!e Cities Issue

© Udantya 2012

Welcome to the fifteenth issue of Udantya!

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This month on Udantya, we explore the world through its Cities!

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Backstage Pass  The Essence of Udantya 

Megaphone  A Word from the Editors

Spotlight  A (not so) Lonely Planet

Darkroom   Darjeeling Unfiltered - Aparna Vidyasagar

Armchair Critic Life in a Day - Aparna Vidyasagar

Jam Session   The Works of Bill Bryson

Poetry Jam

©Aparna Vidyasagar

© Udantya 2012

© Udantya 2012

BACKSTAGE PASS

The very essence of artistic expression is that, it is captured in many different ways.

A picture, a word or a tune.

Your rebellion, your journey and your destination.

Here, we aim to capture it all. Join us or explore with us.

Welcome to Udantya.

Welcome to our creative space!

Udantya aims to be a collaborative effort. If you have any articles, photos or music you would like to share, please email us at udantya@gmail.com. Future themed issues will be announced a month in advance.

© Udantya 2012

MEGAPHONEFrom the Editors

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Cities hold our lives, our adventures, our histories, our passions and our dreams.

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In this issue, we once again celebrate the allure of cities

all around the world.

Our Spotlight segment this month is glimpse of various

cities around the world through the eyes of those who

love them. We, at Udantya, asked our readers to tell us

about their favorite cities and the top five activities that

they would recommend. The result a unique travel guide,

traversing surprising pockets of the world!

In Darkroom, Aparna showcases the small mountain-

city of Darjeeling in West Bengal, India. The images are

primarily in black and white - to be colored by our

imaginations!

Armchair Critic features the documentary film, Life in

a Day. This unique film collects snippets of life from

people all around the world, and from all walks of life. Is

life across this globe really so different?

In Jam Session, we encourage you to read the works of

travel writer Bill Bryson and we return with Poetry Jam.

Our Cameos this month are our Spotlight contributors.

Talk about a cross-over appearance. Here they are!

Olga Atlholang

Fatima Khawaja

Apoorva Makarla

and Kirti Satish Manian

Fatima, Apoorva and Kirti are first time Cameo

contributors and Apoorva is our youngest so far! Thank

you all for participating and making this issue so

wonderful!

© Udantya 2012

SPOTLIGHT

A (not so) Lonely Planet

Namita and Aparna asked Udantya readers to tell us

about a city (or two) that they love and the top five places

to visit when there. Between our four contributors we

traversed three continents, four countries and five cities!

Get ready to pack your bags!

***

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

by Apoorva Makarla

‘My city, My home, and My muse’

Two summers ago, I went parasailing with my cousins in

Lake Tahoe and the person in charge of the activity asked

us where we were from. When I said Canada, his

response was “You mean Vancouver”? At the time, I

joked along with him and said, “Yep the land of the

igloos”; but later that same day... what really defines

Edmonton?

When I saw this topic for Udantya’s next issue, I was

super excited to tell everyone, the reasons why I adore my

city. Every city has its ups and downs, but what really

makes it yours, are the vivid memories you share with the

place. And most of all, why you call it home. I hope you

enjoy reading, and I hope this inspires you to visit

Edmonton.

1. Edmonton’s Skyline: Being the capital of our province,

Edmonton’s legislature is the highlight of the beautiful

skyline. The Skyline is at its best at night time, when the

whole city lights up. A drive through the low level bridge

at night time is a great place to see the skyline closer.

2. Going on the LRT over the North Saskatchewan River:

Edmonton’s Light Rail Transit system definitely isn’t as

intricate as New York, Chicago, or San Francisco, but

there are a few stops along the route which make this

journey worthwhile. Traveling towards Grandin Station

(also known as Government Center) takes you over the

beautiful North Saskatchewan River. It’s frozen most of

the time due to our long, and at times harsh winter, but

looking at the scenic view of the arctic blue ice

surrounded by a forest of spruce is a soul cleansing sight!

© Udantya 2012

3. Churchill Square on Run for the Cure Day: Churchill

Square is one of the best places to be at any time.

Whether it’s a hot summer day when staying inside the

house is just unbearable, or a cold crisp fall evening,

Churchill Square is the place to be. The reason, I chose

the Run for the Cure is because this is one of those days

that makes living in Edmonton so worthwhile. A whole

bunch of people gather together to show their support for

those fighting cancer, surviving, or celebrating life, and to

create a world free of breast cancer. When I run for these

survivors and with them, it’s an inspiration. It’s

moments like this that add an aspect of love, respect, and

care in that small little square which stands right in front

of City Hall. My personal connection with Churchill

square is the liveliness it promotes and how beautiful it

looks in every season.

4. Whyte Avenue: Located in the heart of Edmonton,

Whyte Avenue is a great area for a wide variety of

cuisines and a great local hangout spot. A friend of mine

and I were taking a walk there after a lovely meal one fine

day in the summer and I mentioned to her, how much

Whyte Avenue reminded me of New York. As weird as

that sounds, the freedom and the ability to be able to

walk from street corner to street corner and the tiny

distinct stores are all an attribution of Edmonton’s

diverse culture and its people. My most fond memory of

Whyte Ave is walking along one of these streets and

coming across this beautiful little store called Wee Book

Inn. It is a lovely little bookstore with an overwhelming

collection of distinct books that once belonged in

someone’s collection. If you’re a fan of antiques and

vintage items, then Whyte Avenue is the signature spot

for all your needs.

5. A run in one of our beautiful River Valley trails: A few

weeks ago, I was watching one of those commercials for

Travel Alberta Tourism and I saw all of these luscious

Spruce and Pine trees and I thought, “I’m pretty sure they

shot that scene in Edmonton’s River Valley”. The

independence and serenity one gets here, is definitely

unique to Edmonton. Summer, Spring, Fall or Winter,

this is definitely one of my favorite places to spend time

in the outdoors. My mom and I used to walk and run

these trails and it’s honestly quite the workout with the

unpredictable hills and the most special part is being able

to watch the sunset in the evening time.

© Udantya 2012

Thanks for reading and enjoy your city and I wish you all

the best in finding all those things which make your city

even more worthwhile for you!

*

Francistown and Gaborone, Botswana

by Olga Atlholang

©Azad Family and Udantya

Francistown

One sentence to describe it - One day you will call my heart your home and my home your heart.

Things to do there:

1. Go and visit the Supa Ngwao Museum - The

Francistown National Museum.

2. Enjoy a restaurant meal at Marang Hotel, while also

enjoying the gardens.

3. Shop at Galo Mall.

4. Read a good book! I recommend Alexander McCall

Smith's 'No.1 Ladies Detective' series (all set in

Botswana) and Steve 'Bantu' Biko's, 'I Write What I Like'

5. Go to the market on Sundays (also at Galo Mall). Many

small businesses come and showcase their products. They

cater mainly to tourists and sell a lot of souvenirs. You

will find a lot of bead jewellery, paintings and wood work.

Gaborone

One sentence to describe it - A diamond in the rough.

© Udantya 2012

a

Things to do there:

1. Poetry nights every weekend at Khwest Cafe.

2. Go to Mokolodi Game Reserve.

3. Go to Gaborone National Museum.

4. Go for food and wine tastings at the various

restaurants around the city; especially the Europa

Restaurant. They have lovely meaty and non meaty

dishes!

5. Go watch for a nice long walk and enjoy the most

beautiful of sunsets!

*

Tokyo, Japan and Hong Kong

by Kirti Satish Manian

Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo is a different world and a very different

culture. In fact, I would say the city is a must visit for

everyone at least once in their lifetime. It's crowded and

quiet; the people are polite ( sometimes excessively so),

and there is something about the city which is quite

unique.

Top 5 things to do:

1. Visit a good old fashioned Izakaya (Japanese pub) for

really getting into the drinking spirit in the city

2. Visit Ginza, Tokyo's notoriously fashionable and ultra-

expensive shopping district on a Saturday to catch the

vibes and hit Itoya, a lovely paper store.

3. Tsukiji Fish Market: everyone says do this, so do this!

Make sure you are not averse to fishy smells and sights

4. Eat okonomiyaki: a fantastic savoury concoction of

egg, meat and BBQ sauce, amongst other ingredients.

This takes ‘pancake’ to a whole different level.

5. Shibuya Junction needs to be experienced - the crazy

crossing where it seems like people are milling about yet

walking purposefully in a particular direction.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is fast and frenetic, and is a somewhat

cleaner version of Mumbai. Public transport is fantastic!

© Udantya 2012

It’s a small city, so you can get from Point A to B in no

time at all. It’s cosmopolitan, friendly, and some would

even say with that fantastic skyline - glamorous.

Top 5 things to do:

1. Catch the superb skyline action from the Peak, which is

the number one attraction in Hong Kong. Make sure you

take the tram up and down to get the full experience.

2. Visit the Chi Lin Nunnery on the Kowloon side: It’s a

perfect amalgamation of peace and quiet right in the

middle of housing estates.

3. Dimsum: What would the city be without it? Get a

Canto speaker to take you to the local dimsum diners. I

promise, you won't regret it!

4. Wander around SoHo using the Central Mid-Levels

escalators, which used to be the longest escalator system

in the world. SoHo is a lovely area with boutiques,

restaurants, cafes and enough character to make you

weep.

5. Catch the Symphony of Lights show at the Harbour at

8 pm. Ignore the music and get mesmerised by the lights

and you will go home with some fantastic memories.

*

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

by Fatima Khawaja

1. Calgary Stampede: In July, the whole city shuts down

and becomes a huge 10-day party, with rodeos, parades,

carnival rides and the spirit of the Wild West.

2. Heritage Park: Step back into the 1800s when you visit

old houses and city landmarks preserved in their former

glory. Ask the tour guides for amazing ghost stories about

the different properties in the Park.

3. Food Trucks: There are over 30 meals on wheels

scattered across the city, offering diverse flavors such as

Indian, Mexican, Japanese and German. The trucks

announce their locations for the day on Twitter. Try

Fiasco Gelato, for their insanely innovative flavors. Come

winter or summer, you can't beat their creamy goodness!

© Udantya 2012

4. Banff: Revered for its picturesque mountains, Banff is

a 1-hour getaway from Calgary, offering natural hot

springs, skiing and sightseeing galore. It is also home to

the magnificent Banff Springs Fairmont Hotel.

5. Telus Spark: Not your average science centre, the

newly-renovated Telus Spark offers over 120 interactive

exhibits to fuel your brain. It’s a great way to spend a day

(or two) indoors, especially when temperatures go down.

© Udantya 2012

DARKROOM

Darjeeling Unfilteredby Aparna Vidyasagar

Timeless and romantic. Darjeeling evokes images of colonial British charm and mountain hospitality, tranquil cool

air and greenery. I have been conditioned by years of Indian cinema in to buying into this imagery. But this summer

when I finally made it to Darjeeling for a visit, I was rather disappointed to find none of this; at first.

The drive to the town of Darjeeling was an ascent into the clouds, on narrow winding roads, climbing to 6000 feet

above sea level. Each little town that we passed was charming. Clustered houses and shops hugged the roads, sitting high

atop pole foundations. But as we entered the town of Darjeeling, I was saddened to see white clouds give way to brown

smog. A veil of grey descended upon all the buildings; and there were so many! The roads were crowded with vehicles

and people. It was big city traffic but without the big city infrastructure. I looked around for the colonial buildings and

saw a few, with peeling paint, sandwiched between newer buildings. Was this it?

There were some highlights to our trip. We spent the day walking through Darjeeling. We made small purchases in

shops, visited the zoo and the mountaineering museum, and rode the steam engine ‘toy train’. At the zoo, I finally found

the pure cool air and greenery that I was so eager to see. Riding the toy train brought a sense of the new and old, all at the

same time. As I looked out the window, ducking hot bits of coal, I tried to look past all the signs of modernity and imagine

a time before anything that I could remember. It was a surreal experience.

At the end of the day, when I looked at the photos on my camera, I noticed something wonderful. Some of the

pictures I had taken, captured something distinct from what I could see. Even a picture that I had taken of the crowded

town and its grey buildings seemed beautiful. It was as if my camera could see something that my eyes had missed or

simply could not see. It had filtered out my expectations captured the essence of what I saw around me.

© Udantya 2012

© Udantya 2012

ARMCHAIR CRITIC

Life In A Dayby Aparna Vidyasagar

Life in a Day is a documentary produced by

unlikely partners; Ridley Scott (of Alien and Blade

Runner fame) and YouTube films; distributed by

National Geographic Films. It is ambitious, and a

creative departure from the norm. The filmmakers

attempt to chronicle one single day in all its

mundaneness and profundity, through the lives of diverse

people from all parts of the globe. How do they manage

to do this? By soliciting thousands and thousands of clips

from folks all around the world. Yes, the film stars us.

The film is an editing marvel and it remains

cohesive despite the immense variety of vignettes

presented. It is both compelling and comforting in its

simplicity. We watch an Indian slum dweller wake up

and perform his daily ablutions in the wee hours of the

morning; a single father in Japan who wakes up his little

boy to offer incense to his deceased mother. These scenes

draws you in. Watching people all over the world brush

their teeth or cook their meals, or take care of their loved

ones, all lends to a sense of oneness. This is who we are; we are all the same.

In chronicling life, the filmmakers do an

exemplary job; snippet after snippet, hour by hour.

However, the film can be a difficult one to watch. For me,

there was a dichotomy of feelings. I began to grow weary

of the hour by hour chronicling of the day; weary of the

scenes showing folks from all over the world waking up,

stretching, looking bleary eyed at the camera. While a

part of me appreciated the artistic technique, the rest of

me grew tired of the unequivocal message of sameness

and oneness; hammered in to you, scene after scene with

an overbearing monotony despite all the variety on the

screen. The only respite are the little vignettes that

provide an interesting peek into the lives of others - a

wedding proposal, personal sorrow, religious zeal. In a

way, fi lm licenses voyeurism in the name of

anthropology.

All in all, I have to say that the film is worth a

watch, if anything for the sheer magnitude of it all, not to

mention, simple human curiosity. But be forewarned; be

patient!

© Udantya 2012

JAM SESSION

The Works of Bill Brysonby Aparna Vidyasagar

Bill Bryson is a prolific writer whose non-fiction

work spans multiple sub-genres. He is most famous for

his travel writing, though he has written books on science,

history, language, and his own memoirs. He is the UK's

highest selling non-fiction author.

An American by birth, Mr. Bryson has lived in both America and the UK for many years (and his well

balanced Anglo-American accent is a testament to the

fact!). Both continents feature heavily in his travel

writings. His work takes you off the beaten path;

journeying through small town America in a beat up

Chevy, or traveling the length and breadth of the UK

using only public transportation. His work is marked by

his unique voice - his musings and his humor - and also

by the vast depth of information and insight he provides.

A biography of Mr. Bryson and a list of all his

works can be seen on his official website.

Poetry Jam

A Place To Beby Aparna Vidyasagar

There is a place that is,

yet cannot be.

A place of comfort,

where I am free.

This is the place,

for me to be,

as I wrest away

from misery.

But this place, is,

yet cannot be.

This is a place,

of memory.

© Udantya 2012

FAQ

We’ve had a few questions over the past few months, so we thought it would be a good idea to chart out our very own FAQ page.

Do you have specific requirements to submit to Udantya?

Absolutely not! We love it all; the quirky, the unexpected and the conventional. Share your ideas with us. We want to highlight creativity and artistic expression in all forms.

Since we are a web-magazine, we have not yet felt the need to set any page limits or length restrictions. If that changes, we will let you know!

How much time do I get to submit a piece?

We usually announce the following month’s theme when we release an issue. Our rough editing scheme is as follows. (When you email us to contribute to a particular issue, you will get a set dates for that month).

-We usually ask for a short summary of your idea for the intended piece by the end of the first week of the month.-The first draft follows roughly a week to ten days later. You can submit a first draft even if you didn’t tell us your overall summary. Partial drafts are also accepted, so that we get an idea of the direction of your piece.-We like to work closely with you and reserve a week thereafter to finalize a draft. Our goal is to facilitate your vision for your piece and we view this portion of the process as a team effort.

Can I send you stuff even if it doesn’t fit a theme?

Yes, of course! We will try to find a place for it. You may even give us ideas for more themes!

Might I make a suggestion?

Yes! Questions, comments, suggestions and ideas are all welcome. Just email us at udantya@gmail.com

© Udantya 2012