. I am happy to be a part of the Sai Baba Community - which I had never been to in Bangalore - except for my special trip to Shirdi. I like strolling into the Radha-Krishna temple from Iskon and look into the Hare Krishna clan or take a peep into a Synagogue or a Mosque.

It's not about belief or not, It's not about following something- however, it's about a sense of being at Peace and I can easily say that this Love of Faith that I have developed here has brought Peace to me, I feel close to my roots  and I am Happy that I feel connected to Humanity which is above all religions at the same time enjoy the variety that is brought together. 

Alienation - Being Inhuman

As much as I think that all humans are the same, that we have a similar way of life, similar thoughts, wants, needs there are many stages in life that a person experiences isolation from another or a group. Most of the thoughts that run through my mind are those that I have seen in the Indian society - being conservative within but putting on a very modern outlook.

This is all in my opinion and may not be entirely correct for the reader in you. 

Making a person feel different is one thing and completely keeping a person isolated is another. My mind is a bit confused about what is worse and I have entangled thoughts about both.

Schools are one of the first places where one can experiencee the divide generally categorising students as the brilliant, the average and the dumb. The worst one is perhaps being 'above average'...You are not expected to do anything great, on the other hand you are not dropped out of activities as you're neither bad not good, its like constantly playing a second to someone who's better.Ain't a great place to be.

On a personal level, the worst I saw about grading and grouping people was with sports. The school never encouraged everyone to play any sport. They picked the ones with the talent and those who were guaranteed to bring them laurels. The rest of the lot never got a chance. I came over that and stopped expecting that I would be picked for any sport what so ever. I immersed myself in sport which did not need a team. My personality took a beating on the other hand.

Then there is the time about what course you pick for your university. The very intelligent pick science, the next best pick commerce and the rest of the lot pick arts or other courses. There was a clear discrimination of who's what just by what they chose to study. No wonder most parents only want their children to be doctors or engineers.

Landing with a job was the next big thing in the rat race. Did you get a job? Was it in campus or not? Are you still looking? Oh! Did you decide to do further studies just coz you didn't end up with a job? This was the shameful divide one had to live with.

Then its the step about getting married...those who do at the right age that the soceity perceives are good. The rest have to bear the brunt of not being pretty enough or intelligent enough,not having a good enough salary or even worse assumptions about something being wrong with them. Perhaps, the worst form of alienation an individual can go through.

There are perhaps a zillion other life events which follow....people who never marry, those who have broken marriages, those who choose to marry someone outside their caste, those who live away from their parents, those who leave the country, those who quit their job at the peak of their career to start their own...I don't want to put the entire list as its embarrassing....basically there's a straight line drawn about what life's events should be and any slight deviation from it is frowned upon, talked about and not entirely accepted. 

I'd love to see this change and who knows...there might already be one now. I had to put this down as in the years of my upbringing I have seen this around me in one way or the other and detested it all along. 

I hope we all understand that each of us is different and have had our own paths that no one else would have known of. Making one feel alienated is perhaps the worst way of killing the light within an individual. 

A simple Cup of Tea

Here I go again about Coffee and Tea... very typical of me to get caught onto some topics more than others. I would like to think of myself as a coffee lover. Have I mentioned that before? Well!!!

However, in the past few years I am inclined to drinking and enjoying tea as much as I enjoy Coffee. This said, it's pretty hard for me to start my day without coffee - that cup or two to start a new day has to be Coffee! But as the day progresses, I see myself inclined towards tea.


For most of my life 'Tea' for me was what my mom prepared. A pot in which water, tea leaves, some ginger, ground elaichi, sugar and milk go in together, brought to a boil and served hot! Oh! It makes me want her tea as I say this!


She has always enjoyed serving her tea to those who enjoy tea and has this very special way of serving them in Corelle mugs (only), which are never used otherwise. I can say with all honesty that a few of my friends were 'Fans' of her tea and loved to drop in at that hour of the evening for a quick one. This was more of a common feat during the monsoon months as it's a perfect note to an evening when it rains. This perhaps is the story of many a household in India.


Tea in the western world is a whole new story. A kettle to boil the water, Tea bag in the cup, hot water going in, Sugar if required, leave it for 2-3mins, squeeze the bag out and add cold (yeah...you read it correct) milk to it, Stir and tea is ready!

I was miserable the first time I had it.

Tea also can be 'anything'....literally. Had never imagined jasmine or pomegranate or Orange or Strawberry to be 'tea' material! I must admit that I am not fond of all the available flavours, some of them just a funny coloured, weird smelling hot water. I do enjoy the 'Lemon & Ginger' tea in the evenings when I come home or during cooking.

I liked creating this collection of pictures of various blends of tea, a small set giving a quick view of what's available in the world of tea.

Turkish Delight

We planned for a holiday and I was asked where I would have liked to go….The first thing that came to my mind was - let's go home to India. But, well, that was not possible and was not the idea of having a holiday at that point. So, here were the options to check on, Firstly, it had to be a place which was warmer than it is in London, it had to be a place not as far as India, preferably a place which we both have not seen, a place which each of us at some point thought of as a place to go to, not a place which would create a hole in the pocket....there were other factors too - are we going to get leave from work, will it fall in our budget, do the dates fit in well and so on.... after all this thought process, we finally concluded on the place and it sounded like there couldn't have been a better option considering all the above.... it had to be Istanbul.
Many asked us - why Istanbul ( of all the places) ... but we went on....

One of the oldest cities on earth, it has a huge history.... was called Byzantium, Constantinople and now Istanbul. The city is set to have built on 7 hills with the Marmara Sea on one side, the golden Horn on the other and the Bosphorours River to the north - the city is magnificently situated around the union of these three main water bodies. The land and water complement each other - and this makes the city one of a kind.

We stayed on the European side - near Eminomu- this was the old city....The Blue mosque and the Aya Sophia stood admiring each other’s glory, the view from the Galata tower was breathtaking , the typical Bird eye view of the city....the cruise ride on the bosphorous was amazing... the Bosphorous bridge shouts out as the conduit between Asia and Europe....The hustle bustle of the cafes on the Galata bridge is unforgettable, the Grand Bazaar is unique and proves that it is indeed world's biggest indoor market, the colorful spices of the Egyptian/Spice Market holds you back and the blue choppy waters makes you visit again!

Few illustrations here…...


Aya Sofia


Blue Mosque as seen from Aya Sofia


Spice Market - Turkish Delight, Spices, Teas


Inside the Grand Bazaar


Panoramic View from Galata Tower


From the Galata Tower - see the Asian side of Turkey


The Old City as seen from the new



A Pretzel Cart- you can see them everywhere


A view of the Galata Tower & The new City