Hope You're Partying Tomorrow...

There's something about Christmas and the New Year that really makes one sit holding one's cup of tea trying to move through the morning paper and just not being able to. Memories of the past year, of life in general, of parties and of fun flit through your mind and you realize how fully you've lived your life (as full as you want to...not comparing it to anyone's standards). This time of the year, especially. Diwali and other holidays are not times for introspection - the fireworks startle you for one - but come Christmas and you're sitting in your easy chair hovering between the dimensions of sleep and memories.

One whole page in the paper had a list of which major hotels are holding parties for NYE. As I contemplated on the list and the fact that millions of people will be on this tiny island partying till the wee hours, I couldnt help smiling at the really memorable parties I'd been to (in any order):

1. A birthday party which I thought was a Christmas party until I saw that the pudding was pink and not brown. I was really young at the time and my sister had a fever so that was the party I went to on my own. I dont remember much about it except that I stared and stared at the pink pudding hoping they would give me some soon. My love of puddings was born right there.

2. The party where I had my first vodka! And said some things I was reminded of the next day by one of the VPs. I hadnt much memory of what I did at that time. And how old was I when I had my first vodka + Sprite? 23!

3. I went to a disco for the first time when I was in my mid-20s. And I felt old! Every person between 13 and 19 was there and I felt like an auntie. Despite my cool claw pendant and beret. And really tall platforms! The only cool thing about this was we danced for 2 hours nonstop and then went to the beach where we had a meal under the stars.

4. A Las Vegas theme party where I wore a Chinese silk top I'd bought from Hong Kong. I remember that the bartenders juggled flaming bottles and one of them moved through the dancers tipping a bottle of tequila into people's mouths!

5. I love home parties. My first one (without adult supervision) and a few close friends involved 'The Sixth Sense', a Swiss chocolate cake (my favourite), Chinese food and Pictionary. We stayed up till 5 am just playing Pictionary. We slept only because we had to (good little girls).

6. My first party after marriage (without the in-laws at home) had loads of pizza, a crappy movie, lots of beer (for him) and vodka screwdrives (for her).

My father had had this idea of a party for four - it would be just the four of us. One would get the appetizers, one would make the drinks, one would order food and another would play the music or something and we'd sit back and enjoy a party without worrying about anyone other than ourselves. This is something I like to continue with my husband and we often don't wait to be invited to parties. We have our own little programme planned out - which food to get or make, which movies to watch etc. Which reminds me, we havent had one for a really long time.

So, how do you like to party? How are you partying this NYE?

Happy Holidays!

My hubby took a whole week off starting this Monday. Am very excited coz we've planned a lot of fun outings. Like...eating roast duck rolled with a cucumber slice in rice pancakes at Mainland China, having an Italian meal at Don Giovanni, etc. etc. Sampling some wines we've never tried before. Making some grilled chicken in our microwave. Plans aplenty but hope we see them through. Hubby's recovering from a nasty cough and I hope with all my heart that I don't catch it.

I love Christmas mainly because we get to visit an old Goan bakery and get plum cakes that follow a traditional recipe. Also, rum cakes with a little pink sticker on it. Pink probably symbolising the rosy flush you get from too much rum. :) Only the cherries and peel are soaked in it, only a few really douse the cake with it. But, I was thankful that I got to eat it! And from an old bakery, not those that care more about following trends rather than sticking to what people love to come back to every year.

I am still in the learning stage when it comes to baking cakes (or baking anything actually) and love to bring home a cake mix (Betty Crocker or Pillsbury). Even more than that, I love going into an old-fashioned bakery that follows both standard and trendy menus and has everything for everyone. Of course, there are queues around Christmas and New Year but then that's when you send along your husband to stand in them for as long as it takes to get one rich plum cake. And an even richer rum plum cake.

That's what I love to come back to every year.

The Morning News and a Cup of Tea

At this stage, it's the best combination on earth. Other than a bad movie and a good bottle of wine after.

Love Hindustan Times - especially the weekend reads of both HT and HT Cafe. Tuesdays are good too... I've just finished reading Chickwit, Blog Improvement and Expat Opinion. Blog Improvement today gave me mixed messages - she writes about how ensuring a good read (grab attention, know your audience kind of tips) improves or brings about its linkeability (more people visiting your blog and referring your stuff to others) while "doing your own thing" (which is...). It's kind of giving your perspective a professional edge. And a blog, to me, is something a lot more personal. If the writing does not appeal, that's fine too coz you're not really selling anything. For me, it's like making my diary or journal entry user friendly. I don't want to do that because it would cramp my style.

Plus, I feel close to those who visit and leave comments for me. Maria, Leah and Nancy - you guys really make me want to blog more, even if it's just me keeping in touch with you.

Chickwit was a relaxing read although it did look at serious issues - women and their self esteem when it comes to their appearance. Her style of writing is casual but strong - it engages your attention well right until the last full stop (period). She talks about being in your thirties and competing with twenty-somethings. Just to keep up with the times. And twenty-somethings obsessing about their food and looks. My seventeen-year old and twenty-one year old cousins do make me feel older than my twenty-nine years. Of course, I havent really taken care of myself the way I used to when I was twenty-seven. And I've got a whole lifetime ahead of me (unless the world's ending in 2012, which makes me wonder if losing weight and not binging is really worth it).

Expat Opinion is a very interesting column. You get to see your world from a stranger's eyes. A person who's a stranger to your country, not just your city. You get to experience the flaws and virtues of this city through their eyes. Of course, you do understand the reason they're here and you see the spark of it in their words, in their stories. The utter confusion, the lack of proper systems and yet, you find the city functioning the way it is... and a heart-warming moment when your neighbours reach out to you and help you adjust to your surroundings.

I really do not miss the Times of India. They could take a leaf out of HT's book or rather, newspaper.

2012 and a really good wine

Ok. So, 2012 wasnt as scary as I thought it would be. The film was obviously flawed and unreal but it had its impact. The only thing we could think as we sat glued to our seats was yeah, this could happen. Should we plan to go for that Europe tour right now? Should we sell all our possessions and move to Goa and open that restaurant we always dreamed of? Should we leave our jobs and live off the money until we crumble and die in another...2 years?

We needed some wine and lots of it. At least, my husband needed a pick me up and we went to Mocha just for that and a bite to eat.

Sula Dia turned out just right. Hubby thought it was a bit on the sweet side but I felt it had the right tang, sweetness and sparkle. It came in a slim, gold-green bottle. A ladies' wine, I think - dressed like one anyway. Tasting of fruits. I love the experience of trying a new wine and really loving it. It did a great job of comforting us after the movie. Not that my husband slept well after dinner. He dreamt of giving me the sea-spaceship ticket to me and boarding a bus to someplace. He doesnt know if he reached anywhere safe but was glad to wake up and know that he dreamt it all.

I hope the darn thing stays a dream. If 2012 happens like in the movie, we're all sitting ducks.

So much happening everywhere but here...

I felt like we were living in the wrong city when I heard that Doolally's opened in a Pune. It's a micro-brewery. My husband would love this more than I would because it involves only beer, beer and more beer. My friend's husband raved about the place on his facebook - they even took along their dog and let him sample two beers. This totally brought back to my mind the Scotland Street books with Cyril the dog accompanying his owner, Angus, to the bar where he is allowed a saucer of beer.

Where I live, women drinking in public is not so common so we usually go to a few places around the city or out of it to really kick back a few. So far, we've been going to about three-four places where, thanks to the things we order, we've become quite well known among the staff (God knows what they say behind our backs but who cares as long as no one's spitting in my food). Waiters smile more and bring us our orders quicker and allow us to sit wherever we want.

Now, of course, we eat at home more often and we've stopped ordering food in on Sundays. That coupled with exercise is showing a lot of results and hence, I decided to stop going out for cocktails more than once or twice (in an emergency) a month. Most of my friends dont drink and hence, I only binge on cocktails when I'm with my husband. But I havent completely given it up, only got more selective. And, I need a change of scenery, more challenges than different alcoholic mixes in sweetened juices.

Like, a wine library. That's really rare and limited to most of the seven star hotels around here (because five stars are not enough). The prices are astronomical. HT Cafe (comes with our local newspaper) carries a wine index comparing the prices of wine all around the city. They also give a list of places that come under different price ranges. They're all not really a hop, skip and jump away which is why we stick to our few restaurants for a decent drink. But I love to explore; get bored by having the same things.

Bandra - considered the top-most suburb in Bombay city, on its merit of course - had a wine tasting fair in an open garden recently. Read about it and felt like I lived miles away in a sleepy little village. Not that I'd feel any different among the snootiest lot sniffing and swirling the contents of the wine glass. But it was a decently managed affair and for a price of 500 Rupees you could sample some really fine and diverse wines - both domestic and international. I really missed living just a half-hour away. It would take a 2 hour bus ride and a 1 hour rickshaw ride to get there from here.

Well, there's always next year. And one can't always have adventure in one's own backyard.

Cold Evening, Hot Soup!

It clouded over this morning and there was a constant drizzle. We got the feel of a typical Indian monsoon in November. Everyone was pleasantly surprised and there were messages of relief all over my homepage when I checked into facebook.

I had to switch off the fan overhead: it was so cool. I could have bundled up and napped the gloomy afternoon away but I had work - now that the brief holiday from the world was over (no internet connection). There were leftover spring onions, capsicums (red and yellow), and mushrooms waiting in the fridge. I switched on the computer and thought about making soup.

In the evening, as my husband took a short conference call with his colleagues from around the world, I made my soup. Chopped garlic along with the vegetables. Took out the olive oil and oregano. Tossed the veggies and garlic in olive oil and then added the seasonings. Added a cube of chicken stock powder to water and added the veggies. Added noodles and stirred. The kitchen smelled of soup.

A dot of butter completed the magic and a hint of tomato ketchup provided the bite it needed. Hubby and I slurped it all up, right down to the tiniest bit of oregano. The rain hung around for more.

What a relief!

8 days without Internet. Work on hold. Facebook on hold. A large portion of life on hold.

It was insane trying to get back online - a sea of government officials, excuses, frustrations, fights, pleading. Once we got re-connected, it seemed like we'd climbed Mt. Everest and back, such was our relief. And all I could do was email like crazy, check all my online networking games (cooked, baked, tended plants, harvested crops, re-activated properties within a few minutes), and then...put my feet up and read all the blogs I missed during my exile.

I love being back!

I finished reading French Women Don't Get Fat and learned a lot! Promised myself that I would not quit walking, will try the stairs once in a day, will develop my sense of taste and will never let myself go like I did in the past two years. It's a big awakening moment to know all of the things in the book and find it soo hard to follow through.

What will you be this Halloween?

I find it exciting that people are planning Halloween parties, here and abroad. I'm not attending parties or doing anything other than looking up costume ideas for my sis - who is going to one - but its quite nice to watch from the sidelines. And it does tempt you to have a Halloween party of your own. It's quite something to watch all your family and friends dressed up as someone or something different. My sister's going to a theme party dressed as a Goddess - which one she hasnt decided yet.

I like goddesses with a little personality and plenty of colour in their lives. The ones who live a little dangerously. I took an online quiz (pretty predictable, most of them) and turned out to be Hecate. Now that's a goddess with possibilities. Three heads, a crone, a beautiful maiden...there was so much information on her. The interesting kind of information. She was a Titan - the only one that Zeus spared because of her unlimited potential. The one he blessed with the power to grant any wish and even take it away. She roamed through all the worlds - even the underworld. She helped children and young women. At the same time, she was more famous for her dark side that even the gods seemed to fear. She was more hated than loved. Avoided rather than popular. She was probably one of those who'd walk into a party and stop all conversation. In short, a very interesting life.

There's Nemesis - divine retribution of the winged variety to those who are too arrogant and wicked (pick your weapon from a choice of flaming torch, sword or hourglass - thy time hath arrived!!)

There's Oeno - turns anything into wine (good excuse for always carrying around a glass of merlot or sparkling wine)

There's Dementia - not much information about her but imagine going around a party wanting to turn people mad...now that's interesting!

Diana the hunter and goddess of the moon - there must be loads of interesting mythology there

There was Spermo - goddess of grain (you wouldnt be able to say your name without a smile or a wink)

Or the Queen Bee Hera who I think was really famous for throwing the most awful (understatement!!) tantrums that shook heaven and earth.

Now, gods and goddesses is a theme done to death, I'm sure. Nothing creative or new here unless you're making modernized versions of these gods or some punchy line to deliver while mingling with guests.

So, what are you going as this Halloween? It could even involve a costume while you're waiting for kids to "Trick or Treat!" at your home...all you need is the Halloween spirit, not just a party invitation although that does get more action than just sporting a pair of devil horns and holding a cigarette.

Do share what you'd love to be this Halloween - even if you're not dressing the part.

This time of the year...

...is celebrated as the festival of lights. Diwali started off with a bang (literally) in the wee hours of Saturday (probably 4 am) and is still going on. We got out at 7 am and had a bath, applying liberal amounts of fragrant coconut oil and sandalwood paste to our bodies and rubbing them in to maximise their effect. With glowing, sweet-smelling skins, we donned new clothes, jewellery and sat patiently as my mother-in-law explained and performed the necessary rituals and then brought out the sweets and snacks that Diwali is best remembered for.

Evenings are spent out of doors with some bursting crackers, others hanging out lanterns and creating rangoli designs outside their homes. We took my little neice and her mother out to a mall that they'd never seen before. It glowed like a white elephant with pristine floors and walls all light up with tiny yellow Christmas lights suspended from light-as-air net curtains. We did some quick shopping, took her for some games and fun and concluded our evening with a sumptuous feast.

The three days of Diwali were spent meeting relatives, going to my parents' house, having them come over. Lots of fish, chicken biryani, chocolate cakes (my birthday) and sweets! I'm slowly getting sick of stuffing myself with the calorific sweetness... yet, they're irresistible. As is a sparkler or two and the brilliant lanterns hung outside every home.

It's always sad to bid this festival goodbye and come to grips with reality...aka work!!!

So Cool!

It had been raining furiously last week. One sunny Sunday morning, we went off in the car to have lunch with P's relatives when a storm burst in from nowhere and there were mini-floods in the streets. We actually went round the house a couple of times trying to find a drier place to park the car. Once we had lunch and sat idly beside the balcony, it was gone...off to rain on someone else's dinner plans, I'm sure.


Now, every morning is sunny but noon becomes dark and menacing. Evening is sultry and night is cool. We wish we had a terrace to lie down in and enjoy the starry sky and the cool breezes but a big almost-french window's good too. We keep enough distance between the drapes to be able to watch the indigo sky with the chalky clouds and a slight drizzle until our eyes close and we're mentally transported to a dream or nightmare sequence.


We have a long weekend coming up and are wondering whether we should go to the hill-stations or the beachside - all a few hours from where we live. As yet we're just pleasantly floating around thinking about just doing this on the spur of the moment. Just checking train and bus schedule's driving us nuts. We want to drive there...but where do we drive?

This weekend I'm staying with my parents... looking forward to really letting my hair down. Can't wait until I'm on the bus, reading a paper or Mary Higgins Clark - where I've realized that most heroines are brunettes, heroes are blond and villains are, well, mysterious until the mask is pulled off and the one you're sure could never be him is him. Humm! Even better than that? Endless cups of tea once I reach.

The only thing that looks good on an IPod...

When I was buying my IPod, my friend asked me what message I wanted to engrave on it. After much soul searching and google-searching, I found the only one I'd want to be carved on stone (or IPod) ...

"We are such stuff
As dreams are made on..."

The rest of it's something else too:

Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp'd tow'rs, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on; and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.

Is there anything sexier than having your man cook for you?

To watch those big macho men take a skillet and a pan and just immerse themselves in a creation designed to impress you? A dash of this and that...no set recipe planned ahead. Raid the kitchen for what's available and just intuitively select those your darling will fall for...fall in love with you all over again.

Once, I came back from a really long day at a workshop after 2 hours of travelling to find a delicious pasta boiling on the stove for me. My man bent over the stove trying to find the right balance of spice and tanginess, adjusting one with the other, tearing off coriander leaves and tenderly dropping them over the dish. Making me a hearty dinner...

You dont need to walk down the aisle again to reaffirm your vows and bonds. All you need is one to slip into an apron and the other to make sensuous 'yummy' sounds. And the rest shall fall into place...

Cocktail Kings!

Last Friday night was a rare one; cocktails flowed like water and I even got one free after we sampled about...hmmm...4 each?

Cosmopolitan - Very, very yummily made
Tequila Sunrise - O.K. (I've had better)
Chocolatini - yummmmm....in a Bailey's cream kind of silky satiny yummy
North Side Special - a rum cocktail...nothing all that rum about it, it was exceptional!

I got to choose another drink (free!) and got myself a Cosmo again because I fell in love with it. We had all of these against the backdrop of grilled and skewered Arabic delicacies - Chicken mussakkan roll, barbequed chicken and a mezze platter (isnt that Lebanese?). We were pleasantly swimming and gliding across mental seas and skies after which we skipped the waiter's offer of a sizzling chocolate brownie (a feat in itself) and instead glided over to a Baskin Robbins for a choco mousse icecream.

To sum it up: a wonderful Friday night! We (Hubby and I) have both expressed a secret wish to go all around Mumbai and sample cocktails for a living. And perhaps, rate them on our blog!

Walk down foodie lane...

Maria's Top Ten Comfort Food list inspired me to bring out my own favourite foods and list them (no order of preference here).

The Devil's List of Favourite Comfort Foods

1. Barbequed Prawn Pizza - I have never not felt like eating this one...just the thought of having this mouth-watering, cheesy, tangy pizza can comfort me. I went to Pop Tate's last month and ordered it only to find that they've discontinued it and we had to make do with Bbqd Chicken Pizza which was sadly lacking in everything including some good old tiny but succulent prawns.

2. Egg Mc Muffin with Smoked Salami - I was floored by the taste of smoky salami (perfectly done) laid on a bed of fried egg. Cheese on top, which I could have done without. I had one of these and one and a half Sausage Mc Muffin (which was great but not as lovely as this one) and well...we went without lunch that day.

3. Pasta (Mushroom Alfredo, Lasagna, Chicken mince...you name it, I want it!) - Even having a few strands of pasta in soup (almost any soup) makes it a more enjoyable experience for me. Even a simple white sauce (nothing but cream and flour and onions and garlic) makes pasta more divine than anything...except the top two comfort foods.

4. Chicken biryani - You dont need anything else other than a thick curd raita to accompany this one pot meal. Tender marinated chicken cooked with long grain rice and topped with caramelized onions...a feast of spices and flavors; a soft aroma beckons even those who claim to be on a diet. This is frankly all you'll ever need...ever!... with a nice glass of wine.

5. Kheema with Egg - Mutton/Chicken mince cooked in onions, peas and spices with a beaten egg poured over and cooked with the mixture at the end... a treat any time, anywhere! Eaten with soft, baked pao (Indian bread), a wedge of lemon and onion rings (not fried).

6. Egg or Flat Noodles/Fried Rice - Just cannot decide between the two; usually if the person accompanying me for lunch doesnt like noodles, we end up ordering rice. Love both equally...especially when tossed with a few meats and bite-sized pieces of fried egg/omelette.

7. Dim Sums - How can I ever forget these glorious little packages of heaven? I can eat them no matter what...which season I'm in, what mood I'm in. Dim sums always excite me even though they're reduced to choosing from chicken/fish fillings rather than pork, mutton, beef, crab...I think I only miss pork more. Although I wish I could visit China White again...that was the only restaurant where we could really enjoy our dim sums...lotus leaf wrapped ones in sticky rice especially!

8. Chocolate cake in custard - This is my most loved but forgotten dessert over time... growing up, I'd make custard only to have it this way. Now, I suspect no one other than yours truly will enjoy this. Sadly, I am tempted to but avoid getting desserts home so making it will definitely invoke a round of binging (especially as no one else at home wants the firm and soggy combination).

9. Sausages - any kind, grilled or fried or boiled...I love them all. The best ones I've had are the cheese and onion chicken sausages.

10. Hot Chocolate Cake/Fudge Brownie with Vanilla Ice cream - I love this combination especially if there's dark chocolate cream on the cake or brownie. I hate the sizzling brownie thing they serve in almost all restaurants in Bombay...where the brownie sizzles on an iron platter heated for the purpose and topped with ice cream with chocolate sauce poured over the combination for smoke effect. Why bother with that when you can just have a microwaved or oven-warmed brownie/chocolate cake with a scoop or two of deliciously cold vanilla ice cream melting over it as you try and salvage every spoonful?

This is it as far as I can think. I'm sure to wake up in the middle of the night with a few more items but till then... this is it!

I sure would love to know everyone's top ten or at least top five favourite comfort foods.

The Holiday...

What can be better than looking forward to the rains all cozied up at home with four unread books?

1. Sushi for Beginners
2. Rachel's Holiday
3. The British Museum Is Falling Down
4. Victoria Line, Central Line

Work hasnt arrived yet. I have pending personal tasks piling up helplessly...and yet, I'm feeling on the absolute top of the world. High!

We've been waiting for you

The rain pattered down on Friday night - it was late when I finally put the book away and switched off the light to open the curtains and look down to a gleaming, wet street and a muted patter of raindrops on every metal awning in the neighbourhood. Saturday and Sunday were blissfully rainy...we had a long drive to look forward to and a visit home to my mother's. As we sped away to our destination, the rain clouds followed us and darkened the evening earlier than the usual summery time of 7:30 pm. Sunday was wonderfully wet and it gladdened us to be out in the rain - a hot fish lunch followed by a trip to the movie theater for the much-awaited Angels and Demons.

The movie was wonderful...I liked it better than the Da Vinci Code in terms of action and a tight script. Not one second had me rolling my eyes and hoping for something else. Even Tom Hanks was more convincing as Robert Langdon this time although he wouldnt have been my first choice for the role. Every film this actor makes is nothing short of amazing. Watching the movie made me realise the importance of watching cinema on the big screen and I was glad to not have missed it. The entire team of actors was brilliantly cast - the Pope's chamberlain, scientists, police, security team... not one actor looked like he only just came in to play a role. The scenes within the Vatican city, the beautiful churches and architecture of ancient buildings, the suspense and the ruthlessness with which each threat was carried out were all prime reasons to go and watch the movie (earlier panned by critics as one of the weakest cinematic offerings of Hollywood).

All in all a good weekend with great food. The skies are alternately sunny or gloomy. We hope for more rain soon, even a light drizzle just to assure us that it wasnt a one time miracle; that our fields will get the nourishment they need and the people will get a much needed respite from the harsh sun.

Are we there yet?

MRF Tyres has postponed its Rain Day indefinitely. So much for the meteorologists who predicted that the skies will tip over liquid manna over parched fields some two weeks ago.

I was depressed a few weeks ago over the pointlessness of my life. A year and a half ago, I was over-stressed and knew I wanted to do something else. Forget about keeping my promise to myself, I have fallen back into a rut that I keep trying to crawl out of. An astrologer once told my mother that all my ideas are confined within my head and that's one of my major obstacles. He hadnt even seen me. And he was right. I tried to prove him wrong but I keep sliding back.

Watching a few videos of the Golden Girls between work schedules cheered me up but gloom stands just around the corner and predictably, every few weeks, I plunge into it headlong.

I want the rain to bring a change of scene outside my window but dont react to the nagging need for change within me. I want clear signposts to show me which way I'm headed... losing the point of the whole journey. I used to take steps towards what I wanted and now, am slacking off and letting go a whole lot more.

I dont know how long it's been since I wrote...there are dusty cobwebs around my mind's eye that are being tossed about as I write. I read more blogs now than I have for all the weeks before today. Feels good to find one's fingers tapping away as the mind dictates. I know that I'm picking myself up from the dumps. I just need this post to remind me to do that every time I slack off.

I'll pray for it to rain... without sitting at my window and glaring at the sun.

Will it rain today?

The day has awakened with half a promise...exactly half of the blue-white cloud sky is filled with darker, more menacing black clouds. Yesterday there was half a drizzle. Today, at least there's more cloud cover. Although sunlight maintains her presence persistently.

If it rains today, may it mingle with the sunlight streaming over the clouds and make a pretty, long rainbow. I need to chase one.

Poem in Your Pocket

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

It may not have anything to do with the election fever today but it does alter my frame of mind from despair to hope. Leah, it was a good idea to suggest carrying a poem in my pocket; I carried this in my heart.

So...It's Election Week!

I'm deciding whether to vote for the guy who started this amazing bus that takes us to all the places we normally visit but end up changing two or more buses on the way. Now we dont feel like we're in a village on the outskirts of Bombay; we're more with it now. Better connectivity and all that. Not to mention that I can just zip on to an air-conditioned KingLong any time I feel like visiting South Bombay, which the ugly circuit (celebs who're only in the news for attending and throwing parties) calls SoBo now. Why not call it Manhattan while you're at it?

Anyway, we still have power outages (load shedding) for up to 3 hours a day split up into schedules of one and a half hours at a time. I'm lucky that water's still available through the day and night. We do have little riots breaking out among the underprivileged sections of our little town but that's everywhere! SoBo has little swimming pool parties, brunches, horse racing as it's summer activities while they move around these venues in air-conditioned comfort. They probably never open any window to get in anything other than air-conditioned breezes. And we read about these things every single day while the sweat drips down our necks. I dont think there's a SoBo word for sweat.

Yesterday, I went down for a walk in the evening (around 7 pm) and still managed to sweat buckets before I even got warmed up. Going to the library and standing under a few fans helped me gear up for the final lap home.

So it was a pleasant surprise to see political personalities campaigning out in the sweltering heat and sunshine. The only time in five years that anyone bothers to leave their cushy homes and offices and mingle with the people (only they do it in trucks with a few chosen commoners). They speak of problem-solving and getting water problems sorted out but it is pushed to the backburners when they come to power. Today, I read that one of them is against educating rural people to use computers. They will be out of work if they do that is his reason. At the same time, they want to work for those in villages, provide them electricity and water. No one does that because every five years, the same things are being promised to these people. Where in heck is anyone going to learn how to use a computer in such circumstances?

At the same time, the class divide keeps increasing. There's SoBo on one hand while on the other are thousands of slums that stay where they are while realty rates increase so much that the salaried class can feel the pinch of investing in a flat big enough to house all their family members.

One day, I hope to see electricity and water striked out as promises. We cannot take India to any global level if her villages and half of her cities are still in the dark.

Bombay Diva: A Place for Reflection...

This is where Bombayites come to reflect, to pray, to take a break from the fast-paced rat race of a life. You take a train, climb a hill, whizz past swish residential buildings to a simple town of temples. Whether you have a lot to be grateful for or a lot to look forward to, or simply to ask the Lord for help, just stepping into Banganga's atmosphere will reduce your mind's torment, climbing down the steps into its many temples will cause you to reflect or simply tune out of misery and into hope.

Read all about it on my other blog.

Banganga is the water that energizes and comforts a tired soul. A tank full of the pious river Ganga's blessings. For prosperity, for success, for hope, for prayer. For the rich or poor. Old or young. Here's where the adventure seekers and go-getters of this magnificent city go to find their strength.

The Bombay Store

Come into the shade of a store born before India gained her freedom. Feel the silks and organza, let the gleam of precious stones dazzle you, tempt yourself with aromatic salts and oils. A glimpse of India in her regal splendour, waiting to enchant you with her gifts. One eye on the future yet firmly grounded by her roots.


Come, visit the Bombay Store.

A French Twist!

There's a bakery called The French Loaf, which apart from french loaves has Focaccia bread (with olives), quiches, pies, different varieties of multigrain breads and also an exquisite selection of cakes. Everything's expensive, because it comes from France?!

Not so much a taste of France say a few online reviews I found online. I couldnt visit the shop, only a few blocks away from my home in Andheri. So I hoped it would stay there and searched for some descriptions online to see what's the best thing to eat or order there. Disappointing said one review in an online version of a local newspaper (tabloid). They heat croissants in a microwave before serving them to you and their rolls are no different from any other coffee place. Just buy a loaf to make French toast, they say. Another review raved about the pastries offered and the "buy one, get one free" offer on their loaves.

What's really interesting is to find a bit of France (even if its only the loaf) in surroundings where one would often find an Italian, Chinese or Indian restaurant around the corner. Lebanese joints, Arabian bistros, hookah cafes all have mushroomed over this area so a French twist was quite unexpected.

I'm looking forward to sample a few of its goodies, buy some loaves and write my own food review!

An Engagement on the Street!

The sleepy little village outside my home does tend to have a few celebrations that are beyond the imagination of many of us. Yesterday, we saw that they had finished erecting a stage and had put up a tent-like partition which is typically used as a dining hall for weddings. So all of us flat residents were wondering about it as we saw them hard at work, narrowing down the street to the length of a one-way road (not that there's much traffic).

My in-laws made a few enquiries and found that they're gearing up for quite a few celebrations leading to the Hanuman Jayanti. Hanuman, our monkey-faced divine protector and Sri Rama's ally, resides in two temples near here and his birthday is celebrated around this time. Last year was my first time witnessing the celebrations. This year too, they put up the stage for not just this one but many other celebrations that started with an engagement ceremony.

At about 5 pm, chairs were stacked in neat rows before the stage illuminated by rows of twinkly lights. A few priests were going about preparing the stage for the ceremonies to follow. Guests gathered. Extra chairs were put up on the other side, narrowing down the road further. And then, studio lights were set up as the photographers arrived. Everything that would be done in a wedding hall was being done here, only thing was it was on the street.

The couple arrived, their wellwishers arrived too and the street seemed to be bursting at the seams to contain all this merry band together along with all its furniture. A few autorickshaws tried to pass through and had a very rough time of it. A microphone was plugged in, musicians arrived and from that point on, people forgot it was a street and just socialized, danced and ate in a completely carefree, celebratory mood. The couple had photos taken on stage, wished by their family and friends and called it a day only after 11 pm. Even then, a few kids played on the stage and the older ones sat around in the plastic chairs playing cards. I slept long before the party truly ended.

This morning the stage and the decorations seem to have an abandoned air around them. Tomorrow is Rama Navami when they plan to do something that's not been disclosed yet. And yes, its going to be on the street again.

Read all about: Churchgate station!

This station started off my lifelong crush on South Bombay.


Want to see a little bit of it? Click the link!

The Trains and the Witches

This is something I didnt want to post on the Bombay Diva blog although I should as it's more relevant there but didnt because it's not Bombay's fault that some people behave like this. The morning rush in the trains - the most efficient transport system in Bombay - makes women, especially, turn into broom-flying witches who glare at and attack anyone who gets in their way.

Yesterday, my husband came home from work with a story. It was after 10 am. There was heavy human traffic on the station platforms where trains stop for a brief 2 minutes before proceeding to their destination and other stations scheduled for a stop. A woman's handbag fell in the gap under the train and the platform and got stuck. My husband's colleague stopped to help her yank the bag out before the train left, blocking the people behind her. Two girls mauled her from behind and left bleeding scratch marks on her wrists and arms. Even after she got in the train and yelled at them, they were "shocked" at her language and asked her what social background she came from. She incredulously retorted with the same question, what social background do you guys belong to that do this to other people and she showed them the visibly bleeding marks.

Once she got into the office she was crying at the agony she had to undergo with the wounds and the mental pain of hearing the two women openly complain about her to each other. She found more scratch marks all along her back. She needed tetanus injections because the doctor told her that pus was forming around those scratches.

I dont know what's become to make people so murderous during the morning rush hour. Even regularly travelling people have to bear the brunt of such attacks: verbal or physical. It used to be a different place a few years ago and now it's come to this. This wasnt even in the Second Class with a whole section of people who might come down to cat fights. The First Class that usually stands aside and gives way to people alighting from trains (not ever seen in the Second class rush where people just stand dumbly in your way not caring that you need to get down at a particular station) had come to such blows.

I can only hope that this was one stray incident and those two women no matter how they were inconvenienced will not choose to retaliate in this way. They could very easily be in the same position and I hope that no one would choose to physically assault them.

Bombay Diva - a new adventure!

I have a million Bombay stories in my head but no space in my personal blog to write them all down. After all, the Idle Devil started writing her blog for want of a web space to call her own to just type what's on her mind; kind of an online journal or diary. Bombay Diva started when I boarded the ferry that looks at the island city from a distance. It took me away from her and something happened: I was speeding away into the ocean and at the same time, felt myself being tugged back by the city I was speeding away from.





I could see Bombay from a distance and could imagine what millions of migrating people might have felt on spying the Gateway of India for the first time.

I inwardly celebrated my good fortune of never having to leave the city for good. Every time I leave the house and travel to the city, I find my mind bursting to hold in a million sights, people, faces, things, stories, facts of Bombay. I need space to write them all down. So, I welcome Bombay Diva - the light that is my city standing tall and mighty on a global platform.

I aced the interview!

Did I tell you about the interview I had submitted for review? The writing workshop had an interview piece that we each had to do - we could select the person to interview. I wanted to interview Abodh Aras, CEO of Welfare of Stray Dogs. Interviewing someone approachable, interesting and passionate about his cause was quite an experience: rewarding in more ways than one. I had a glimpse of the crusade he's on - controlling stray dog population and sterilizing, vaccinating them, giving them first aid - and the effort he puts in every single day for a cause that's one of a kind. It took me more than a day to sit down and condense everything to 10 questions, which was the submission limit. Quite naturally, the questions flowed well and gave an idea of a continuous conversation rather than a disjointed question answer session.

I got a "Well Done" by the reviewer. She also observed that I did my homework well before going for the interview. It put me in a great mood all of Sunday.

It reminded me of that day when I left home at 7:15 am to get the bus that would take me to Churchgate. The office was at Kalaghoda, the art destination of Mumbai. I had to wait an hour before I could go and interview him and not one restaurant was open, there was no place to sit down and read my newspaper. Only juice and sandwich stalls were open, as were newstands. Tea and idli sellers roamed the streets with their stainless steel containers, often parking at a spot where early office goers swarmed like flies to catch a hot cuppa chai or a steaming idli and green coconut chutney before they clocked in. Tiny offices, tucked away in crumblingly old buildings. I climbed treacherously old wooden stairs to reach the office where I waited in the hot, unventilated passage before Abodh came in to unlock the office door.

He swiftly ushered me into the visitors room and sat in a chair and gave me an anticipative look which signalled me to start the interview right there. I didnt know how an hour passed and then a few minutes more before I shut my notebook and thanked him for giving me his time. He noted down my email address and also my blog address which I quite nervously gave; it's quite a personal space. He blogs too:

http://strayingaround.blogspot.com/ (where he writes about Mumbai and strays in general)

I've been hunting around for his stray dog adoption blog but havent found it yet.

I'm now going to hunt for someone who can publish this interview.

Living to the Hilt!

1. Finished reading 'Chocolat'. Loved the book. Cant wait to read The Lollipop Shoes.

2. Went to a book-signing event organised by Crossword. Orhan Pamuk was invited and was right on time, down to the very minute. Wished him luck and just enjoyed being around him and getting a personalized autograph. A Japanese woman ahead of us brought him some food and drink which he graciously accepted.

3. Had no Internet, frequent power cuts and a dead phone line for two days. Read more. Went out more.

4. Visited my old home for an overnight stay. Next day had a biryani lunch at my favourite restaurant. Only sad thing was they ruined Shahi Tukda.

5. Went for P's cousin's kid's fifth birthday party. They threw a bash in a party hall. Had a comedian who was more of an adult party item than a kiddy party item. The birthday girl wailed for a magic show.

6. P and I won a prize for dancing back to back. They had this embarrassing contest between couples and well, relatives were pushed on to the floor first! At least we won a Cadbury's Dairy Milk bar.

7. Lunch was fantastic. We all took huge helpings of a raw jackfruit curry. Yummy!

8. Sunday night dinner was butter chicken and chicken fried rice from Fishland! Of course, we also shared one slice of fried surmai fish.

9. Snoozed well. Woke up early today.

10. No work today! Free to play games and read some more. Am reading Perry Mason right now. What are you reading?

Life's Just Great...

I utilized my time effectively over the last few weeks. The workshop was great, the group I was in was great; I loved the entire experience including my interview session with Abodh Aras, the CEO of a foundation called Welfare of Stray Dogs. He works with stray dogs in Mumbai, sterilizes them, does vaccinations, has educational campaigns for people to understand how and why not to get scared of stray dogs, fundraising activities etc.

A most interesting experience; one I would recommend to all budding writers or those who just want to re-learn.

Ok, I remember my promise to Reflections...here goes!

25 Facts About Me

1. I am a die-hard foodie, but I didnt need to write that...you know it already even if you've read just one post on my blog.

2. I love to build up stories, plots in my head and imagine them through to a very emotional finale...just cant write them down, yet.

3. It takes a lot of persuasion to get me to do something important or something that I know will take a lot of my time and effort.

4. I dont think I would want my child to make the same mistakes I did although I still think those mistakes were learning experiences.

5. I have a fondness for books about food, or has food in some way interlinked with the plot, more than books of any other category.

6. I think my world would be empty without good libraries, bookstores.

7. I dont really miss drinking until I see a bottle of Bacardi Reserva.

8. According to me, nothing compares to Bacardi Reserva, not spiced rum, not Old Monk (which I've heard, NRIs love to stock their cupboards with), not anything else in the world. I love singing "Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum" with ol' rum-loving Jack Sparrow.

9. I didnt watch the Academy Awards thinking Kate Winslet might not win if I did watch; because I thought that my not watching the Golden Globes gave her two (I'm sure this must be the height of conceit, but it worked!!).

10. I still dont know if I'm a coffee person or a tea person.

11. At the workshop, I was the only one who didnt have a strong enough opinion piece. I think that comes from sitting on the fence a lot.

12. I keep procrastinating (like this workshop thing I had wanted to do for quite a few months before I finally did it) and then when I do it I wonder what was all the procrastinating about. After which, regret sets in and haunts me.

13. I cannot stand ghost movies anymore, more for the sound effects than anything else. Also, if I see scary things appearing from windows or mirrors, I avoid looking at both in my room at night when trying hard to sleep.

14. I watched Bhoot (ghost in Hindi) movie and slept with the lights on for weeks.

15. I dont mind Chinese supersitions as much as I hate Indian ones...although most of the time, I think one can relate to the other; they have common ground at times.

16. I can worship Aamir Khan as the god of acting. He's made some of the most memorable Indian movies; one to do about an 8 year old struggling with learning disability (which he also made into a mission to educate go-getter parents with the ground realities of learning disabilities), one where he is investigating his girlfriend's murder while dealing with a memory that gets wiped away completely every 15 minutes, beating the Britishers at a game of cricket to win a tax exemption at the time of colonial rule over India, one about how a group of youngsters start to understand the freedom their country has gained by stepping into the shoes of freedom fighters for a televised play.

17. I have understood love the hard way. I am blessed with it only after knowing its worth; I am glad for I know that now I will be able to guard it with my life.

18. Music can make me write of my emotions more fluidly than a complete pin-drop silence.

19. I identify with Miranda in Sex and the City although my childhood friends might identify me with Charlotte a lot more.

20. Music and books can take me to places I never imagined I'd visit.

21. I love fiercely and passionately even though on the surface, I seem more like still water: no ripples, no waves.

22. I love reading about others' lives and daily stories more than I love writing about my own.

23. To people I admire or learn from, I seem more submissive than I am.

24. I especially miss my home when I hear tea being passed around.

25. Nostalgia hits me more now than it used to before. Makes me realize I'm getting older.

Well, what do you know...this was easier than it looked. Music helped, too. :-)

My Workshop!

I finally started attending the workshop and had been too busy with assignments to post anything about it. I loved everything about it, others who'd come for the workshop were friendly and buzzing with ideas, which made discussions lively and interesting. There was such diversity: a lady working at the Mumbai airport, a stay-at-home expecting mother, a French teacher in the making, a student freshly out of school starting his first year in college. Yet, each was communicative and had loads of interesting stuff to contribute and we didnt realise how fast time sped by and it was already 2:30 pm: time to go!

We got a free-flow exercise called I, Me, Myself with a twist where we had to write about our own selves. There was no word limit, we just had to be honest and express ourselves on paper. This was the first exercise, before we attempted any other form of writing.

Other assignments include an opinion piece, a story and an interview. All to be done before the 25th. I spent yesterday going through a lot of websites to research my opinion piece. Once I'm done I'll let you know how and what it was. Until then, I'm with my nose to the grindstone, trying to meet my deadlines.

Reflections: I know you'll be looking for me to post 25 facts about myself. I will do it really, really soon...like perhaps over the weekend. Watch this space for more :-)

Valentinis: Valentine's Day posts

Ok, so my previous post for Valentine's Day was a bit serious and thought-inducing. For today's post, I want to post anything you've got that's even remotely connected to Valentine's Day; a funny post about it, rantings, stories, anecdotes...anything. As long as it concerns the festival of hearts, I'd love to link your story to mine.

Two blogs I found containing V-Day posts:

V-Day from the wait staff's perspective

A collection of NY hearts from Parisbreakfasts



My V-Day story
My most memorable V-Day was spent with my best friend. We were both single at the time and thought of going out together on V-Day instead of staying home just because we didnt have a date to go out with. We booked a table on the terrace of this seafood restaurant and decided to meet there at 7 to kickstart V-Day for singles' night.

We met at 7, dressed for a night on the town. Shown to our "table for two" the extra plates cleared away, we noticed candlelight on the other occupied tables, but our candle remained unlit. We joked about how they probably dont light candles for same-sex couples and went on to order a huge platter of fish. When it came to the table, the waiter immediately took away our unlit candle which made us burst with previously restrained laughter.

After a sumptuous dinner, we decided to have our favourite dessert - Mud Cake - at this really plush hotel next door. Unfortunately, we reached around 9:30, when the place had already filled for their V-Day buffet dinner. When they suggested we go to their bakery, we decided instead to go out somewhere else. Before we left the hotel, we went to the ladies room to find tiny vials of Maria Sharapova's signature perfume stocked beside the soaps next to the basin. My friend hastily picked a few, while I took only one, not wanting to be greedy.

I saved the perfume in its tiny vial for a few years, dabbing it on only for birthdays or going out somewhere special. It lasted a very long time, the scent remaining unchanged, until I lost the tiny bottle.

I dont think I've ever had a V-Day as full of surprises and fun as this little one.

Valentine's Day

On one hand, there are political parties that have threatened to go into cafes and restaurants on V-Day and force couples to get married on the spot or at the police station. On the other, these cafes and restaurants are all set to celebrate V-Day, add more pink and red hearts, tinsel and whip out their spanking new (and over-expensive) Valentine's day drinks.

To protest against this so-called moral policing is: The Pink Chaddi campaign.

"The Pink Chaddi Campaign kicked off on 5 February 2009 to oppose the Sri Ram Sena. The campaign is growing exponentially (4,500 at this point in the life of our Consortium of Pub-going, Loose and Forward Women) and that is not surprising. Most women in this country have enough curbs on their lives without a whole new franchise cashing in with their bully-boy tactics. Of course, a lot of men have joined the group as well."

What happened: The Sri Ram Sena was shown (on prime time news TV) to have physically assaulted girls in pubs and discos causing them to flee while I dont know how many channels videotaped the whole thing as it happened. Such stunts often happen only with the help of these camerapersons who in their own way assist in such assaults. The moral of their story: girls "should not" drink in pubs and go to discos, which is against "Indian culture". These people probably dont mind if men throng these pubs and discos (didnt see men getting beaten up in the video).

What's with the Valentine? Why do political parties go on the moral rampage only on V-Day? They dont mind Archies stocking heaps of V-Day cards that crowd out all other cards: especially birthday cards. They dont raise an eyebrow at special Valentine's day drinks and food menu at popular student hangouts and restaurants. They dont seem to appear when couples visit the cafes, pubs etc. on usual days. Why V-Day? Just because V-Day is not in our "culture"? But beating innocent girls and women, threatening them against such activities promotes Indian culture? Or do certain people get to decide what's right and wrong, and use force to get their message across?

Too many questions...not enough answers.

Waiting to Begin...

My classes are next week. I need to call the organiser and confirm tomorrow but she did say the group would meet Monday, so hope that's just a formality. I am excited to begin it already and the meeting we had last Saturday was music to my ears; she said she wanted everyone to stop treating it as a university class and more like a forum for sharing ideas and for helping us to grow professionally with the subject we're here to learn. She even had me fill out a form so I could put my learning objectives down in blue and white. She conducts these classes from her home. It's an old building a few minutes from a rocky beach along a tiny street dotted with residential buildings rubbing shoulders with cafes and elite restaurants almost hidden under gigantic palm tree fronds. It's a sleepy part of town, one of my favourite places. A few miles ahead is the Bandstand where I "hung out" with old colleagues now drifted apart. Where I had my first heart-to-heart talk with my best friend.

After the meeting, I went to a nearby accessory shop for a quick browse and although they were quite a bit expensive, the purses and necklaces displayed were very tempting. Especially as a gift for my best friend who is absolutely the most difficult person to shop for. Soon after, I took a rickshaw to a busy tiny street lined with restaurants all around. There's even a gym and a bank close by. She was late by a few minutes although that gave me enough time to freshen up after a tiring journey.

The restaurant of choice was Da Vinci - Italian food. A quiet, shaded place with a lot of black and dark brown wood and muted yellow lighting. Excellent jalapeno poppers (not very Italian, is it?) and cheese garlic bread (little rounds of toast and cheese that sandwich a yummy herb mix in between). We then had a fish and chips (chips were more wedges, spiced generously with chilli flakes and oregano) along with a Pasta Alfredo with generous pieces of chicken mixed in the cheesy-white sauce gravy that also had some crushed basil in the sauce. Excellent, soft flavours. It went along fabulously with all the news and gossip we had to catch up on in those beautiful 2 hours.

I then visited mom and sis. My dad came home late in the evening and we had a small talk - general stuff - until my husband reached the cafe where we were to have dinner. I'd just bought two beautiful purses - one a clutch and one a satchely bag that will definitely hold everything it needs to. I'm sure I still need one more bag, a posh looking one...will find it one day when I least expect it.

Now, I've got two birthdays to look forward to along with starting my classes next week. I dont need a forecast to tell me the days ahead look pretty good. :)

So much for making resolutions...

Into the first month and I still havent seriously damaged my bank balance even after diving into the Strand booksale. So far so good, I thought, and all too soon comes an email from Crossword announcing an 80% sale on books and slight discounts on movie and game CDs. For every 500 bucks spent, they're giving away free cappucino (hot or iced...u get a choice) with love from Brio, their in-store coffee shop.

I think God's trying to test my will power.

Also...I'm signing up for a writing workshop. They teach you how to write articles (newspaper etc.), attention-grabbing copy and they've also got a double script-writing session. Ten sessions in all. I am really looking forward to it although I'll be travelling a lot. The best thing is that I'm learning a lot and using my free time to get ahead. No more sitting back and letting such opportunities pass me by.

Wish me luck :)

Part 2 and a duck update!

I finally ate duck here in Bombay. At Mainland China, which is the only place in suburban Bombay where one should even attempt a diversion from set habits and norms. Wedge-slices of duckmeat rolled up in a tiny white pancake with slivers of onion, dipped in plum sauce and savoured with eyes shut and tastebuds open. To be preceded by a prawn sui mai and to be followed by the simplest of fare, seasonal vegetables in a Chinese parsley sauce (amazing!) with a Sichuan fried rice...would even go with a bowl of steamed rice.

And the Chinese green tea kept flowing.

We sampled perfection in the two hours we spent lunching: my friend and I.

Now, back to the meme.

9. Your Favourite TV Show: If I had to pick one, it would be Cooking with Heart and Soul (Kylie Kwong).

I dont really watch it to learn anything...although they're quite simple. I watch it for the way she cooks and the things she does with recipes. I wish I could eat at her restaurant!

10. The town (rather, city) in which you live: Bombay (that's the Gateway of India in the pic there)

A city I would sorely miss if I ever left it, for many reasons. Whether you're at Colaba, Marine Drive, Dadar, Bandra, Borivli, Virar - each part has its own individual characteristics that together make Bombay what it is: a vibrant city with a racing pulse. Time moves at a crazy pace here, the crowds increase every year, pollution levels are going up, you might find slums at the foothills of a swish building complex, crowded but convenient trains, buses of every shape, size and design...and a million other things. Never a dull moment in this city.

11. Your screen name/nickname: The Idle Devil (love the pic that came up; first on the search page)

Why Idle Devil? Because the devil happened to be idle that day and started to blog about it. Ok, I had left my job to pursue my love of writing and get a job doing this...which was not too difficult. I finally got into freelancing and love it so far. So, the devil's not always idle, except when she's playing Pastry Passion with a passion for all things sweet.



12. Your First Job: Assistant MIS Operations

I still think that it was an unfair title. I was more Back Office flunky who got stuck with phone calls, reports and data collection and updating rather than anything to do with MIS. I'm not even sure how they came up with MIS for something as mundane as my first job. I fled after six months of it!

13. Your Dream Job: I have two: either a bookstore owner or a librarian (yes, Reflections! I had the same dream job!)

Unfortunately, you need to be qualified in Library science else I'd have already been one. As for a bookstore, I keep wanting people to leave me one in their will! I kept haunting one of my favourite bookstores back home hoping that they'd offer me a job without the nerve to ask for it myself.

14. Bad habit you have: Not trying hard enough to get what I want.

Taking the easy, non-struggle way out. Giving it up for the meantime and saying I'll work for it later, when it comes my way again. I intend to break this habit starting now. Never give up without a fight! Time I practised it myself.

15. Your worst fear: Loss of any kind.

Losing a loved one, losing face, losing mind, losing hope...they're all right up there on my list.

16. The one thing you'd like to do before you die: Be grateful

I'd love to thank God from the bottom of my heart for giving me a good life. Also, would be grateful to the people who made me what I am, to myself for learning and going on without giving it up altogether, to my husband for loving me unconditionally... I want to have the time to be properly grateful.

17. The first thing you'll buy if you get $ 1,000,000: A bigger home and a car.

We would like to have a big apartment (if not house) with a room each for my in-laws, my husband and me, and my kids (whenever they come along into our life). Other than that, a car so all of us can travel around town more comfortably.

Whew! That's done!

Anyone who wants to do this one can go right ahead.

Image Question Tag Part 1

I didnt have a name for this meme tag so I made one up to add to the title. The Part 1 is necessary coz it can get a bit long. 18 questions! But I promised to give it a shot so here goes.

The meme came from: Reflections

The rules states that for every answer one has to do a Google Image Search and paste a picture from the first Google Image Search page with minimal explanation.

1. The age you will be in your next birthday: 29 Guess what? This image is the logo of a cafe called Junction 29. Perfect way of celebrating a birthday right? I mean, gorging on lovely fried food (why do they call this junk? It's heavenly!)

2. A place you'd like to travel to: Paris
Would love to travel to Paris to have a first-hand look at the cafes, the streets, the people, and most importantly, the bakeries and chocolateries. I visit parisbreakfast every morning to pamper my Paris fix for the day.

3. Your Favorite place: The bed room
Love bed rooms! My bedroom is where I have my desk and the beginnings of an in-house (literally) library. It is my sanctuary from the world. Plus, we dont have a study and if we did, it would have a lounging chair preferably the reclining types. I love to recline comfortably while reading which also allows me to take a nap or two.

4. Your favorite food/drink: Do I have a favourite? They keep changing like seasons. Every season, I have a different favourite food/drink.

This season, it's piping hot dim sums and fruit c(m)ocktails.
It's mostly fruit mocktails now, but I love the blend of citrus fruits along with apples, bananas, watermelon etc. I had one at the Hard Rock Cafe which was really good and didnt make me miss alcohol at all. Dim sums at Mainland China (where I might be going tomorrow) are fabulous and I can drop almost anything (wink!) to get there for a dim sum lunch.

5. Your favorite pet: Dogs

Any breed, any kind. As long as its four-footed and loving. And also a bit mischievous. Like this one (not mine):

6. Your favorite color combination: Pink and white (actually, anything with pink). It's actually scary how Google Image Search seems to read your mind and give you exactly what you've always dreamed of.

Growing up, I always wanted a bedroom just like this! Pink and white and all the colors that go with it. But mainly pink and white. Sigh! This is what dreams are made of!


7. Your favorite piece of clothing: Kurtis (short tunics) and trousers

Most comfortable. Also good with jeans. More brownie points to Google for giving me a pink kurti image.

8. Your all-time favorite song: I pick "Hero" from Nickelback. It gets my pulse racing, my heart speeding, all my senses stimulated...especially to hear it on an IPod, just you and the music. A high like no other (almost!). Plus, I love Spiderman.

To be Continued...

I will answer the remaining questions in the next episode of Image-Question Tag! Coupling image search with questions can get a bit exhausting.

What I did this weekend...

Fun, fun things!

I took the KingLong bus right from one end of Bombay to another. Hubby had a dental appointment which took almost two hours in all so I waited impatiently for it to get over so we could go to the Strand booksale!

The Strand Bookstall has a yearly book sale with books being discounted up to 80% on the marked up price. Needless to say, the not very airy hall which hosted the sale was buzzing with bookworms some of whom had brought their very noisy kids there. My husband went over to the Cook Book section while I took my time over the Fiction and Classics sections.

The list I carried with me was useless as I didnt get any of the books on it. That didnt stop me from buying a few books though. Read about it here.

We were out at 2:30 pm, hot and a little light-headed (mostly me) from tilting my head, craning my neck etc. to read the titles on display. And yes, hunger. In a rare flash of inspiration, we cabbed it all the way to another suburb with huge mills converted into super-spacious and glitzy malls. Lower Parel. That's where we were introduced to Hard Rock Cafe, tucked away in the corner of an adjacent mill.

Super plush interiors greeted us with a warm and alternate-world kind of welcome. We sat in a booth type of seat with comfortable high-backed sofas and ordered a plate of quesadillas with good portions of sour cream and guacamole dips with our drinks, a beer for him and a non-alcoholic cocktail (Sweet Sunrise - orange and a few other marvelously combined juices with loads of ice) for me. We added a side order of mashed potatoes, the centre of which was scooped out to contain gravy made with great-tasting beef broth. With barbequed chicken and fries for him and a plate of pasta with a divine sauce made from a combination of cheeses topped with garlic bread (wonderful, wonderful bread) and a good portion of grilled chicken.

Unfortunately, the portions were a bit much. We couldnt have any dessert. Which was bad because we were looking forward to a Home-style Cheesecake.

Price-wise, it was very, very expensive. We're not coming back unless there's a great band playing live. But the ambience we could enjoy only that day - nearing on 3:30 with only two other tables occupied. I gazed at the costumes and guitars on display, belonging to distinguished personalities such as Madonna, DMB, Aerosmith etc.

Sunday was quiet. My mom-in-law made a great fish curry (dry). Surmai (a fleshy, sea water fish) was the catch of the day and very tasty with the bright red masala (ground dry red chillies, coconut, spices) hugging it. I made an entirely microwaved curry of mixed veggies and mushrooms in a lightly spiced coconut milk gravy. Crushing garlic and cooking them awhile with chopped chillies and onions really turns on the anticipation levels with their lovely aroma. This dish went really well with the spicy fish and rice.

Sunday evening, we went to a flower show (which was basically a collection of wilting flowers decorated in floral arrangements). One arrangement sprung out of an actual wooden boat propped up at one corner. Disappointed at the lacklustre flower show, although we did see some rare flower types, we turned to look at the stalls selling handicrafts. I got beautiful terracotta earrings shaped like sunflowers. We went to the chaat counter where we bought bhel puri and sev puri - two must haves in Bombay. We finished that and headed for the free tea samples with our tongues still recovering from the spices in the chaat. Two elaichi (cardamom) chais later, we bought one of their ready cardamom tea packets.

After a fun hour of exploration and tea-tasting, we headed home to an episode of South Park on the computer as my in-laws watched their favourite Marathi channel on TV in their room.

I dont really hate Mondays when I have a lot of great books to dive into when I take breaks from working.

How did you spend your weekend?

How I met P...

We met with our parents at a specified meeting place near his house. Which meant we had to travel for an hour to get there. Once there, we were early and waited for a few minutes until they arrived. Until then, my parents who forever think of me as a rebel repeated the ground rules: keep an open mind, they are nice people, etc. with an underlying message of "be nice". I'd been hostile with my parents the entire day before this meeting, did not feel comfortable being there.

The minute I met him and his folks, I couldnt be anything other than nice. They were chatty and did not have airs or an attitude. They werent here to judge me, they let us talk and get to know each other without involving them into the conversation. The parents talked with each other just as P and I did, slowly getting to know major differences and similarities between them.

P is the most direct person I've ever met. I loved the way he steered the conversation, almost as if he'd had a plan in his mind (being a manager at work, he does it almost intuitively). He first ordered for everyone which I did not like (analyzed it as being too controlling...dont know where I picked that one...my parents were ok with it never having been to the restaurant before) and purposefully changed my order. After that was done, he told me about himself rather than asking me a few set questions and making it feel like interrogation. I joined in with a brief history about my educational and work life, the usual things, and talked about friends, family, food. And we talked about food for hours. We both confessed to loving pork. He talked about possibly moving to the US for work while I talked about wanting to leave my present job and try something in a different field (something I loved and was finding myself moving away from).

I thought the meeting went ok. Next day, his parents called to say that he loved meeting me and had stated something on the lines of "She's the girl I want to marry" right after they left that day. They were excited. I was scared. I wanted to meet him one more time before saying anything.

I never believe in the first meeting. Be it a friend, date or an arranged match...I know I wouldnt be sure right away. I loved to take it slow. Unfortunately, in this setting, it's the second or third meeting that makes it all final. It's very rare that both people in an arranged meeting might fall head over heels in love with each other. I didnt know if I'd feel the same way about him even after our second meeting.

I'd cried my eyes out before the second meeting about not wanting to get married. I didnt know if I could fit in with his parents...he wanted to live with them to take care of them. I admired that in a man but would I want to be in the same home? I didnt know if there would be unreasonable demands that I'd find very difficult to meet. Every stereotype mom-in-law daughter-in-law situation kept playing in my mind. I didnt even know if he was the guy for me. I'd been in love before only to wound my self-confidence and faith in myself. I didnt know if I'd be with a guy who wanted me as I was or if I'd be another project to develop and make a success of.

The second meeting lasted nearly six hours. I met him and found him very distracted and tense. We went to the restaurant directly and he asked me to order. I made sure he was ok with my suggestions and we had a starter each before having a simple main course of prawn curry (Goan style) and steamed rice. At the very start, he asked me to be completely free and tell him anything that was on my mind. He probably thought of a sinister reason to my wanting to meet him alone. Perhaps a boyfriend lurking somewhere, maybe a baggage of a different kind altogether. I just asked him a simple question "Tell me how you live."

He talked about his parents first probably sensing my apprehension. Of the rituals, his parents are religious and also superstitious since his older brother passed away a decade ago, leaving a baby girl and a young, immature wife. The wife created a lot of difficulties for his parents and walked away with their grand-daughter after some really ugly fights. They still helped her get a job so she could support the girl on her own. They keep visiting the girl every chance they get. He talked about his extended family, how close he is to them and how supportive and helpful they are. He talked about his home life, how they have stayed close since the death and he hopes that they always will. Sure, he said, they find it difficult when I play heavy-metal or rock. But I still do what I want and they give me my space. They are not clingy. Sure, they're scared they might lose me but it's been like that since my brother died. Else, we'd all be more carefree.

He then tells me that they are sure that the girl he marries will be every bit of an individual and as radical as him. They will be ok with almost anything and will set aside traditional beliefs to let her do what she wants. They will be there as a safety net and might get worried a few times but all parents do. I remembered how my dad would stay up until I got home unless I called home and told them I'd be late. At the same time, they would rather the new person not knock their religious beliefs. Each must be free to do as they like and neither should impose anything on the other.

He told me he'd read my poems and they showed him a different world and opened his eyes to new experiences he may never have been through.

His eyes said I'm sure about you. I decided to invite him to coffee...didnt want the meeting to end.

After our second coffee and a lot of stories about his "rocker" friends who've all sobered down so much he couldnt recognise them from the long-haired, beer-guzzling, head-banging biker dudes, he smilingly said "I've got a good feeling about this."

Suddenly, I had the feeling that I'd been waiting for him a long, long time. I said I had a good feeling too.

When I returned home that evening, I told my mom "Well? Arent you going to congratulate me?"

Her first reaction was to call up P and ask him if he hadnt changed his mind. He said No way, he was going over home to break the news to his family.

Two months later, we got married.

A year later, we wish we'd met earlier :)