Anglo-Indian Studies Conference at the University of Calcutta, Indian Coffee House and Dinner at Floriana

Anglo-Indian Studies Conference at the University of Calcutta, Indian Coffee House and Dinner at Floriana

Friday, December 21, 2018

Calcutta

Namaste from Calcutta!

Finally. D-Day had dawned and I awoke at 6.30 am to get ready for my conference. I started the day by running through my paper and familiarizing myself again with my material in my room at the Fairlawns Hotel. Then, I got my clothes ready and showered before packing the things I needed (including my flash drive for my PowerPoint presentation) before I went downstairs for breakfast.

Breakfast at the Fairlawn Hotel:

     Breakfast at the Fairlawn was fit for a king. Indeed they serve a Full English Breakfast—or almost-full because there is no bacon. I got there to find that my friends Robyn and Keith were already seated. I joined them at their table where it was with the greatest delight that I realized I could order eggs any way I pleased. They would be cooked to order. I chose a Cheese and Mushroom Omlette and then moved to the center island where a variety of items were laid out for my serving pleasure in huge domed dishes. I got hash browns, grilled tomato and mushrooms, chicken sausages, and hot buttered toast. At my table there were preserves and honey—all of which I thoroughly enjoyed. I had coffee also served at the table. Fruit was at another end (but I had no room for any). Suffice it to say that I would not be thinking about food until tea-rime!

     

Off to the University of Calcutta for the Conference:

  Robyn and I had made plans to meet again in the lobby at 10.00am so that we could take an Uber to the University of Calcutta where the Conference was going to be held. It was not long before Brent Otto, another good friend of mine and an Anglo-Indian scholar who is doing his Ph.D. at Berkeley (and who also happens to be a newly-ordained Jesuit priest), also joined us in the lobby.  We set off together in the same car and arrived at College Street where the university buildings are located. 

     There was a welcoming team at the gate to lead us to our venue—in Hardinge Building in what is called Ritwik Hall. Some delegates had already arrived there when we joined the group. All introductions were made as the Conference began.

     For the rest of the day, I was completely absorbed by the fascinating research work that was showcased and the vast number of presentations that I found riveting. Younger scholars, just making their way into the profession, and well-seasoned and well-published ones, sat side by side as we discussed and debated the various ideas that came out of the seminar. We stopped for morning coffee and for a packed lunch (I was still so stuffed!) of toasted chicken sandwiches with French fries and then for afternoon tea as the presentations and discussions continued. Indeed, it was a very lively bunch of academics who displayed their passion for their subject as well as helped me understand just how rapidly and widely the field of Anglo-Indian Studies is growing. My paper entitled, “Migrant Birds of Passage: Anglo-Indian Female Labor Migrants in Imperial Britain” was a direct result of the research I had carried out at the British Library during the Fall of 2016 on the Global Research Initiatives Fellowship that NYU has bestowed upon me. It was very well received indeed and so many people told me that my argument was compelling and convincing. I was also thrilled to discover that so many young scholars are familiar with my book on Britain’s Anglo-Indians but lamented that they simply could not afford to buy it. We are now looking forward to hooking up again in the second week of January in Chennai during the International Anglo-Indian Reunion when I shall be presenting yet another paper. I made many new contacts and hope to stay in touch with these Indian academics.

Evening Coffee at Indian Coffee House:

     Brent told me that Indian Coffee House, one of the oldest and most iconic coffee houses in Calcutta, was just a block away and had suggested that if I had not been there (I had not), I should make it a point to go. Accordingly, after the conference, a few of us walked past the many bookstalls that line congested College Street, past Presidency College, the oldest University institution in India, and arrived at the place. I was amazed. It was located on the first floor of another pretty dilapidated building—basically, every old building in Calcutta is decrepit. Inside, the coffee house consists of a vast open hall that reminded me a lot of some of the huge Chinese restaurants I have seen in Hong Kong, punctuated by tables that seated four. Every table was taken. Smoking is freely permitted inside and the place was hazy with smoke as Marxist-looking types—including every second woman— smoked cheroots!

We were fortunate to find seats at the corner table and proceeded to order. The menu is pretty limited but we all had coffee and hot onion pakoras as well as Vegetable Cutlets (that Keith ordered which were basically sweet because they were made with grated beetroot!). I took many photographs because I became so taken by this space. I bet it was inspired by the Russian Marxist coffee houses (for Calcutta has always been a Marxist capital with strong leftist leanings). Indeed many a revolution has brewed in these precincts and I was just thrilled that Brent suggested I come to this place. We did not linger long as we did have a dinner date to keep at 7.00 pm at another restaurant on Russel Street called Floriana. As it turned out only five of us were going for dinner and we hoped to get an Uber.

     Before we left the building, however, we popped into the bookstore next door called Chukerverty Chatterjee which, I was told, was the oldest bookshop in the city. The Bengali spelling of the establishment had been obviously Anglecized also.

     But when a tram came along, Brent rushed us into it—Debojoy, him and myself! In fact, this is the second time I am riding a Calcutta tram with Brent. About four years ago, when I was last in Calcutta, we had taken a tram together too. The trams are the most antiquated form of transport in Calcutta. To their advantage, they are cheap (Rs. 5 per ride, no matter how long) but to their disadvantage, they are slow. Through the traffic-ridden streets of Calcutta, they somehow managed to chug their way. We had boarded the wrong one and ended up getting off at the Esplanade where our tram terminated.

    From there, we followed where Brent led us for about half an hour past New Market.  I nipped in one more time to buy another bottle of kasaudi for my cousin, which gave Brent a chance to buy some aam saat—dried mango pulp. Calcutta is also well known for this delicacy.

Dinner at Floriana:

     Back on the main road, we finally arrived at Floriana where Keith and Robyn had already reached. By that point, we all needed a drink badly! It had been a successful day and we were ready to celebrate. I had a gin and tonic, Brent had Old Monk rum with Coke (as did Robyn) and Keith had Kingfisher beer.       

Our dinner was fabulous and completely made up for the disaster of last night at Kewpie’s. All of us ordered different things and we were happy to share and taste a morsel from each other’s dish: Chicken Tetrazini, Supreme Chicken Sizzler (me), Malai Kofta, Vegetable Hakka Noodles, Murgh Makhani with kabuli naan (which was the most amazing naan I have eaten). Each dish was better than the other. And despite having alcoholic drinks and a variety of very filling food, with tip, none of us paid more than Rs. 600! You can just imagine how badly we had been overcharged the previous evening at Kewpie’s.

We were able to walk back to our hotel very easily from Park Street using the back roads with which Robyn and Keith are familiar. I had been eating so much all day that I felt ready to throw myself on the bed and go to sleep immediately, but I did find the motivation to first brush and floss my teeth and then call it a night.

Until tomorrow...