The lovely and humorous Gargi hononoured me with the Honest Scrap Award sometime back. As the recipient, I must tell you all ten things about myself.Disclaimer:
The author shall not be deemed responsible for any boredom this post may cause.
1) The first prize I ever won was for a recitation competition. I was in class (grade) I and bagged a consolation prize for reciting a poem by Swami Vivekananda.
2) In class VI when I had to give up one of the two extracurricular activities of dance and music, I let go of dance. Music has stayed with me, ever since.
3) It was in class VI only that any recognition of my writing came about. The perpetrator of this act was an essay I wrote about a trip to Appu Ghar, an amusement park in Delhi. Our English teacher, with whom I am still in touch, wrote “Good” at the end of it.
4) As a Bengali, I am crazy about fish–possibly in any and all forms. Unlike many Bengalis, I am not so crazy about sweets. There, I said it.
5) I wrote my first short story at age 14. It was in Bangla and was lucky enough to meet the approval of my immensely talented (and accomplished) author Grandma.
6) A place I return to (and must keep returning to) again and again is Santiniketan. I wasn’t born or raised there, but it’s a heart’s connection I haven’t been able to explain or eliminate.
7) The first trip I ever made outside my hometown was to the historic city of Agra. Fatehpur Sikri enchanted me even more than the world wonder, Taj Mahal.
8) My technologically challenged brain causes me eternal frustration…Sigh.
9) My first foreign trip happened in 2009, courtesy a translation Fellowship I won for my translation of a remarkable book on legendary sculptor-painter, Ramkinkar Baij. I was in the lovely city of Norwich, UK, for two months.
10) I met my husband through this very blog. He is even there on my blogroll. π
Bhaswati Ghosh 
Hi Bhaswati! Sorry for the late reply! Great stuff, this! It's been great to know more about you. Like you, I share your passion for fish but I too don't like sweets so much.
Thanks for your comment, Gargi! It was fun doing this. Delighted to know you love fish too.
How delightful that you met your husband on your blog. I'd love to read that story!
Thanks for dropping by, Sharon! I would love to tell that story some day. π
I'm thinking you have to be quite careful about how to pronounce your most recent award. Although…if someone were to tell me my blog was full of Honest Crap — I do believe I'd feel complimented. π
LOL, Frank, I hear you. Thanks for the "frank" comment too. π
Dear Bhaswati,I am very sorry for writing you late. But I will use the word "outstanding" for the manner in which you have put your words while writing about yourself. I am sure you are a gifted kid of your parents. You are aware about the delay in responding, polls going on in Bihar is keeping this pen-pusher busy. Best regards, Nalin
Nalin ji, I can't thank you enough for taking the time to comment. I can understand how busy you must be. Like always, you are so kind.
I am in awe of everything you write here, like always! Love, and wishing you lots of success in whatever you do. Your friend–Lopa.
P.S. LOVED the anecdote about meeting your husband through this blog! Would surely want to know more about that π
Awe, Lopa? Please, no! I am an ordinary person, and this blog is a little nook for recording my reading-writing journey. Nearly six years ago, another blogger commented on a post I had written on displacement. We became blogging friends and later ended up getting married. That’s our story. :))