3rd Year Special Annual Double Issue Vol 4 Issue 1 & 2 Jan - Apr 2 3rd Year Special Annual Double Issue Vol 4 Issue | Page 62

we were travelling in the in the month of
December to our Ad Film location -
Longyearbyen, we witnessed the truly ethereal
“Aurora Borealis”. I would never ever
forget that dramatic trip on board the charter
flight from Oslo to Svalbard, which I was
told, happens to be the world’s last northern
airport ! Some statistic this !!
We checked into a rugged log hut and the
media crew provided to us by Visit Norway
worked round the clock to get things ready for
the shoot. Apart from designer Tea Bags, we
brought with us traditional Assamese Mekhela
Chador, conical shaped Japi hat and the
symbolic Assamese bell metal Xorai & Bota, all
of which would add an incredible Assamese
dimension to the Ad Film on the ethereal
backdrop of icy Polar/Arctic wilderness.
After numerous trials, we endorsed the film in
which we got a bunch of gorgeously dressed
Svalbard ladies, all draped in traditional
Assamese
Mekhela
Chador
dancing
rhythmatically to the lilting tunes of the
hugely popular Bihu song -“Aami Asomiya
Oi Deha Bihu Te Boliya” number and offering
guests to sip the world famous Assam Tea - all
in ice cold Arctic surroundings.
We were shooting at a time when the “Blue
Hour” was on - a period characterized by
the sun going below the horizon, which
offers a matchless natural ambience wherein
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this unusual light phenomenon creates a magical
panoramic setting. This experience is mythical, stuff
of legends and Svalbard is the only place in the
world
where
the
Northern
Light
is
permanent.
Once the 3 day long shooting stint at
Longyearbyen was over, we had enough time to
explore the town on our own. Since the Northern
Lights were on, we found most residents huddled
inside their pretty houses and indulge in merry
making. One local lady, dressed in traditional
Svalbard wintry costume, who was part of the
Ad Film got very curious and wanted to know
more about Assam Tea and India. We spent an
hour at her logged hut and the entire family were
very impressed by Assam’s rich culture and bio-
diversity.
Tea is priceless in small-town Longyearbyen
and so we gifted a couple of packs of Assam Tea
to our host. But, the funny part is they don’t know
the art of tea-making. So, I played the role of a
tea-maker and trained them up and offered tips
of how a cuppa Assam Tea can cheer you up and
enliven you even in ice cold Arctic conditions.
Fulfilled by our tea-training session, the lady of
the house extended her helping hand and took us
on a leisurely sightseeing tour. Our first stop was
at the Svalbard Museum which rather ingeniously
depicts the cultural history of this amazing region
of Norway.
Vol 4 | Issue 1 |Jan - Feb 2019