A Forward

A copy-paste from a Forward a friend sent me.

If you mean Whiskey, the devil’s brew, the poison scourge,

the bloody monster that defiles innocence, dethrones reason,

destroys the home, creates misery and poverty, yea,

literally takes the bread from the mouths of little children;

if you mean that evil drink that topples Christian men and women

from the pinnacles of righteous and gracious living into

the bottomless pit of degradation, shame, despair, helplessness,

and hopelessness, then, my friend . . .
I am opposed to it with every fiber of my being.

However, if by Whiskey you mean the oil of conversation,

the philosophic wine, the elixir of life, the ale that is consumed

when good fellows get together, that puts a song in their hearts

and the warm glow of contentment in their eyes; if you mean

Christmas cheer, the stimulating sip that puts a little spring

in the step of an elderly gentleman on a frosty morning; if you

mean that drink that enables man to magnify his joy, and to forget

life’s great tragedies and heartbreaks and sorrow; if you mean

that drink the sale of which pours into our treasuries untold millions

each year, that provides tender care for our little crippled children,

our blind, our deaf, our dumb, our pitifully aged and infirm, to build

the finest highways, hospitals, universities, and community colleges

in this nation, then my friend,

I am absolutely, unequivocally in favor of it.

This is my position, and as always,

I refuse to compromise on matters of principle.

Watering Holes

These days young 15 year olds in full school uniform (tie and belt and badge and blazer) walk into Oly pub on Park Street to have a beer (and I guess a smoke).

Bang in the middle of the day. !!!!!

I am no moral policeman. If it is alright with the pub and the young souls and their parents....so be it.

What really shook me was their attitude. Complete man-of-the-world at 15 years.

My encounters with pubs started pretty much the same age. Except that I was in College at that age, and I never ever enjoyed the outings. Too much noise, too much smoke....... claustrophobic.

However the SXC boys and the Presidency pals were pretty forthcoming on their escapades and very occasionally I accompanied them.

There were some sleazy bars that Calcutta had at that time. Not sleazy perhaps, but definitely not quite 'genteel'. One such one was Paris Bar. This where the schoolboys came to see what 'hookers' were. The beer was warm... never chilled....... because the fridge was non-functional. The whole place would be smoky as hell, and the waiters would wear lungis and vests. I was given to understand that Paris Bar came alive in the evening with the office babus and the policemen and the hookers all sharing the rum and the occasional whisky. The crowd spilled over on to the pavement outside and everyone waited for the free-for-all to start and then join in with gusto and soda bottles.

Saki was another bar. I have always wanted to go there, but never found a male who would think on similar lines. Sanjoy, in sheer exasperation, had said 30 years back..... 'ok, ok. we'll go one day'. I am still waiting for the 'one day'. Saki was for serious drinkers who would drown the sorrows of life in their "chho taka pint' (Rs. 6 for a pint) beer. Of course besides the booze much else happened at Sakis. It was a place for all illicit deals, and my biggest regret is that I never got to go there. It would have been fun...... police raid et al. Complete with chakus . Such side shows used to be part and parcel of Sakis . The office babus left the bar by 7pm, to go back home to their killjoy wives. And from 8 pm Saki came all a-glitter.

New Cathay was unique. Once again the beer was warm. (Actually it did not really matter if the beer was warm....... nobody expected a chilled beer anyway). The crowd was always sleazy, two DC current fans overhead...... hardly being able to slice the thick, heavy 'smoke&sweat' air. Sanjoy and I took Sujit and his girl friend Kaberi there once. Not so much for the beer but to rattle Kaberi a bit. I think we did succeed. In fact it was a huge success. It took everything Sujit could give to dry her tears.One thing though Cathay did a mean chilli chicken. A dry roasted chilli chicken which I still miss.

I wonder if anyone remembers Blue Heaven. A small bar on Beadon Street....may be Cornwallis Street. The Presidency boys went there often. It was on a raised platform. A smallish place with the traditional "cabins" and blue curtains. I had strict orders from home never to go there. I did go though. Only once. With Jyoti and Partha from Presidency. I did'nt last more than 5 minutes. It was too shut-in for my claustrophobia.

The Chungking was a class apart. Slightly more refined. Good food and a better crowd. Not really a bar. It was and still is a restaurant. Which served liquor.

The intellectuals go to Coffee House. The pucca sahib to The Bengal Club. The corporate boxwallah to the Saturday Club. The dedicated golfer to The Tolly. The down and out "chullu khors" to the burning ghats. The young wannabees to Olympia (now renamed Olly Pub). But real men ...... the janta....... go to Paris Bar and Saki and Cathay and many such places which I am sure still exists.