Udeepta Phukan, associate at Discover Northeast, is an independent researcher currently working on the interplay of memory and emotions in the social life of Northeast India. Born and bred in a tea estate in far eastern Assam, his favorite hobby is to lose his way in the labyrinthine tea bushes in search of the quintessential ‘two leaves and a bud’. Talking to him about global affairs is the best way to keep him engaged.