Weeknote #32 [W26.22] - Eid, Indie Web Club Anniversary, and evening walks

Eid dinner at Munazzah’s

For Eid, I had the best biryani I have had in years.

Munazzah had invited me and a few friends over for dinner. Sulfath made the mutton biryani. It was wonderful.

It made me think about all the times I have ordered biryani from restaurants over the last two years, and how unsatisfying they have been in comparision.

I ordered biryani from Paradise (terrible choice) later in the week, and it was just so bland in comparision. The last time I had satisfying biryani was December of 2024, when I had made it myself for a lunch party with friends from TPCC.

Which makes me realize, I haven’t made biryani in almost 2 years. Something to rectify soon, I suppose. (But having vegetarian friends makes it diffcult.)

On a different note, I also bought a new kurta for the occasion. Which I ordered from Instamart. I did not know Instamart sold kurtas.

Indie Web Club Anniversary at Underline

Saturday (May 30), I spent the entire day at Underline.

It began with the Indie Web Club’s 1st anniversary celebrations, after which we had a screening of City of God for Cinema Next Door in the evening.

The IWC anniversary event featured 12 short talks (each one was 8 minutes long) by regulars in the community. I was very impressed by how well organized the event was. Seldom do speaking events run on time. I think, if my memory is not failing me, this was a first in 24 years of attending various seminars and lectures.

My favourite talks were probably the one by Chitin on Tecnho-feudalism and Sagrika’s on finding your writing voice.

I really liked Sagrika’s talk because it made me think about my own writing voice on this blog, which I hope to write more about soon.

My blog got mentioned a couple of times in some of the presentaions, which was super gratifying. And in the end, I was also asked to cut the cake because apparently I have attended the most number of IWC sessions.

Evening walks after work

I have taking 30 minute walks after work every evening.

Lately, I have been going to the office more often. The office isn’t very far from where I live. So instead of taking an auto, I just walk back home. And I stop for tea and snacks at a Chai Resto in between, during which I also read whatever book I’m carrying with me that day.

I had first started evening walks in Kolkata in 2021. I’d go out for an hour long walk after work at 5pm. That provided a very useful buffer between work and life outside of work. I had kept it up for the next 2 years, but stopped somewhere in between for reasons that are now too far away in time to pinpoint accurately.

I am hoping to make evening walks a regular habit again. It kept me sane during what was otherwise a deeply frustrating work week.