A post a day.

Apart from half a dozen beautiful picture postcards that I sent out from Darjeeling and Gangtok, this was how I captured my daily adventures of this Summer trip to the North East.

Simple 50 paisa yellow postcards seemed to me like the most economical way to share a story!

Can't wait for them to reach their lovely receivers.

The Auto Diaries

When you spend 5 weeks doing hard core research in some of the most rural parts of Bihar, you discover that there are endless stories around you to give you company. Ever since then, I have stopped making calls or listening to music in these, so to say, bland parts of the day, and started looking, started listening. And, for those who know me, beyond listening, if I start talking, well, there's no end to that!

So, here's a sneak peek into my new journal, my first one really. Thanks to Tarun for this diary bound with so much love; I almost felt obliged to fill it with something worthwhile.

Waiting to see where I take these stories and where these stories take me.

Until more, here's me, staggering, discovering new alleys and bumping into strange corners, dancing my way into people's lives and doing my best to make love with every moment life throws at me.

The second time, with Battees!

So, here's a much too delayed report of the second lot of postcards at NID on the 26th of October, during Chitrakatha 2013. But is was no less exciting than the last one! Let me take you through the day in snapshots. :)

Setting up early in the morning, the third organiser behind the lens!

Along with a very much welcome, enthusiastic morning visitor!

And then some camera shy members of the crew!

Battees :D

The new, revised back this time!

The set up

The new addition of the writing desk!

And finally, the people!

So here was another long, beautiful day with Nehmat, Neelesh bhaiya and Sambit, and all the others who came and wrote. There were about a hundred postcards handed to us to post, and then others which people hopefully managed to send by themselves.

Over-excited days and Sleepless nights

It's finally, officially, end of classes here at NID for us 7th Semester students, now DNA (Diploma and Alumni) kiddos! All juries were wrapped up yesterday, with some interesting and some highly unappreciated panel members. Nevertheless, done and over with! And, as for me, there was always much more to look forward to. So, there's bhaiya's wedding coming up next month, and I can't wait to get back home for that. But before that, there are more postcards!

Now that's where the problem lies. I've been up for over two hours now, with no explanation at all. And I want and need sleep! But such things never let me in peace. From the Maths exam in school, to debates, to an interesting project round the corner, first it hits the head, renders me sleepless, and then enters the growling tummy!!

So, after two hours of failed attempts at sleeping, here I am, browsing through random facebook profiles, checking my mail, hoping someone is as inflicted as I am, and now going to assist Shalaka with her baggage as she leaves early this morning for home. May be a bicycle ride after that?

Once in a while, I feel like thanking BlogSpot for helping in such times of need. Who else would listen at this unearthly hour!

The day after

The day following World Post Day, I made a trip to the GPO with Shilpa, and happened to run into the philatelist , Mr. Mainak,who bought over two dozen postcards from me the other day, to get them specially stamped from the GPO. A postcard saying "Celebrating World Post Day 2013" stamped on 09/10/2013 must mean a lot more to a philatelist that it would ever mean to me! I would probably just post it to someone like any other card!

Anyhow, he gave me a copy of this e-post that they circulated in the postal department and among their philately association, which said, "India Post wishes greetings on World Post Day, 9th October 2013. A display of post cards has been arranged by the students of NID Ahmedabad to promote letter writing and supporting philately as a hobby. One can buy a postcard for Rs 30/-, but if you write there and post it, it will cost only Rs 20/- inclusive of the postage charge. A novel way to enhance this hobby."

Interesting concept of e-post, that I had never heard of before. To reach the smaller areas, they mail the messages for the people there (probably to one common host in the area) and it is then printed out and distributed to the respective persons. Perfect combination and use of the internet and post I thought.

Thanks to Mr. Mainak, even I ended up getting a bunch of my postcards beautifully stamped at the GPO.

And then there was also a little newspaper coverage in Ahmedabad Mirror! :D

http://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/article/3/2013101020131010021641500de5a1e1c/These-stamps-are-not-for-collection.html

And for a little indulgence in postcard writing myself

So finally, after a long, long, amazing day, having made so many people write postcards, at half past seven in the evening, I went to Subway for my first meal of the day. And then to do the day justice, sat there for 3 hours and wrote thirteen postcards 

Oh, what joy!

And what could possibly make the day better?

Hearing the sound of the thirteen post cards drop in the NID postbox and realizing it's not empty like always.

A Happy World Post Day it was!

So here's how the set up looked finally: (With a lot of help from Manpreet and Nehmat :D )

The drill:

For newbies

Map to the closest postbox, courtesy Vinnie. Thanks to this, a lot of people realized how close and how simple it all was. :)

Turned out to be a pretty efficient display for the little space and the many postcards that there were !

The rather popular Bollywood series!

Among the toughest of choices life has to offer.. Which postcard must I send?

So, the question was how to make the procrastinators and the non-writers write a post card and send it.

With badey bhaai saheb's help, I finally came up with a strategy efficient enough to help me sell off all my postcards and have half or almost three quarters of them written.

So the deal was that the postcard and the stamp together cost you only 20 rupees, but while buying it, you pay me 30 per card and only when you come back with a written card do I give you a free stamp and your 10 rupees back! Worked amazingly well!! And for all those who ran off with the postcard after paying 30, well, I made a little profit on those! So, either the objective or the profit ;)

And then they were back to pick from some amazingly beautiful stamps

So many postcards, so many happy people and so much love! :D