tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13288956562272723052024-02-19T01:01:07.270-08:00The Devil's OwnThe devil's idle now...watch out!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-10061155575670953572010-01-03T23:30:00.000-08:002010-01-03T23:30:16.866-08:00Brownies, Books and a Golden HaloMarian Keyes really said it when she wrote that the day after New Year's Eve looks like the day after the end of the world. Everyone's glazed or hungover - some wondering what they did the night before and how they got where they are, while others blink disbelievingly at the new day of a whole new year.<br />
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So you now know which book I'm reading along with Three Cups of Tea. Further Under the Duvet got purchased before Under the Duvet but there's no real link missing coz they're both Marian Keyes' non-fiction which is really an exciting read if you've read her other books. The author's life, her family background, husband, friends, trips aboard, hobbies (which include shopping) are all written with her really unique perspective. She can make even teary things sound funny. Which is a great book to read along with a heavy book aka Three Cups of Tea which is all about changing the world one school at a time. It's about Greg Mortenson's journey into really poverty stricken areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is fascinating but a long read and one that makes one feel pretty useless when in a country like India which has similar needs.<br />
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So Marian Keyes does give me a more positive outlook. Both books are worth reading and will definitely provoke some deep introspection.<br />
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My other loves, brownies of a double chocolate kind with crunchy walnuts, have been snarfed down. I'm currently watching my weight too so each brownie is rationed and split with hubby dearest. So we both end up watching our waistlines. The first one was had standing up with a big mug of tea as soon as my parents left after a Saturday lunch we'd had together. I miss the brownies and cakes and what nots that my bakery at the old house used to churn out. Hence, whenever my folks come over or I go over there for a time-out from my "hectic" lifestyle, I always put brownies or chocolate cake on my list. Since both occurrences (folks coming over, my going over there) are not as frequent, my waistline doesnt really notice the indulgence. Good thing coz that means I can break my diet once every few weeks. Or months.<br />
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It really relaxes me to have my folks over. I also love the fact that I can cook them anything I want (which I know they'll like) and just be myself and catch up on the gossip back home. My return gifts to them, for the brownies and cake and really spicy banana chips, were books - one for each of them. For my mom an Isabel Dalhousie book, another Marian Keyes for my sister (who's a big fan of her writing), and a Blandings Castle vintage book (my favourite too) for my dad. Plus, I get to borrow them to read so that's a dizzy five books (counting the ones I'm reading already) to look forward to.<br />
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Who says it's bummer after the holidays? Not me, certainly!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-71546460490585462582009-12-30T06:00:00.000-08:002009-12-30T06:00:37.678-08:00Hope 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.<br />
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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):<br />
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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.<br />
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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!<br />
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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.<br />
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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!<br />
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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).<br />
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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).<br />
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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.<br />
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So, how do you like to party? How are you partying this NYE?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-91593788175801745172009-12-26T05:12:00.000-08:002009-12-26T05:12:38.481-08:00Happy 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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That's what I love to come back to every year.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-62414394154242315952009-11-30T19:46:00.000-08:002009-11-30T19:46:23.114-08:00The Morning News and a Cup of TeaAt this stage, it's the best combination on earth. Other than a bad movie and a good bottle of wine after.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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).<br />
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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.<br />
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I really do not miss the Times of India. They could take a leaf out of HT's book or rather, newspaper.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-42214711020028697042009-11-30T05:12:00.000-08:002009-11-30T05:12:51.455-08:002012 and a really good wineOk. 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?<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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I hope the darn thing stays a dream. If 2012 happens like in the movie, we're all sitting ducks.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-30140011864016209292009-11-17T06:47:00.000-08:002009-11-17T06:47:23.110-08:00So 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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Well, there's always next year. And one can't always have adventure in one's own backyard.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-29072224788337841652009-11-10T07:31:00.000-08:002009-11-10T08:10:21.084-08:00Cold 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-78715641117876420882009-11-09T05:55:00.001-08:002009-11-09T06:03:45.258-08:00What a relief!8 days without Internet. Work on hold. Facebook on hold. A large portion of life on hold.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />I love being back!<br /><br />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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-33066807080779355182009-10-28T22:25:00.000-07:002009-10-28T23:03:08.994-07:00What 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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!!)<br /><br />There's Oeno - turns anything into wine (good excuse for always carrying around a glass of merlot or sparkling wine)<br /><br />There's Dementia - not much information about her but imagine going around a party wanting to turn people mad...now that's interesting!<br /><br />Diana the hunter and goddess of the moon - there must be loads of interesting mythology there<br /><br />There was Spermo - goddess of grain (you wouldnt be able to say your name without a smile or a wink)<br /><br />Or the Queen Bee Hera who I think was really famous for throwing the most awful (understatement!!) tantrums that shook heaven and earth.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Do share what you'd love to be this Halloween - even if you're not dressing the part.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-21616229504370060832009-10-20T07:50:00.001-07:002009-10-20T08:00:33.943-07:00This 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />It's always sad to bid this festival goodbye and come to grips with reality...aka work!!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-55711527926906968192009-09-15T00:52:00.000-07:002009-09-16T19:49:30.604-07:00So 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.<br /><br /><br />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.<br /><br /><br />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?<br /><br />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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-55869999988628302572009-08-31T09:46:00.000-07:002009-08-31T09:53:42.359-07:00The 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) ...<br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#330099;">"We are such stuff</span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#330099;">As dreams are made on..."</span><br /><br />The rest of it's something else too:<br /><br /><em>Our revels now are ended. These our actors,</em><br /><em>As I foretold you, were all spirits, and</em><br /><em>Are melted into air, into thin air:</em><br /><em>And like the baseless fabric of this vision,</em><br /><em>The cloud-capp'd tow'rs, the gorgeous palaces,</em><br /><em>The solemn temples, the great globe itself,</em><br /><em>Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,</em><br /><em>And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,</em><br /><em>Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff</em><br /><em>As dreams are made on; and our little life</em><br /><em>Is rounded with a sleep.</em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-22668469829378322842009-08-24T23:38:00.001-07:002009-08-24T23:47:56.746-07:00Is 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.<br /><br />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...<br /><br />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...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-72654573046139362252009-08-17T21:01:00.001-07:002009-08-17T21:08:53.835-07:00Cocktail 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?<br /><br />Cosmopolitan - Very, very yummily made<br />Tequila Sunrise - O.K. (I've had better)<br />Chocolatini - yummmmm....in a Bailey's cream kind of silky satiny yummy<br />North Side Special - a rum cocktail...nothing all that rum about it, it was exceptional!<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-78624534368743103382009-07-14T20:49:00.001-07:002009-07-14T21:31:19.352-07:00Walk 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).<br /><br />The Devil's List of Favourite Comfort Foods<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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).<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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!<br /><br />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).<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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?<br /><br />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!<br /><br />I sure would love to know everyone's top ten or at least top five favourite comfort foods.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-25092695483552533452009-06-30T20:29:00.000-07:002009-06-30T20:48:00.331-07:00The Holiday...What can be better than looking forward to the rains all cozied up at home with four unread books?<br /><br />1. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sushi-Beginners-Novel-Marian-Keyes/dp/0060555955/ref=pd_sim_b_6">Sushi for Beginners</a><br />2. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rachels-Holiday-Marian-Keyes/dp/0060090383">Rachel's Holiday</a><br />3. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_British_Museum_Is_Falling_Down">The British Museum Is Falling Down</a><br />4. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Victoria-Line-Central-Maeve-Binchy/dp/0099498634/ref=pd_sim_b_18">Victoria Line, Central Line</a><br /><br />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!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-46521474861109213152009-06-21T20:01:00.000-07:002009-06-21T20:24:37.167-07:00We've been waiting for youThe 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.<br /><br />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).<br /><br />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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-11453994604241498652009-06-11T03:06:00.000-07:002009-06-11T03:25:15.961-07:00Are 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />I'll pray for it to rain... without sitting at my window and glaring at the sun.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-19958982400551744242009-06-03T19:41:00.000-07:002009-06-03T19:49:46.475-07:00Will 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.<br /><br />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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-60767945225379592042009-04-29T21:32:00.000-07:002009-04-29T21:34:59.207-07:00Poem in Your PocketLet me not to the marriage of true minds<br />Admit impediments. Love is not love<br />Which alters when it alteration finds,<br />Or bends with the remover to remove:<br />O no! it is an ever-fixed mark<br />That looks on tempests and is never shaken;<br />It is the star to every wandering bark,<br />Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.<br />Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks<br />Within his bending sickle's compass come:<br />Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,<br />But bears it out even to the edge of doom.<br />If this be error and upon me proved,<br />I never writ, nor no man ever loved.<br /><br />William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)<br /><br />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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-4990994446317225652009-04-28T21:19:00.000-07:002009-04-28T21:39:10.224-07:00So...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?<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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?<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-79636338078872272382009-04-21T22:05:00.000-07:002009-04-22T01:51:36.954-07:00Bombay 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.<br /><br /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 405px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 222px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.blackmonarch.com/travel/IndiaEmirates/IMG_0050.JPG" border="0" /><br /><p align="center"></p><p align="center"><a href="http://bombay-diva.blogspot.com/2009/04/temple-club.html">Read all about it on my other blog</a>.</p><p></p><p>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.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-27846643237190047562009-04-12T22:47:00.000-07:002009-04-12T23:01:18.576-07:00The Bombay StoreCome 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.<br /><br /><br />Come, visit <a href="http://bombay-diva.blogspot.com/2009/04/bombay-store.html">the Bombay Store</a>.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mumbaimirchi.com/images/lifestyle%20stores/logo/bombay_store.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 124px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 93px" alt="" src="http://www.mumbaimirchi.com/images/lifestyle%20stores/logo/bombay_store.jpg" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-19264986875476784282009-04-09T23:28:00.000-07:002009-04-09T23:48:16.368-07:00A French Twist!<a href="http://mumbai.burrp.com/images/e/5/v/5vo90jqf_aie_1_300.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 244px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 162px" alt="" src="http://mumbai.burrp.com/images/e/5/v/5vo90jqf_aie_1_300.jpg" border="0" /></a> 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?!<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />I'm looking forward to sample a few of its goodies, buy some loaves and write my own food review!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328895656227272305.post-36598753047323753192009-04-01T20:05:00.000-07:002009-04-01T20:46:05.097-07:00An 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).<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6