Food, Movies, Family and Me

musings ....

2011-06-28T12:59:00.003+05:30

and I stand up, dust myself and move on....

down but not out

2011-06-14T12:28:00.003+05:30

something snapped inside me a few months back, I felt as if I was in this deep dark hole with no way out. Despite being proven to be the world's biggest idiot, I think at some level I am still an optimist. But I have almost never been at peace with myself for a long long time.

You make mistakes, bad judgements and have to live through the consequences. A lesson learnt hard among many others.

Hmmm and what led to this? letting work and self esteem connect; giving up work without getting a professional degree and being delusional about my re employment prospects and taking marriage for granted..... and my life unravels beyond control, atleast for a while.

and now a wiser me is putting all that together. Marriage well on the track, A and I are doing things we have'nt done for years. Sadly, have'nt done much about self esteem issues. And yes, I am also working towards getting a degree to improve re employment prospects. Well, at least I won't regret not having tried to put my life back together.

Breakfast, my favourite meal of the day...

2011-06-02T09:49:00.003+05:30

So, JB and me decided to have breakfast out today morning. got up early, got dressed and set off hoping to find some breakfast place open at 8.30am in the morning. None of the three on our list were open. So we decided to come home and make a mean breakfast ourselves, and this is what we had...

peanut butter, nutella and banana mini-sandwich

Salmon and cheese mini-sandwich

Tomato and oregano bread with fried egg

orange juice

Some fruit, musk melon and watermelon wedges

... and cold chocolate milk for JB and piping hot darjeeling tea for me to wash it all down.

Fabulous breakfast but looks like our appetites have taken a royal beating ; the marmite and mulberry jam went back into the fridge untouched and the sausages and ham were never opened.

We'll probably have french toast with chocolate sprinkles tomorrow.. yummm!!

my usual...

2011-05-16T23:49:00.002+05:30

I love a good chic flick once in a while, tonight I saw 'no strings attached' sigh!

Ashton Kutcher: you are made for chic flicks; Natalie Portman: you don't need to be so intense!!!.....

my usual has changed.

I am discovering the unexplored genre of crime, suspense and action. No, it does'nt scare me nor do I find it difficult to go to sleepnor do I see shadows on the wall in the dark; after watching one of those...

Gulmohar.....

2011-05-15T17:13:00.003+05:30

last summer I was thrilled that I noticed the Gulmohar tree and its resplendent hot orange beauty, it was beautiful and symbolised hope for nice things to come.. this year the sight irritates me. It reminds me of being unemployed for little over a year...

The Oscar party.. 2011

2011-03-01T12:13:00.002+05:30

A friend, a firm believer in a numerology told me that the year 2011 is going to be a year of 'change'.
So, The Oscar party which I had kept thinking of organising for teh last 5 years, finally happened. It was a girlie night with a difference... two doctors, one film critic, one documentary film producer, two interior designers, one writer, one educationist, one ex-hotel professional turned caterer and one sportwoman.
An good mix of people and some good food and wine... The King's Speech, sweeping all the awards this year, swept the Oscars too, though Inception and Social Network collected some significant ones too..
having the party on Monday evening was a bummer though, but what was heartening was almost all my invitees made it.
Looking forward to making this an annual event, finally....

Parenting....

2011-02-18T00:35:00.004+05:30

A and I have always been very conscious parents. We deliberated, discussed and argued about almost everything we did with JB. Whether it was which school he should go to, what we would tell people when they asked why?, what after school activities he should indulge in, developing hobbies, interests .. everything. And so far JB has done well. I don't think most people can make out the amount of influence we, his parents, have on the kind of person he is growing up into, or rather most people have but don't realise it. We do spend a lot of time with him and make an effort to ensure family time is respected, whether it is taking him cycling or for a swim or setting up a complicated lego set or just hanging around the house watching movies ......

Parenting is never easy and neither can it be treated as a by the way thing. You don't take chances with a life you made a choice to bring into this world.

Why am I suddenly proffessing my views on parenting ? why, the whole world is doing it! Amy Chua's book ' The battle hymn of the tiger mother' has got everyone talking. I will give her that.

My take on the book ? I am not shocked by her 'chinese' parenting style. As she mentions many times in the book, many Asian communities including Indian parents have similar beliefs. But yes, Indians are a little more toned down in their approach, being more social and emotional than the chinese. Like Amy, I do not agree with the pseudo westernised ways of parenting I have been seeing even in many upper middle class urban parents. I don't believe a child of 7, 8 or even 10 knows enough about the world to be able to make their own informed decisions on what to eat, choice of after-school activities or socially acceptable behaviour. Most people I know who did that, blamed their parents for not guiding them when faced with the consequences many years later. And that is not the way to teach a kid decision making. There are tons of other significant decisions a kid can take on his own..managing pocket money, making a a study plan, scheduling playdates and so on, which do not require you to have the wisdom of the world.

Amy did manage to teach Lulu persevearance, the value of practice and hard work and instill a drive to succeed through the drill she put the kid through for her violin lessons. Lulu picked up the important lessons and just used them elsewhere. The chinese parenting worked, though differently in this case.

I don't know how JB is going to turn out eventually, but all I can ensure is that the effort to get him to make something of his life is made.

And for the record, we had to push him to practice piano for the first few years too... Today, he has began to enjoy playing it so much, that he has set himself a hard target for the year without consulting us. The drive to do a job well, and having to work hard to get there, is something he learnt during his piano lessons and is being used very effectively in other areas in school, like quiz competitions, class tests etc.

No, I do not endorse Amy's views (well not all of them), but neither do I find them blasphemous.

Balance to me is an important concept, in whatever one does. Even parenting.....

Trifle pudding..

2011-02-14T00:42:00.004+05:30

I heard someone say this once.. "The trifle pudding is my favorite dessert because of it's balance of colours, textures, tastes and flavours..".

In a uncharacteristic moment, I served custard with a lot of fruit to some friends who had come over for dinner one night. One of my guests who had almost always been served elaborate desserts at dinners at our home, and who I always saw picking at her food, gorged on my humble custard taking 2-3 helpings,relishing each morsel. The talk on the table that night, moved on to the lovely trifle pudding her mother used to make in her growing up years. And so; inspired by the talk, I set out to make some pudding for dinner one night.

What I used was a simple recipe..

My pudding was made in a large round transparent glass bowl (its a colourful dish so the bowl showed off the richness)

We lined the base of the bowl with a regular cake.. I am told sponge cake is a better option,but a nice and buttery tea cake crumbled, adds more flavour.

Next disslove jelly crystals in some boiling water and pour the mix on top of the crumbled cake and put it in the fridge to set.

Chop some colourful fruit of different kinds .. I used pomegranate seeds, strawberry, green apples (you can use the red ones, but green look prettier), black seedless grapes, banana slices.

Make some vanilla custard (with milk, sugar, custard powder.. a brand like weikfield will do), let it cool a little and put the chopped fruits in the custard.

Wait for the jelly to set ( I used raspberry jelly) and pour the custard on top of the jelly and put the bowl in the fridge again to cool the custard.

It will take approx 2 hours for the trifle pudding to set well. Scoop some out in a bowl making sure you've got everything.. the cake, jelly, custard and fruit, mmmmmm........

Almost every indian food website has its version of trifle pudding recipe so this is mine and its awesome and relatively low fat.. It has no cream

The picture is the trifle pudding which got partially devoured before I took the photograph :)

20 things every indian should do...

2011-02-03T13:16:00.004+05:30

I have been thinking of compiling this list for along long time, but I did'nt get started because I could'nt come up with a list of 20 things. But I decided to start anyway.... These are all things which will make you feel proud of being an Indian ( I am not insinuating that you are not a proud Indian already!) and unique experiences hard to find a match elsewhere. I will keep adding to this list over a period of time till we reach 20. so here goes.....
1. Visit the Taj Mahal, Agra
When I came back after my second visit to the Taj, my son asked me.. what was your reaction when you saw the Taj Mahal. I asked him why he asked that,he said,' when I saw the Eiffel tower in Paris, I found it disappointing.It was painted brown and I did'nt feel anything when I first saw it" . Well, Taj Mahal IS stunning and beautiful. When you see it first, you do get a feeling of awe and you it does feel like you are looking at one of the 8 wonders of the world. Every word that has been written in it's praise about it's beauty and grandeur in any language is true. What also adds to the experience is the fact that, the area around the Taj, unlike most of Agra, is fairly well maintained and the government authorities have put in substantial effort of making the experience worth a while.
Other things you could do in Agra: Visit the Fatehpur Sikri, Agra Fort (both again fairly well maintained), night viewing of the Taj, shop for handcrafted marble with inlay work, leather (surprisingly cheap, if you can manage to strike a bargain and good quality), dig into the awesome chaat that Agra is famous for. Be careful about the water you drink though. Advisable to stick to bottled drinking water.
2. Visit the Wagah-Attari border : The border of India with Pakistan, a few kilometers outside Amritsar. The nationalistic fevour during the closing of the gates ceremony is unparalleled. The gates are closed at the end of the day around 5 pm. The flags are lowered and the border security guards do a small parade and put on a show for the crowd which gathers to see the ceremony. The Pakistanis gather to see their show on their side too. The majestic guards, the slogans being shouted on both sides....its a show you can't miss in your lifetime. For a glimpse of the ceremony click here:
video clip
and no watching the video is not enough.. you just haveto be there to truly experience it as it is.....grab a seat, crane your neck to get a better glimpse, try and take pictures, buy the cheap CDs of the ceremony being sold by the local village boys and take pictures and chat up with teh BSF guards (they are nice and friendly) and yet shout slogans till your throat is hoarse.
3. Do visit Kolkata: Something about Calcutta got lost when they named it Kolkata. Thank god, the CC&FC is still called Calcutta Cricket and Football Club.
If you want to experience a colonial hangover in this country, this is a place to be.The clubs, the trams, flury's, Fort William, Victoria Memorial, chatting with the members of the British scholars association (people who have done their college studies in England) at the British Library, the street names, colonial bunglows, the disappearing corporate HQs, where you still see white gloved bearers serving tea to the sahibs in the boardrooms, carefully keeping the heirarchy in mind; the very british street names... I could go on and on.
But Kolkata is much more than that... cultural, passionate, foodie, un pretentious, warm. The land of communist and the land of didi.
The food,oh yes the food. Something ignites the foodie in you, the moment to set foot in this city. From Puchka's next to vivekananda park to the the boneless smoked hilsa at The Grand. From the Emperor's banquet at Chinoiserie at the Taj to the crab claws at Tangra or the streetside chinese breakfast in old chinatown....
Multicultural... from the fast dimishing Armenian Jews to the close knit Indian Chinese community from Tangra.. chinatown.
Yeah! this is India too. You need to be there to feel the pulse of one of the warmest cities in India.
to be continued

housekeeping matters

2011-01-28T19:15:00.003+05:30

I think I should finally get around to writing a 'how to' book for ' managing household help in India' and I wish there was a 'how to' book for ' dealing with a husband who works from home when you are home too'

The wogma lady......

2011-01-22T22:18:00.006+05:30

When I first asked her if I could do a post on her..

"Would you mind "

*grin*..."no"

"I won't mention your name"

*shrug*... "ok even if you do, we have accepted the fact that there can be little privacy in a blogger's life"

So here goes...

I first saw a glimpse of her bespectacled face behind a closing door of the 5th floor apartment where she first lived when she and her husband moved to Pune, about 10 years ago. Did'nt seem particularly friendly.

I had moved to the city recently too, and lived in the same building on the 6th floor, right above her apartment. I don't remember how we first met and how we became friends.. but we did. I had taken a break from work to look after my 1 year old and she was still figuring out what to do with her life and her 5 degrees (as in academic), each more difficult to acquire than the other. By the time we got around to doing mid morning tea and gup shup sessions in the middle of the day, she was done with her tryst with corporate life, declaring ' corporate life is not my cup of tea' one evening.

And so life moved on....I saw her through her settling woes in India, buying her first house, the birth of her son, then daughter (I was in the hospital for both), her involvement with a NGO and many more such milestones in her life.

We often talked about what we would like to do with our lives, our kids, our household help, our families, our marriages and the like. We shared a passion for films, even then. Though we have now evolved, in our own ways.

And then we (my husband and I ) bought our own apartment and moved from the building leaving behind some great friends and memories. We kind of drifted apart and began to meet less frequently....

Today, she is living my dream, she is a film critic. She had finally found her groove. Has a very successful blog, has had a blast doing the film appreciation course at FTII, Pune and is really living it up. When I meet her these days... it's a delight. She has made her choice.. of being the way she is .. carefree (well relatively, she is still a proud mother to her two kids and takes her job as a film critic very seriously), full of beans; a newly acquired and trendy dressing style; making friends with whoever she finds interesting enough to tolerate... caste, creed, age,sex.... no bar; but still very confident, value driven and down to earth.... her scintillating intelligence sitting lightly on her petite frame...... a far cry from a young mother who attended pre-natal classes with the same deligence as she did her CA classes, who cried in the hospital when she realised she was'nt the first to hold her baby, a daughter in law who struggled to please all ......

Today, I find myself rooting for her every little success in her career, just the way she would rooted for me, if this would have been my life. And she sends me free passes for the local film festival. When we meet,we usually chat the whole night... Thanks to facebook, we usually know what is going on in each other's lives. Maybe social networking does have it's advantages.

and hey... if you are reading this M...I still believe in stereotypes but I don't think I can ever find one for you :). You are one of a kind....

the last one week..

2011-01-13T07:16:00.002+05:30

have been in and out of PIFF. Probably the first time I have used the free pass sent to me by my good friend effectively.

Tally this year...

7 days, 15 brilliant films for free!

PIFF: Pune international film festival. Disorganized, with hapazard schedules coming out at the last moment, movies scattered around in 5 different multiplexes, devoid of celebrity presence one sees in other film festivals, but full theatres. Collection of movies... impressive.

2010 and how we ended it ....

2011-01-03T14:24:00.008+05:30

So new years eve was small and intimate. This time, without anybody I felt compelled to have a conversation with, (and if you know me well, I am not the kinds who finds having a conversation with ANYONE that difficult, but there have been people and there have been moments....), thankfully. A small group of friends, a bornfire and some great food and wine at a friend's place, so did'nt start the new year spending half the night in the kitchen cleaning up and not entirely sober, for once. (In India, guests don't help in cleaning up, including close friends because of cheaply available help)

Some events that shook my world a little this year:

1. A's medical procedure

2. Realization of how much A and I meant to each other (as a result)

3. Being unemployed for most of the year.

4. Realising I didn't have a back-up plan in case my current plan of going back to work did'nt come through.

5. Finally finding a live-in maid who looks like she means business and most importantly is here to stay. (In India, that's passport to freedom)

6. Finally agreed on refurbishing plans and got most of it done by year end. (I am one of those women who takes joy and pride in her home )

7. For the first time in my life possessed a small car and discovered the joys of doing so.

8. For the first time, learnt to laugh at myself and felt good doing it!

9. Had a blast with my sister for about a week who counselled me on taking myself a little more seriously than I did.

10. Exercised without a major break for almost 9 months (If only I could diet that long too, would have dropped 3 sizes instead of just one!)

11. Learned the joys of internet shopping.

12.Learnt the importance of insurance policies and actually managed to have claims paid substantially.

13. Organising paperwork and taking a closer look at finances.

14. Learnt to manage money better.

15. Finally got parents-in-laws to agree to move closer to us.

here's looking forward to another eventful year.....

The Back-Up plan

2011-01-03T14:22:00.003+05:30

In case, I am proven to be the world's biggest idiot.. and not the die hard optimist I always prided myself to be; I need to think of a back-up plan. and fast....

A beautiful life..

2010-12-07T14:16:00.001+05:30

#5
snuggling and cuddling up on cold winter mornings...

humming and hawing

2010-12-04T15:27:00.004+05:30

diehard optimist or the world's biggest idiot, time will tell. Till then wishing, waiting, chilling....

conversations with the little tyke..

2010-12-01T14:22:00.002+05:30

this one is one popular request..

dad (to Cinderella) : why are you wearing that T shirt? you look like a scarecrow
JB (indignantly): No baba (father in bangla), dont call her that! she does'nt look like a scarecrow, she looks like nothing!!
peals of laughter and many repititions follow..

A beautiful life...

2010-11-26T23:23:00.002+05:30

# 4

a nice hot oil massage for the head; a really nice movie, I mean really nice.. casablance, birdcage (dont laugh,I love it!!), pretty woman, as good as it gets, the bucket list ....; a lovely tisane; comfy seating and an anticipation of something nice.....

A beautiful life

2010-11-24T09:23:00.003+05:30

#3

Misty mornings, nip in the air, steaming cups of second flush darjeeling tea, a good book and a warm shawl....

in conversation with a little tyke

2010-11-22T23:25:00.003+05:30

Disclaimer: This blog is not meant to be read by anybody below 16 years of age, actually this post, the rest is Ok.

JB : mamma, who is Doctor Spock (has been reading James Herriot,apparently it was mentioned in one of his books)

Me: a well known paediatrician who wrote a book on handling young kids which mothers swear by even today. I had a copy, which I gave away after you grew up, and when baba and me decided we won't have a another little JB.

JB: Oh! so you started taking Ipills then ?

WTF.... he claims he saw an Ipill ad on the Disney channel (parents watchout!)..... jeez! how much more does he know?

tea...

2010-11-22T22:49:00.002+05:30

20 and counting.... yeah, that is the no of tea varieties you will find in my kitchen cabinets.

I was shocked myself..... ok! ok, there are a couple of tisanes thrown into that lot too.... rivals a mean selection at a tea shop or a cha bar.

My tryst with tea started when I was barely in my teens. kadak chai with adrak and a hint of cardamon is what I started with then (can't stand it anymore!). Living that long in Kolkata, the hub of tea trade, I learnt to appreciate tea, real tea.

Dolly's tea boutique in Dakhshinapan (in Kolkata) is where I bought most of my tea from (and still do, if my sister manages to make a trip there for me). It is an interesting place, the walls of the tiny boutique are layered with tea cartons, the rich smell of tea wafting all over, done up tastefully with brightly coloured block print cushions and tablecloths and little potted plants and bric brack from indian handicraft stores. Dolly, is a tea taster herself and sources the tea from her store from tea auction houses in Kolkata. Almost all tea of that quality is exported. People like Dolly (she was one of the first), realised that there was a market of tea connoisseurs in India too, so saved some of our best to sell here in India too.

I saw another tea store in the departure lounge of the Kolkata domestic airport.. Manjushree plantations and went crazy.. the loot (a part of it he! he!) is in the picture. My favorites.. darjeeling second flush and orange pekoe from the nilgiris

Now, back to my steaming hot golden brew..vintage collection Darjeeling tea from Manjushree plantations.. their website is under construction, so no link..

A published author at home.... and JB

2010-11-18T23:49:00.002+05:30

After the ooohs and aahs subside...

Conv I:
JB : didi, did you get paid ?
C: Yes, not much though
JB: I want 10% of that
C: for what?
JB: because I am the brother.

Conv II:
JB : It's such a headache to have a celebrity sister
C: I am not a celebrity for getting one story published, but I will hire you as my publicist when I write my book :)

Awesome Pumpkin Salad from a food show

2010-11-18T19:37:00.003+05:30

I love watching food shows on the telly. My first memories of one of those is a Jamie Olivier show which I used to watch every Sunday at 1 pm on most days with JB (the son).

And then suddenly there were a plethora of food shows on practically every channel starting with Nigella Lawson and Kylie Kwong on TLC to khunti kodai and ranna ghor on local Bengali channels. I was spoilt for choice. My son watches the shows with me with equal enthusiasm if he is around. When I am surfing, I am usually looking for a food or a cookery show and I can sit through them all.

This recipe is a dedication to my fondness for food shows of which I am a huge fan.

Pumpkin salad

This is a Nigella Lawson recipe which I improvised slightly to suit our dietary requirements and it tastes as good as it looks..

Pumpkin : cut into bite size pieces...... 750 gms

Onions sliced and soaked in vinegar for at least 2 hours... 2 medium size

Pine nuts peeled and roasted......... about 2 tablespoons

Spice mix......1.5 tablespoon (you can use your own combination, I used salt, chilli powder, fennel powder, cajun spice mix)

Thick yoghurt.....2 tablespoons ( the original recipe uses feta)

Parsley and basil ......finely chopped, for garnish

Olive oil..... 2 tablespoon

In a bowl pour 1 tbsp of olive oil and the spice mix on the pumpkin peices and mix thoroghly. Bake the pumpkin on a baking sheet at 180 deg C for about 20-30mins.

Once done, take the pumpkin out and cool. In a mixing bowl, toss the spiced pumpkin pieces with onions, herbs and the pine nuts with the remaining oil. Pour the salad out on to a serving dish and dot the yoghurt unevenly onto the salad and serve garnished with a sprig of fresh parsley... and enjoy!

social network - movie review

2010-11-17T12:43:00.002+05:30

.....social networks.. facebook, orkut, friendster,linked in, twitter,myspace and hundreds of lesser known ones are just that... all about connecting with people and social acceptance.
I saw Wall Street - money never sleeps as well as the first one, Wall Street, featuring the young Charlie Sheen and the much younger Michael Douglas a couple of months back. That is about money, greed, ambition and what the three put together can do to you.
Social Networks, the movie, is the story of how facebook happened, in flash back, through stories told by it's founders- Mark Zuckerberg and Eduardo Saverin and the Winklevoss twins during the depositions for two seperate lawsuits filed by Saverin and the twins. Eduardo is fighting for recognition for being acknowledged as one of the original founders of facebook and the Winklevoss twins are claiming the idea of a social networking site was originally theirs' . In real life, while Mark Zuckerberg goes from strength to strength with facebook becoming the world's youngest billionaire, Eduardo has dropped out of public life. That's all he wanted : recognition.
and what hurt him the most was Mark betraying him at the behest of Sean Parker (better known as the founder of napster, played brilliantly by Justin Timberlake). " I was your only friend'', he tells Mark during the deposition.
The film moves through the corridors and residences of the Harvard university... where a young computer programming geek or should I say genius, is dumped by his girlfriend. Hurt and angry, he hacks into the databases of various residences and creates a website called facemash.com where male students can choose, which of the two female students featured, is more attractive. As an outcome of which, Mark gets a 6 months academic probation, earns the ire of the female students on campus and is noticed by a group of seniors - the Winklevoss twins and Divya Narendra who have been toying with the idea of setting up a netwoking site for Harvard students called Harvard connections.
Mark goes on to set up facebook, intially open to Harvard students and then includes students from other campuses after he runs into his ex-girlfriend (not from Harvard) at a restaurant, who has'nt heard of his website.
The story moves from residences in Harvard to Pablo Alto in California, where Mark moves to, in summer, to look for investors and to do some more work on his website after Sean Parker convinces tell him, that that's the place to be for someone, onto something big, like him. In Pablo Alto, facebook evolves with the site hitting a million members (today it has over 500 million), VC fundings coming in and with Sean Parker's increasing involvement in the business decisions of the company, much to the chagrin of Eduardo Saverin.
The movie ends on a piognant note: a successful, rich computer genius losing the only friend he had, trying to reconnect....
brilliant performances by the leads.. Jesse Eisenberg (Mark Zuckerberg), Andrew Garfield (Eduardo Saverin), Justin Timberlake (Sean Parker). Great Screenplay and dialogues..
A must watch!

movies, JB and me..

2010-11-09T01:03:00.003+05:30

Since summer this year, I have been re-living memories of my childhood watching old classic movies with my son. We've been through movies like Bridge on the river Kwai, Railway Children, Patton, The eagle has landed, Saving private ryan, Pearl harbour, Where eagles dare, The Caine mutiny, Guns of Navarone, many Hercule Poirot movies, with David Suchet playing Poirot.....the latest being Ben-hur. Watching it re affirmed my belief that every old classic need not necessarily, be a good watch for children. I send JB (.. the son) packing after the famous chariot scene, which by the way, even in this day and age is still breath taking.

Charlton Heston as Ben hur, and the spectacular and magnificient scenes like the chariot race or the battle in the sea, in the absence of digital special effects with real people and real sets would be my major take aways. Towards the second half, the movie goes into a biblical mode with the crucification of Christ, and the rise of Christianity etc.

The movie watching spree with my son, also got me hooked on to war movies, a genre which I have developed a fondness for, only recently.

A beautiful life..

2010-10-28T22:59:00.002+05:30

My favourite part of the day has always been the dusk/evening (5-7 p.m.) and everything associated with it. Working people coming home, those working late strolling out for a cup of tea from a road side stall; children playing around or the more stressed out ones, shuttling from one class to another; the elderly,up from their afternoon naps settling into balcony armchairs with their steaming cup of chai; cooks and homemakers organising family dinners..

I am usually doing one of the above depending on my schedule for the day. A and I usually go for our 3 km brisk walk, have a cup of tea in my balcony,before the mad evening rush to finish homework,organising next days' meals, evening dinner etc starts again.

Mad Men...Don Draper and co.

2010-10-18T00:33:00.004+05:30

have been addicted to the award winning television series 'Mad Men'.. The lead, Don Draper with his mysterious past, silent,thoughtful, charismatic womaniser, the brilliant creative head of an advertising agency is particularly mesmerising. His wife Betty, is good housekeeping incarnate. The quintessential 1960s, perfect housewife,mother,hostess. More about the characters in the subsequent posts...

The series moves through the era when advertising was coming on its own and moves through various small and big changes that affected the world of advertising over the years. The advent of television, the changing social order in America in the John F. Kennedy era, the growing importance of America in the world of business,the focus shifting from the continent and so on...

I can't put my finger on what exactly I like about the series...... but I know I will be waiting for my copies of Season 5 DVDs, when it premeirs next year, along with many other Mad Men addicts around the world.

growing up....

2010-09-20T22:40:00.001+05:30

when I am depressed,I eat a lot of chocolate... and then I walk, a lot; hoping to burn most of it off..

This one is for you sis.....

2010-08-25T21:27:00.005+05:30

listening to this song by RIGHT SAID FRED brought back many memories... of you, me and our music in our growing up years...
Phil Collins, Rod Stewart and his women..New Kids on the Block and many more, our collection of grammy award tapes, our wall full of posters, craning our necks out of our bedroom window to hear the out of tune 'Hotel California' being played by amateur bands at the
Spring Fest wild fire nights and giggling our way through it and more....

Being Julia....the mom

2010-08-17T09:18:00.004+05:30

I often wondered what my relationship with my son would be like when he was little. (Well, he is still little, but only for his indulgent parents! at 10, he thinks he is a big boy now)

Though I don't always watch movies more than a couple of times, Being Julia is an exception.What stayed with me were the last few scenes. Julia, a famous actress, has a complicated relationship with her son, husband and her own self. The only reality in her life is theatre.

Her son, now a handsome teenager, finds it difficult to comprehend his mother. On one hand, he misses the fact that his mother is not the regular plane jane mother, but on the other hand, also admires her deeply for the grand woman that she is. In one of the last scenes,Julia takes her revenge on a young actress, who has tried to take away her part, peace of mind and husband, on stage, probably the only place she is always 'at home' in....only bows to acknowledge the standing ovation when she see's her son stand up.

That one scene somehow sums up a lot ....

A beautiful life...

2010-08-13T12:29:00.003+05:30

discovery # 1 : A nice warm perfumed bath, a good read before bed,a warm orange flavoured tisane and some old comfortable bed clothes... ummmm , lovely!

The Ghost Writer,movie review

2010-08-09T12:11:00.005+05:30

Had read some terrible reviews of Ghost Writer, one of Roman Polanski's latest films released early this year.... The plot sounded interesting, giving Mr.Polanski the benefit of the doubt, decided to go ahead and watch the movie.. I am glad I did.

The lead, Ewan McGregor, plays a ghostwriter hired to write the memoirs of the British Prime Minister of Scottish descent, Adam Lang, played by Pierce Brosnan. The prime minister, along with his wife and staff is camping on an Island in the United States, with his ghostwriter who is only allowed to work on the manuscipt, left half done by his predecessor, in the confines of his designated workplace on the island.

The task of writing the memoirs is not as simple as it sounds.. as the ghostwriter starts his work, intrigued by the sudden and mysterious death of his predecessor. In the process, he discovers a sinister connection between the CIA and the Prime minister. The discovery eventually becomes a threat to his own life, as he uncovers the mystery surrounding his predecessors death. Read more here

Apart from the obivious, I am particulary fond of watching movies with a strong connect to the prevailing socio-cultural or political environment. And this one is definitely on the upper half of the list ...

I did some searches on Tony Blair, the erst while Prime Minister of the UK, who often came under heavy criticism in his own country for his support to the US admistration's various policies,especially those on Iraq. There were also some sundry blogposts and articles on his alleged links with the intelligence agencies of both the countries... and some malicious ones suggesting Cherie Blair's involvement as well. Ah! yes, there are also reports of the controversial arrest of Roman Polanski linking that too, to the making of this film. Read the report here

The political backdrop of this film is very very interesting, and there is certainly more than meets the eye. The similarity to real life events is uncanny, the shot of Pierce Brosnan at Martha's Vineyard airport, the mention of torture flights, the thinking wife who advices her husband on each step and is not just an arm candy besides of course, the various allegations of soft peddaling on US policies by Tony Blair during his tenure and so on....

A recommended watch...

blogging..

2010-08-08T01:45:00.002+05:30

I have been blogging for exactly 5 years now. My first post on this blog appeared in Aug 05.

.. the tangine

2010-08-07T02:48:00.003+05:30

bubbling away in my emile henry clay pot....

Chicken Tangine with Fennel for dinner tonight...

2010-08-07T02:19:00.004+05:30

S,my foodie friend (and I don't mean that only in keeping with Jones way.. she is a real foodie) told me about tangines.. moroccan stews of various kinds,cooked in a dish of the same name, a shallow clay pot with a tall conical lid (see picture above), a few weeks back. I have attempted make them a few times after that, with moderate success..

After picking up fennel bulbs from a new, well appointed, gourmet store in the neighbourhood, aptly called, The Providore, I decided to make a Chicken Tangine much to the delight of my family.

It is a simple recipe with onions, garlic, ginger, saffron threads, salt, tumeric and a moroccan spice mix (ras el hanout, is what they use, I had to make do with a pared down version) with parsley sprigs or corainder leaves as bouquet garni; dunked into the pot with the chicken and fennel..and cooked for a couple of hours on a slow flame.

Served the stew with some couscous to my oohing and aahing family :)

Baking at last...

2010-08-05T00:42:00.007+05:30

Bread making was always a disaster...mine always looked great, but were either too hard or too soft or just unevenly baked or textured, ever since college days. How did I still earn my hotel management degree.. well bakery and confectionary was only 1 of the 17 subjects we did at school, and yes, there were ways to get by :) ...

which was sad, because I love bread.. all kinds from the scrumptious croissants and baguettes in Paris boulangeries to the maska bread with a hard crust, from a local 50 year old Parsi bakery..

I figured my problem was with the quintessential eukaryotic micro-organism called 'yeast'. I am yet to learn how to work well with yeast.

So I gave up baking all together for many years. And then, I discovered quick breads.

Quick breads are breads made without yeast but with a chemical raising agent like baking powder, baking soda etc. They can be either savory or sweet.

So here I am, baking a batch of scones, at midnight, when the rest of the household is asleep, so that I can grieve for my baking disaster in private, if need be, i.e.

Well, it was'nt so bad this time. My scones are unevenly shaped and a little darker than I expected them to be, but boy!, they are delicious. My midnight feast tonight was a lovely warm scone, fresh from the oven, with a low fat version of clotted cream and jam. .. which I made !!!!

touche!

Harshada

2010-08-01T23:30:00.005+05:30

I have seen Harshada grow into a smart, confident, young girl almost in her teens from a sickly looking 5 year old taking unsure steps into my house, holding onto her mother's sari pallu, over the last few years. Ah! the things education and general exposure to life can do to a young fertile mind of a child.
Mangal, her mother has been working for our family for the last 7 odd years. Though Mangal has her many faults, prefering to spend her evenings after work romancing her various boyfriends, she does'nt want her daughter to have the life she has and does everything she can to make sure she does'nt have to. Her husband, many years older, turns a blind eye towards her infidelity but dotes on his daughter.
Harshada goes to school. Till last year she went to a municipal school, this year she moved to a bigger school which, I believe, is not free anymore. She also asked her mother for a computer. Her mother barely literate came and asked me how much a PC would cost.
I was a little taken aback and decided to speak to Harshada myself. I met her after a long time..corporate life had been taking a toll on me for the last few years and I had little time for anything else.
She had grown up.. a little woman, poised, confident, spoke hindi fluently, strangely perceptive and mature for her age. She looks after herself most days at home after school.
I convinced her to do some basic computer courses before making her parents buy her a computer they could ill afford. She happily agreed.
So I took her to Aptech to register her for a level one Vidya course, her delighted parents in tow, as soon as her summer vacations started . One got her a cell phone and the other showed her the bus routes and got her a pass.
Harshada completed her course, she comes home to practise on one of our laptops on Sundays sometimes. She wants to complete the level II in her next vacations and learn to speak english, she writes and understands the language fluently though.
She bought JB a book to learn marathi for his birthday, on hearing about us struggling with the marathi lessons for school, from her mother.
I have asked her if she will teach JB marathi..She will be paid for the lessons, her first little job; and we will also teach her english in return.
Looks like she will have a different life than her mother after all.

50 books at Twist n Tales..

2010-07-29T08:04:00.007+05:30

I don't think I ever bought so many books in a single purchase at Twist n Tales, the neighbourhood bookstore, as the owner and my dear friend of many years likes to call it.
Sumi told me about TnT and it's warm and thoughful owner J when the place opened many years back in 2002 and so began my journey with a little bookstore in my neighbourhood (it is not 'my neighbourhood' anymore, we moved). I still don't know what I cherish more, my evolving friendship with J, TnT or the things it did to me. TnT is for book lovers and serious readers. You don't see stuff like CDs, toys, magazine or any such trash, that can distract you from focusing on the wonderful, neatly categorized selection of books, carefully handpicked for the store, by it's owner. If I am not mistaken, bulk of the revenues (apart from what they make from supplying to schools and other institutions) come from the loyal customers of TnT who are now slowly and unwittingly becoming a neighbourhood community. Fond of stereotyping (as M accused me many years back) as I am, there is such a thing as a twist n tales type of person now : besides being an avid reader: thinking, value driven, socially conscious of the environment around and above all liberated in mind and spirit. One of the perks of J's jobs is also making friends out of potential TnT people she meets browsing around in her store or even otherwise..If is means anythings and adds on to her credibility, J is very well networked with the NGO crowd (a TISS hangover perhaps :) ) and has started promoting local authors, launching them (she comes up with some great ideas for thematic book launches), organising book readings and helping them with other knick knacks such as finding illustrators for their book covers, shooting the wind with them to explore ideas etc. ( A backward integration is also on the cards, yes)
There is also such a thing as a TnT young person too: a kid who has grown up on the books from her store, has had free career counselling from J and has probably done a summer job or internship there and while working at TnT has picked up some fantastic work ethics and office skils.
Over the years, I have also found answers to my various problems there.. books to augment my knowledge base when I moved to HR (being an Ex-HR professional and a successful one while she was there, J connected and understood quickly what I was looking for, her recommendations hold me in good stead even today!), an internship for Cinderella to learn some critical life skills and yes she is a TnT young person today, meaningful gifts and presents and after many years connecting to books (other than work related stuff). JB, all of ten years today, is a voracious reader and has a mini library of his own, most of which came from TnT. He is waiting eagerly to be old enough to be able to do a summer job there (the tyke does'nt realize working at a bookstore is a lot of work and not just endless supply of books to read all day long!)
So... spend an afternoon selecting books for return gifts for the big birthday party coming up this weekend and chatting with J about parenting, books and her exciting business expansion plans over the planned lunch and unplanned coffee. Have offered to volunteer when her work with school kids and libraries takes off, and give in to my other interests.. kids, books and reading. Touche

meal at the basus..

2010-07-26T15:36:00.002+05:30

tonight's dinner is Vietnamese style spring rolls with a dipping sauce and my mom's version of chicken kedgeree.. comfort food on rainy days! recipes and pictures to follow...

Inception...

2010-07-25T02:19:00.002+05:30

what stayed an hour later was... brilliant story...Christopher Nolan.. Leonardo DiCaprio..dreams,layers, the sub conscious, extraction, inception, the spinning brass top..Michael Caine, good production, gripping (we even skipped the trip to the ladies and the coffee counter), Elean Page, great visuals. Can't get over the movie. Though I had heard and read a lot of good things about the movie, it still exceeded expectations. A definite contender for the awards this year..

hoping...

2010-07-25T02:18:00.001+05:30

for a miracle.......at least that's what it seems now.

steam chicken breast with citrus and coriander

2010-07-24T14:47:00.003+05:30

Came across the wonderful recipe by Phil's cooking academy on you tube. Interested cooking method.. Steam cooking in foil.
check it out here
Instant hit with the family... and very very healthy

Aloo methi with a twist..

2010-07-18T22:22:00.005+05:30

No, you don't need to buy the fresh methi (fenugreek) leaves, have the maid clean it the day before, chop, cut blah blah..

You can use Kasoori methi out of a packet or if you have enough help in the kitchen or are enthusiastic enough .. make your own kasoori methi. So the recipe, here goes...

Potatoes: 5-6 medium size

Dried methi or kasoori methi: 2-3 tablespoons

For tempering

Methi seeds: 1 teaspoon

Whole cumin seeds: 2 teaspoons

Green chillies: 2-3 nos

Garlic cloves: 5-6 nos.

Boil potatoes in the pressure cooker till done. While the potatoes are boiling, soak kasoori methi in a cup of water.

One the potatoes are done, peel and chop into small peices.

Crush the garlic cloves and green chillies with a mortar and pestle or the back of a large knife together.

Heat oil in a kadai or frying pan and temper with whole cumin seeds, methi seeds and a pinch of hing (asofetedia).

When the seeds start spluttering, put in the crushed green chillies and garlic cloves. saute for a couple of minutes.

Put in the potatoes and give them a good stir in the kadai or frying pan.

Now, squeeze out the methi from the water and sprinkle it on the potatoes and mix well.

Saute for a 4-5 mins more and then remove from heat and serve hot with chapattis and hot yellow dal.

Comfort food.. yummm!!!

Homemade kasoori methi in a jiffy..

Wash a bunch of methi leaves well so that all the mud etc is cleaned out well.

Pluck the leaves off the stem and place them on a dry kitchen towel to wipe off the water as far as possible.

Flatten the leaves on a plate in a single layer and put it in the microwave for a minute.take the plate out, stir the leaves and put it back for another minute or so till the leaves are completely dried out.

Store the dried leaves in a airtight glass bottle and use as and when required.

childhood memories.. ajwain wali arvi

2010-07-17T19:34:00.003+05:30

I lived on a diet of bread, milk and fruits as a child. My mom's skills at serving lightly cooked vegetables full of colour,flavour and nutrition were wasted on me. I took to cooking a little late in life and have been making up for the lost time ever since....

Ajwain wali Arvi is a typical north indian vegetarian side dish and is usually a hit if balanced well with spices..

Ingredients

Arvi (about 750gms) also called collocasia stems

green chillies

dry masalas (red chilli powder, roasted cumin powder, corainder powder, dry mango powder, tumeric)

salt to taste

green chillies

ajwain (caraway seed)

Method

Boil the arvi, after washing it well, in a pressure cooker. Peel the brown skin off and cut the stems into 2-3 peices.

Heat some mustard oil in the kadai and put a teaspoon and a half of ajwain and green chillies.

Add arvi peices when the tempering starts spluttering.

Add the dry masalas and saute well till the masalas are nicely roasted.

Serve hot with chapattis and enjoy!

beet and gajor chechki.. an colorful bengali side dish

2010-07-17T19:11:00.003+05:30

This is recipe nor the next one are originals. They have appeared on my blog because I tried them out and they were a hit with friends and family. The photos are original though!

I usually use 3 beetroots and 2 medium sized carrots.

Some green chillies: slit

kalo jeera (nigella seeds)

salt: to taste

tumeric and chilli powder - to taste

Cut the beetroots and the carrots into matchstick size pieces.

Heat about 1 teaspoon of oil in a kadai or pan. Once the oil is smoking, put the green chillies and kalo jeers (about1.5 teasp) till they start spluttering.

Put the carrot and beetroot in the kadai, stir well, cover and let it cook for a while

Once the veggies are cooked slightly, add the salt, tumeric and chilli powder and stir. Cover and cook till well done.

Really, it is that simple.

les temoins..

2010-07-15T22:01:00.003+05:30

I have been watching a lot of foreign films (as in foreign language by foreign directors,non english or american or british films ) since I have been off work. It's like being in a different country among different people for two hours. If the film is well made, you also get a glimpse of the socio-cultural environment of the land.

One such film I recently saw was a french film called 'witnesses' which was also the entry from France for the Toronto film festival.

A young gay french guy, Manu, from the provinces, arrives in Paris and gatecrashes into his sister's apartment. He soon befriends a middle aged doctor,Eros, who introduces him to the sights and sounds of Paris and also some of his friends. The film is set in the 1980s when the AIDS epidemic broke out. It has a wonderful potrayal of how the lives of the friends, manu and eros and the couple they are friends with : Mehdi and Sarah are affected with the outbreak. That, the French are known for their ability to respect individual choices when it comes to sexual preference, love,marriage,relationships etc is obvious in the way the complex relationships of these friends has been depicted in the films. "I don't care who he sleeps with so long I win in the end'' says Sarah to her friend, about her boyfriend Mehdi, when she finds out about his amorous relationship with a man. The films deals with the outbreak of AIDS affecting one and all on the streets in a manner which I have never seen before. It is all very subtle and matter of fact but very real and focussed.

A powerful film which leaves you wanting for more..highly recommended.

kumror, chana chechki

2010-07-07T13:57:00.004+05:30

Kumro and chana, with apologies to minakshi dasgupta

I started out to make a chechki which is defined as a stir fry of vegetables cut into small peices with a tempering of panchphoron or kalo jerey or whole mustard seeds. We like our veggies like cut big and chunky so I decided to do a variation, which was somewhere between a ghonto and a chechki.

so here goes..

Ingredients

Pumpkin, approx 300gms, cut into large chunks

2 medium size potatoes

Kabuli chana, soaked overnight and boiled: 1 1/4 cup
Parval or broad beans : about 150 gms
1 onion- grated
3-4 dried red chillies
a green veg - one can use potol or sheem (english names pointed gourd and broadbeans)
masalas
salt
Red chilli powder
tumeric
corainder and cumin powder
garam masala powder

tempering
panch phoron
Pour a little mustard oil in a kadai. once the oil is hot, put in the dry red chillies and about a 1.5 teaspoons of panchphoron. After they start crackling a little bit, add the grated onion and saute for a while. Add the vegetable one by one in the order they cook.. potatoes, punpkin and then the beans or potol. Cover and let is cook for a while. Mix all the masalas in a little water and then pour it into the kadai, mix well. Add a little hot water at this point if you want a little gravy. Add the chana and mix well. Cover and let is cook till done.

Serve with steam rice.

Ready to eat...

minakshi dasgupta... thank u v much

2010-07-07T13:39:00.003+05:30

His angioplasty hit me hard, the uncertainity of life came closer home. It is hard enough to keep a marriage going and a marriage with baggages??? A lived to eat, I did'nt want that to change for him, at least. So everything else took a back seat.. I have been experimenting with oil free/low fat, vegetarian versions of almost everything he liked to eat.
The most popular dishes out of a bengali kitchen are primarily non vegetarian.. macher jhols of various kinds, kasha mangsho, chingri malai curries and the like. The vegetarian part of the bengali cuisine has potential too.. One day, when there are enough recipes for a seperate blog, I will move all this to a food blog, till then read on....

musings from the corporate world

2010-07-07T01:23:00.003+05:30

.. ogilvy noor!!??? A whole vertical dedicated to marketing to the muslims, courtesy O&M... ''world's first bespoke Islamic branding practice'' ..Still can't get over it. I have heard of marketing campaigns targetings various demographic segments earlier; the blacks, the hispanics, the NRIs... whatever, so ideally should'nt be reacting to this one, right? What is this going to do? differentiate or assimilate sensibilities ? Are we going to end up highlighting differences which we did'nt notice, which just went into the melting pot of all cultures that make India? Would I feel the same way if HTA came up with something called HTA-Shubh, marketing to the hindus or something of that sort ?

A and me

2010-06-13T12:12:00.004+05:30

I figured I don't mind A's patronising anymore!!! being much older and very aware of it, he advices (most of it unsolicited) me on even simple household chores. Realised it has stopped getting my goat anymore!!! what's next? looking like him? they say people start looking like each other when they grow old together....

a summer to remember...

2010-06-09T21:45:00.004+05:30

The met department said that the monsoons are likely to hit the city in a couple of days. Summer is finally over, school opens, the dusty foilage will soon wear a fresh green look. I have taken a few months off work and spend the summer at home,no holidays, no travelling, no cousins visiting, just plenty of family time..
JB... he did so much.. learnt french, practiced piano every single day, developed a taste in old classic movies with me, spend hours in the pool, had friends over off and on, and when we would let him, tried cooking. I did all of that with him..I have almost started missing him when he's in school.. an obsessed mom: you bet! I am so proud of him. We were always close, but now we are closer.
A: Illness has brought us closer than we were. Food kept us together, now eating right and cycling has.
Me: watched lots and lots of movies.. developed a taste for award winning films in foreign languages, period films and war movies. Cooked, cooked and cooked... JB says I make the best pasta in the world :) :) well he likes my rissotos and roasts too. Brought my vegetarian bengali cooking as close to perfection as I cooked. Finally started finishing a book in a week. Honed my parental skills,lost a little weight (still a drop in the ocean), finally started cycling and so much more. My to do list still had a few things to complete before I get back to work..
If not for anything else, for being able to bond with my son, for ruffling his hair or giving him a big hug as soon as he gets back home from school, for watching A grin in pleasure when I produce another zero oil delicacy from the kitchen, for finally noticing the beautiful gulmohar trees flowering in all their glory in summers, for growing up a little... this is one of the best summers I have had in a long long time

mumbai meri jaan ?....no way!

2010-06-04T15:36:00.006+05:30

after a long long time, a trip to mumbai and got to do stuff I always wanted to:

1. Lunch at Britannia, one of Mumbai's most famous Parsi restaurants in Ballard estates.Famous for it's berry pulao and many other mouthwatering parsi dishes...dhansak with brown rice, sali boti etc. not to forget cool drinks like ice cream soda from parsi run factories.

Also encountered Mr. Boman Kohinoor Irani (picture), one of the partners of Britannia, who insists on taking every order himself despite his frail demenour, failing eyesight, memory etc but an unbetable spirit neverthless..

2. Buying crockery from good earth.. a well appointed lifestyle store epitomising the chic indian look. The largest collection of aesthetically put together designs of crockery and furnishing, difficult to make up your mind.. each peice on display is a collector's item in it's self. I was taken aback at the space they have at their disposal bang in the middle of the now upmarket lower parel area.Also had tea at the tasting room with my two elderly aunts and sister in law. The stylish tea service is done in the beautiful good earth crockey... an experience and fragrance (the store has scented with their own mix of essential oils.. I am told a mix of bergmont, lavender and lemon) to remmember and look forward to in the next visit.

3.A visit to Red Blue and Yellow: A much talked about store when it opened.. though I thoroghly enjoyed my visit, I found the ware disappointing or may be I expected much more.

4. Lunch at the Indigo Cafe: BIL, SIL and me stuffed ourselves at the cafe in Andheri (W). A truly satisfying European meal. Spotted Manish Malhotra lunching with what looked like a young intern at the next table..

on the whole a satisfying trip..

Next trip.. drive on Queen's necklace and lunch at olive or goa portuguesa

2010-06-04T15:32:00.000+05:30

waiting, waiting and waiting... sigh!

this and that

2010-05-29T20:59:00.004+05:30

Day 1 : down with cramps, bad bout of food poisoning, high fever, in bed the whole evening

Day 2 : cycling in the hills in the evening, cooking, giving the kiddo a nice scrub

what the hell am I trying to prove to myself???

amazing science

2010-05-23T15:37:00.002+05:30

Watching JB struggle with names of summer and winter fruits and vegetables got me thinking.. there aren't any summer fruits and winter fruits and vegetables at all.. everything is available round the year now. Most of them are just grown in simulated conditions when the weather is not conducive.
it got me thinking... nothing will remain the same anymore. I wonder what I will teach my grand kids. You may not need acres and acres of farmland to grow tonnes of grain anymore, you may not even need soil to grow plants anymore, plant reproduction will happen in labs and trial farms, cereals will also be sources vitamins and minerals, mothers won't scream at their kids to eat their veggies any more, every law of nature is being challenged, the world as we know it is changing at a much faster pace than one can fanthom.. my brush with food revolution slowly sweeping the world has left me humbled ...

Confused soul

2010-05-14T20:37:00.003+05:30

The one thing I can do endlessly is.. watch movies on the home theatre in our bedroom cooled by an oversized airconditioner (A and I had a lot of arguements when we first bought it, but now the sturdy oversized AC is the only thing that manages to cool a room filled with a large LCD and a home theatre system, a PC and 2-3 laptops)

bridge on the river kwai and more...

2010-05-14T20:17:00.002+05:30

JB and I have been watching a lot of old movies this summer.. we started with The eagle has landed, Guns of navarone and just finished watching The bridge on the river Kwai, The movie still doesn't fail to mesmerise, even in the world of blu rays and 3 D televisions.Alec Guinness potrayal of the spirited and dignified Col Nicholson is captivating and leaves one asking for more. Needless to say JB loved the film.

afternoons and coffeespoons

2010-05-09T12:39:00.004+05:30

A quiet afternoon at home, sigh!, wish there were more of these

smiling thru summer

2010-05-07T18:23:00.002+05:30

Things I am doing this summer:
1. Finally getting on to a bike.
2. Swimming almost everyday for a couple of weeks
3.Watched JB learn taking baby steps mastering french
4. learning to appreciate a whole new genre of movie - old war movies, period films.
5. Spending more time with A than I ever have since we got married.
6. Finally reading a new Amy Tan
7. Cooking cooking and cooking and loving it all the way. Rediscovering Jamie olivier and bangla ranna
8. Having friends over to spend the day
...... and more. God where did my life go all these years. A welcome break from work after a long long time.

Duplicity Starring Julia Roberts, Clive Owen

2010-02-05T14:36:00.004+05:30

Dear Ms. Roberts,

Will you please please not have the saaa...mmm....e expression throughout the whole god dammed film. I liked duplicity though, for its anti-climax and slickness. A good watch.

Your fan since pretty woman
Bubble

Of Mr.Khan and Mr. Khan

2010-02-04T18:34:00.002+05:30

Dear Mr. Aamir Khan,
I have been a great admirer of your work for many many years. I have watched all your fims from QSQT to 3idiots in the first week of their release. I even tried joining a fan club till I realized the founder was cuckoo.
I think you are one of the most versatile actors in the industry today.
But I am disappointed with you.. you shunned awards in India on the grounds that they were biased and there was too much politicking and lobbying happening around them and yet you did the same thing for Lagaan at the Oscars!!! Isnt there enough lobbying and politicking happening there too! then why the double standards?

Dear Mr. Sharukh Khan,

Way to go!!! Kudos to you for taking on the fanatic bunch of hooligans who call themselves a political party.

cheers...

I love my life

2009-11-17T14:07:00.003+05:30

why oh why am I trying to be supermom... movie plans on a weeknight, dinner parties that start at 11 p.m. on a Sunday night, gourmet meals with no help....:( all with a full time stressful job.

Tommorow is strawberry smoothie and bowl of dried fruit for breakfast for junior, brunch for cinderella.

at work: analysis of a recently completely survey and a search for a financial analyst for a new business line.

and oh yes, I loooo... ve my blackberry curve.

happy to be back

2009-11-05T22:54:00.003+05:30

hey I'm back.. what I have been upto these days, well working, keeping the house , socializing but god ! I missed blogging. gettting addicted to facebook and linked in.I have a love hate relationship with my virtual social life.

As for now, I am back at the gym for the umpteenth time, a bigger better and more encouraging one... and a much more motivated me!

My MBA registration is finally happening in the next couple of weeks.

Work.. have moved up the rung and learnt soo soo much in the last one year. Going strong and looking forward for more

My folks.. have been good, dad's finally found something meaningful to do here. had some great times with them this week

entertainment.. brothers and sisters.. I'm hooked :) planning to finally complete my promise to dada about the NFAI membership this week

Vicky Christina Barcelona

2009-03-21T01:56:00.003+05:30

just watched the movie which won an award for supporting actress for Penelope cruz who actually appears in the second half of the movie. The movie talks about romance, love and longing of .. well.. every kind.
based in the spanish countryside the movie is about the relationship between a painter, two american tourists and his ex wife.

more later

I am back folks!

2009-03-21T01:52:00.002+05:30

... after a long long time.
so where have a been.. well lots has happened, A is working in Paris, JB is growing up, cindrella seems to be doing OK with her writing editing whatever and me.. well one friend less, still immersed in work in what seems to be an endless wait for the fruits of my labour.

bonus weekend

2008-08-17T22:52:00.003+05:30

Finally got to spend some precious time with Junior. Took him for a buffet breakfast at Sun-n-Sand's coffee shop - carrots and celery. A bright sunny place overlooking the pool. came home, hung around and then took him cycling in the evening.
did some ' science experiments' at home from his book on 'cool stuff'. drove around with him listening to 'boomtown rats'.
I think he is an interesting kid, I don't know too many 8 year olds who can discuss boomtown rats, coldplay, the story of hunchback of notredam and composition of the soil in the same breath.
passed up a trip to the salon, to watch him wash his cycle and earn his first bit of pocket money. I think getting him to earn pocket money doing small jobs and chores around the house, is a good idea, - could teach him some valuable lessons in life .

lions for lambs

2008-08-03T01:24:00.006+05:30

Lions for Lambs finished abruptly.. just when things seemed to be warming up.
A college professor inspiring a gufted student to do ore meanigful things with his life. Two of his former students in Afghanistan battling for their lives in the battlefront, a probing reporter talking to a senator, inching his way to the white house, about a new military initiative launched in Afghanistan.
Merly Streep, Robert Redford and Tom Cruise.. the movie can't be bad I though when I saw it at the DVD rental store.
A thought provoking movie after a really long spell of crappy song and dance hindi movies I had been watching for a while
Lambs.. military strategist who have never faced the battlefront, planning wars from their air conditioned offices miles away, lions.. the brave and the courageous men, inspiring and driven who actually fight driven by their idealism.

the half centuries in my life..

2008-07-30T22:14:00.004+05:30

old people liking me is getting a litle out of hand. now my in laws wants to come and stay in our city. and I am trying to think no there is nothing wrong with that, just more convinient if something happens, we will be right here to look after them. Of course, my parents being in the same city helps, or does'nt it ? dunno, don't want to think about it.

In my moment of weakness I did ask my in laws to move here once and now, 8 years later ,they said yes!

eight birthday parties

2008-07-22T22:45:00.002+05:30

I asked JB what he wanted me to do differently (for him) after his eighth birthday, "just go to the gym regularly mama" he said.

we are having two of them, one at home for his building friends and one at the farmhouse with a swim in the river, boat ride etc thrown in. and some fabulous presents - a bike, lego and the like.

hollywood trivia

2008-06-30T23:34:00.002+05:30

he has to be a dish.. he is tom hanks' s eldest son. No where as successful as his illustrious father but just as handsome.. no much more.

2008-06-30T23:14:00.002+05:30

Colin Hanks is a dish..Watching ' my mom's new boyfriend'... man he makes it totally worth it

just like saif ali khan did in ' thoda pyar thoda magic'. The movie was so silly.

But I am definitely going to google Mr. Hanks tonight...

the half century birthday

2008-06-07T01:48:00.002+05:30

had a great one week with 12 people in the house and another 7-8 guests staying at various places - I thought the duration was perfect.. neither too long nor too short. Got lots and lots of brownie points from the in laws and the extended family. A said he was 'overwhelmed' ...

the party went off well - one of the better one most people had seen.

on the whole everything was well worth the year long effort put in to make it happens.

half century parties

2008-05-26T00:03:00.002+05:30

So we are finally all set for both the half century parties and the 7 house guest we are going to have over the next week or so and 8 more over the weekend..

Spend most of the day organising the house, towels, sheets, table linen, embroidered coasters for my tea set to impress MIL, monogramed handtowels, trendy curtains in my bedroom, new plants for my living room, extra household help, RSVPs the list goes on..

Boy! I missed the house proud me, glad A kept out of my way.

Goa - some more hues

2008-05-21T22:33:00.006+05:30

''it is very easy to like someone.. a meaningful relationship happens when you can tolerate the not so nice things about that someone..'' whoa! when did I come up with that one.

Had a great mini holiday in Goa with the family - my favourite moments: collecting seashells on all fours with Junior on the beach, watching A grin after a awesome meal at Mum's kitchen in Miramar after sulking the whole day.

We did all the stuff we had'nt done a lot in our previous visits to Goa - spend hours and hours on the beach, explore Goan food in every meal - Ahh! the awesome goan curries - Vindahloos, Sorpotel, Xacutis, Caldeen, Rechardos, Ambotiks etc etc - rediscovering sanas - a local bread served with the fiery hot curries - the sweetness accentuating the taste.

Old Goa - tells you a story - the ruins of tower of the church of St.Augustine towers, the Basilica of Bom Jesus, the Christian arts museum, Se Cathedral.. all nestled in approx 1.5 - 2 sq kms of the world heritage site.I only wish I could spend some more time walking around the site on my own - had to leave in a hurry, nobody else seemed interested enough.

The science musuem under the national council of science musuems in Miramar was a discovery too. Would definitely spend some more time in my next trip there with Junior - infact probably a whole day. should be an enriching experince for the kid - he wants to be scientist, more specifically a geologist.

Not to forget, also acquired my first peice of designer wear..

2008-05-17T01:23:00.005+05:30

Finally off to Goa.. could do with the break. Was getting inordinately addicted to work, my laptop..Zooming out in the real sense .
looking forward to connect with my son and family.. :)

shaurya - movie review

2008-05-04T00:03:00.002+05:30

one of the best hindi films I have seen this year. It talks about issues like ethnic cleansing.. desi style. brilliant performance by all actors - kay kay menon, outshines everyone easily in his role as the quasi fascist brigadier with a strong dislike for all muslims. Rahul Bose : we know you speak good english man. How about actually acting for a change. Doing alternate cinema these days does not make you a great actor. you can do crass commercial stuff and still be a great actor. As Sharukh Khan had said in one of his interviews : " people say that I act the same way in every single film, what they don't realize is how difficult it is to do the same stuff over and over again."

2008-04-03T22:37:00.002+05:30

watching Narayan Muthy on 'Unstoppable Indians' on NDTV profit.
he says "articulate the values and walk the talk" about how he ensured he was creating a value based organisation .. very very powerful speaker.. Some more of Murthy speak "we infosyian's are not used to giving high marks to ourselves" I find listening to Mr. Murthy very very inspiring. Would love to work for a company which has a chief mentor like him one day.

reminds me of my many conversations with you D.
Suffering from writer's block at the moment. ..

Oscars 2008.. the big day approaches

2008-01-20T19:10:00.000+05:30

We are so close to approaching the D-Day, the Oscar nominations for 2008 are to be announced on 22 nd January and I am no where near compiling my list of favorites.
So these are the movies I intend watching in the next 10 days (I don't know how!!) which most pundits claim are the favorites for this year..

1. Atonement
2.My Blueberry nights (would have seen it earlier, but Norah Jones reminds me of someone I despise, but I shall watch it now)
3.Reservation Road
4.No Country for old men
5.Charlie Wilson's War
6.American Gangster
7.Kite Runner (though I am pretty sure this won't win, even if nominated for the same reasons walk the line did'nt, the book is too widely read. Everyone has an opinion.)
8. The Diving Bell and the butterfly.

Mad Money and Bucket List are on the list as well. Nothing to do with an oscar though.

The bong connection

2007-11-04T20:44:00.000+05:30

Made maccher jhol this afternoon which would have definitely made mother-in-law from Kolkata proud.
The Maach was rohu fish (the fishmonger swears it is a sweet water fish from the rivers of Gujrat) and the jhol was patla jhol or thin gravy made from tomatoes, onions and masalas and delicately flavoured with kalo jeere

A good sunday afternoon watch..

2007-11-04T20:18:00.000+05:30

'Summer with Nikita' is an idylllic Ingmar Bergman film.. story of two adolescent lovers, harry and nikita who fall in love, go on a boating holiday in summer, get married and have a baby.. The movies was banned in the year it was produced in the US was being too explicit (1957.. not too sure)
The local DVD library (which has suddenly gone up in my estimation) is doing a retrospective on bergman films and movie hungry people like me are riding it. They did one on hitchcock films, then satyajit ray films, award winning foreign films and than finally bergman films..way to go, guys!!

The 80th Academy Awards, 2008

2007-09-26T19:36:00.000+05:30

.. will be held at Kodak theatre on 24 th Feb 2008. The pundits have started predicting the front runners... none of the films have generated the kind of euphoria which one saw with the release of crash or the departed or walk the line last year.
The DVD library has none of the films on the favorites list.. I hope I get to see them on time this year.

one of the few things I would definitely like to do before I turn 40 is do the film appreciation course and see one full international film festival..

2007-09-14T00:37:00.000+05:30

Finally watched terms of endearment on DVD one evening.I had been trying to watch the movie for a long time but never really got round to it. The movie is an adaptation of James Brook's book, beautifully made. Shirely McLaine is brilliant and Jack Nicolson..still breathtaking. the movie is the story of the lives of a mother and daughter over 25 years (or more, I lost count). It makes you laugh and cry both at the same time. Some how reminded me of Eric Segal's 'Love story'.
Much as I ride the pace at work, I miss my movie evenings. There were several of those earlier.

2007-08-25T00:29:00.000+05:30

'Slummy mummy' is what they call them these days.. I came across the term in newsweek which said that momzillas is actually becoming a phenomenon.
Scary huh!

highs and lows of motherhood

2007-08-25T00:24:00.000+05:30

Junior's rough copy for school was finishing. We had only 5 pages left in the beginning of the week. Irritated on being reminded three days in row to get him a new one, I gave him some money in a brown envelope and told him, "buy it yourself, from the staionary shop in school''.
He came back today from school with a brand new 200 pages double line copy from school and handed me the brown envelope with the change.
.....my son is growing up, I'll miss him :(

ernesto 'che' guevara

2007-08-14T10:21:00.000+05:30

I have always been fascinated with che... ever since I found his biography among my fathers humongous collection of Communist literature as a teenager.
Ernesto che Geuvara, an obscure Argentinian doctor who lead the Cuban revolution with his band of guerillas and overthrew the then reigning dictator, Batista.
There is always been some amount of mystical romanticisn associated with Che's image. Even more after his death. He was killed by the army (or some say the CIA) in the Bolivian jungles organizing guerilla fighters in 1967.
Cinderella recommended a mexican movie called 'the motorcycle diaries'. the movie is based on a journals written by Che and his friend Alberto who travel all over South America to do their medical residency at a leper colony at the banks of the Amazon. The movie starts as a travellogue but ends on a sombre intense note. It succesfully shows Ernesto's transformation from a fresh faced school boy romping around the country side to an intense young man troubled by the social injustice of the South American poor.
After watching the movie a few times I revisited my fascination for handsome and charming Che. This was a couple of years back and once again my fascination with the poster boy of communism was forgotten in the sands of time.
2 years later, at home, irritated with my illness, while surfing channels I came across a TV program on the history channel on Che..
and so I write on..

2008 Oscars countdown..

2007-08-11T21:22:00.000+05:30

My Oscar party list of invitees seems to be growing steadily...SIL & I will finally have the party together across the globe, at the same time. She will serve dinner and I will serve breakfast :)
The list so far..
1 film critic, 1 writer, 2 students, 1 doctor, 1 film director and teacher of film studies, 1 grandma, 1 HR head honcho , 1 ex HR head honcho...
eclectic enough ? think so..

High on life

2007-07-09T16:34:00.002+05:30

I am high on : kids, work... :)

kids : Cinderella topped in two subjects in SYBA , Junior is getting a trophy for academics and coming first in quiz .
work : rocks
my food.. never fails to diappoint

The Joshi museum of miniature railway, Pune

2007-07-09T15:36:00.000+05:30

Finally, I took junior and cinderella to the JMMR in Kothrud, a very maharastrian locale in Pune.I had been hunting for the place for the eversince I heard of it 2 years ago, finally found the address and phone number in a book called 'my Pune, travel book' under the things for children to do section.
Located in a robust, husting and bustling lane off Karve Road, the local maratha fervour is unmistakable. You see dozens of educated parents trudging into the museum every Saturday and Sunday with little tykes in tow.
The musuem has a giant turntable on the first floor with a huge miniature railway set up - there are all kinds of trains (42 kinds claims a pamphlet) and mechanical toys: a moving ferris wheels , a circus tent which goes up , a chimney which emits smoke, cars which move and accompanying commentary in Marathi, people who can't understand marathi are given headphones for english commentary.. the whole thing is orchestrated : It is a 20-30 mins show.

The museum was set up by Bhau Joshi, an engineer and a miniature railway enthusiast, who unfortunately died just six months after the
museum was inaugrated. His son Dr.Ravi Joshi runs the museum now.
The place is quaint , old fashioned and devoid of modern trappings but surprizingly well organized.

(the museum is only open in the weekends between 5-8 p.m., special arrangements , however, can be made for block bookings, tickets cost Rs.25 per head for adults and children above 3 years.)

Needless to say, Junior, Cinderella and me had a great time. Junior spend all morning today trying to re create the set up with his cheap chinese train tracks I bought him from the hobby shop as a souvenier, Lego and matchbox cars.

the basu trail..

2007-06-14T06:16:00.000+05:30

I thought i had to immortalize this ...

A and I have been chinese food ethusiasts for for as long as I can remmember. Our association with chinese food started in Kolkata . In Kolkata everyone likes chinese food..the city has restaurants all over the place and not to mention Tangra or old china town.
A ghetto of chinese residents in the north eastern part of the city. But the chinese here are far from economically challenged. Most chinese families here live in huge mansions and run fairly various business : tanneries, chinese sauce production units, successful beauty parlours and almost all of them run chinese restaurants on the ground floor of their mansions. The community is very close knit and it is not unusual to come across a big mama in one these restaurants who understands little or no english. These restaurants are always run by members of the family.. you would more often not find the daughter or daughter in law of the family handling the till and ushering in guests. The food is what I would call Indian Chinese or Calcutta Chinese as it is known in other parts of the world.
Also this is the only place in Kolkata where one could get alcohol even on dry days ..if you can get past the long line of cars and cabs that is.
At one point A would have his lunch everday in a restaurant in Tangra called 'lily's kitchen'' which served the best panfried noodles I have ever had .
When we moved to Pune, chinese food options were limited, so we decided to start cooking at home. thanks to A's travels availability of ingredients was never an issue.
And our cooking at home evolved over a period of time. As far as chinese is concerned A is strictly a recipe book chef. We started with books like easy to cook chinese to land of plenty by Fuchsia Dunlop.Fuchsia Dunlop is a hot favourite with us.. She has studied Sichuan Cuisine in Chengdu from the Sichuan institute of higher cuisine.
She consults with a restaurant called 'bar shu'' in chine town near SoHo in London.
We celebrated A's 49th birthday in Bar Shu this year. A discovered the restaurant on one of his trips to London about a year ago. He frequented Bar Shu so often that the staff did'nt realize he did'nt live in London. He had a pattern. he would go for a drink to this pub across the street from barshu called the 'the dog and duck'' and then have dinner in bar shu before calling it a night. He did this trail with clients, colleagues and friends who then coined the term 'the basu trails'' for these evenings .In my one week in London, I had dinner there 3 times.
Bar Shu serves exquisite Sichuan food. We do almost all the dishes on the menu at barshu and to quote some of over zealous admirers of A's culinary skills 'you do them better''.. dan dan noodle,mouth numbing chicken, boiled beef, preserved eggs and the like.

movies and me..

2007-06-10T02:22:00.000+05:30

Just got back after seeing ocean's thirteen with Cinderella. George Clooney and Brad Pitt seem to be growing hotter as they grow older.. or maybe it is my evolved taste in men. the older the better.. so long they are not grandpas.
Ocean's thirteen is definitely a much better watch than Ocean's twelve.. though all the three are a great recommemdation for your personal DVD library collection. Steven Sodenberg got all of them in and you even got a glimpse of Andy Garcia..
The same setting.. las vegas casino and boy! I loved the dialogues. This film definitely lifts your spirits..

Saw a very different film with A last night: ' Amadeus '.. a sublime film. Will write about it when I have finished watching it..

one has moved on in life..

2007-04-30T22:06:00.000+05:30

to a new job, opportunities and relationship.

Things have really changed since I lasted posted anything on this blog. I wanted change and boy! what a change it has been!

Work is engrossing and exciting.. an opportunity to create something from nothing. I could develop this into a core competency one day.
And I have finally found a mentor. We have a intellectually stimulating relationship. He says, he was like me when he was younger... that is the nicest thing anyone has said to me in a long long time. Wishful thinking though!

we are back!!!!

2007-04-30T22:05:00.000+05:30

and delighted to be..

movie and more

2007-03-08T15:39:00.000+05:30

So the oscars came and went. I made sure I had watched all movies nominated for best movie or best direction by then. The Oscar ceremony is telecast live early in the morning at 6 :00 here in India. I thouroughly enjoyed the show. Thought it had a casual air compared to the cere,monies in the previous years. All their hosts are humorous but I never saw John Stewart or Billy Crystal with a vaccum cleaner.
Some of the movies I saw recently :

1. The Good shepherd A slow but interesting movie about the founders of the CIA and the circumstance under which it is formed.
2. The Illusionist : a love story with a twist.

Both are recommended.

2007-03-08T15:37:00.000+05:30

It's good to be back. Had problems posting because I still have'nt upgraded to the new beta version of blogger and I don't have a g- mail login ID. I did'nt want to create yet another e-mail ID. I already have 3.

The oscar countdown begins : 19 days 6 hrs and 45 mins to go

2007-02-06T10:12:00.000+05:30

Ever since I realized that I had an above average interest in films, the oscar night is a big night for me too.
I start watching all the films which have any sort of nomination as soon as the nominee list is announced.
So this is what I have seen so far :
The Departed
nominations : best picture, best direction, best actor in a supporting role (Mark Wahlberg), writing (best adaptive screenplay) and best film editing
My take on the film : A modern day goodfellas. Brilliant film. The second mob movie I loved. It was refreshing to watch a movie that did'nt mention the word 'terrorism' a zillion times.
I have'nt watched all the films so can't say if it stands a chance to win
Little Miss Sunshine
Nominations : Actor in supporting role (Alan Arkin) Abigail Breslin (Actress in a supporting role), best picture, writing (best original screenplay)
Heartening movie on a dysfunctional family coming together when the little girl enters the Little Miss Sunshine contest across the country.
My take on the film : I think the film has stellar performances by many other actors ,other than the ones nominated. A good watch. Even inspirational for some.
The Devil wears Prada
Nominations : Best actress, best costume design
My take on the film : It is Meryl Streep all the way. The lady never let's you down. As a magazine editor in the fashion world where even her smallest word makes and breaks careers, she is potrayed as a woman in power who is powerless when it comes to her personal life.So much versatality in the same film. A must watch. Beautiful costumes for those who are interested.

Look out for more oscar news on this blog.

the highs and the lows of learning

2007-01-30T15:40:00.000+05:30

I was averse towards developing myself technologically.. probably just a mental block.

So last year I decided to stop depending on others and learn to do things by myself.

So here is what all I learnt :

1. uploading images from a camera (after aquiring a digital camera)
2. loading the ipod (after acquiring one - a gift from A)
3. burning/copying CDs (after being given a laptop in my last job)
4. Scanning documents

I have considered them small achievements looking at the value they brought into my life just like driving did 4 years back.

I gave up my new job and landed myself a new one. Most of the stuff I will be dealing with is stuff I have never done before. I had arrived at a learning plateau in my old job. The situation scared me. I don't know if it was a lack of learning opportunities or the unwillingness to find them. anyway it was time to move on.

Today I learnt to chat. I chatted with my ex colleagues and my brother while going through a pile of resumes..like a true wet behind the ears chat(ter) I used emoticons with every sentence I typed..

2007-01-27T23:17:00.000+05:30

I have just finished reading 'pitching the tent' by Anita Diamant. The book is about Anita's life, her first and second marriage, her relationship with her daughter and her jewish faith. Loved the book though it is a bit of overdose on Judaism.
learnt about the concept of 'marital love'. I was releived.
A and I have drifted to state of being, which I used to think was abnornal despite feeling fairly contented.

Marital love is..
1. sharing cupboards
2....hobbies
3. KIDS! and gloating over them
4. buying presents which are not wrapped and have price tags attached and seeing nothing wrong with it.
5.being objective about each other and still wanting to live with A
6. looking forward to A coming back after business trips and going back to sleep as soon as he lands after a quick hug.
7.exchanging glances across the room and knowing exactly what he is thinking.
8. not being able to fib to each other. getting caught when we do!
9. being able to laugh about fights
10. organizing surprize birthday parties.. once in 7 years.
...... well you get the drift.
a lot of water needs to flow under the bridge to get to this stage. A and I have been through a lot in the last 8 years of marriage. There are issues we resolved, some we have'nt and still others we never will.
Life goes on .. day after day, month after month, year after year.. some things never change.
I don't think I would have anyone else cook sichuan food for my birthdays.. ever .
State of being. I like it this way.. at least for some things in life.

once an author always an author

2007-01-16T22:49:00.000+05:30

Just finished reading 'cat o nine lives' by (sir) Jeffrey Archer.As with every other Jeffrey Archer book I've read, I found it extremly engrossing.

Jeffrey Archer landed in jail accused of various illegal activities- providing false alibi, insider trading and few other things.And guess what the man does - continues writing publishing book(s) on stories he sniffed out, from his fellow inmates, in the high security Belmarsh prison. Though his political career ended with his conviction, he continues raking millions with his best sellers, some of which were written during his prison term.
Cat-o-nine lives is a collection of short stories of criminals of various kinds.Some seasoned, some novices. The though that it is fact and not all fiction makes them even more interesting.
Enjoyable reading!

the year that's gone

2007-01-01T01:45:00.000+05:30

Year 2006 has been good to us.
Here are things that made me smile that year
1. junior's wise cracks.. seem sharper by the day.
2. Cinderella changed and her step-up article.
3.A's new guitar
4. Junior's attempt to play piano and guitar
5.our new Toyota Corolla
6. Dad in the media
7. Mulshi after the rains
8.Driving to Goa.
9.three new job offers (all doubling my current salary)
10. my certification
11. realization that I love chocolate.
12. walkathons
13.Dr T.
14.my new bose wave music system- a surprize gift from A after I oogled at it for 6 years. I am still confused about what made me happier : that A remmembered I wanted it or the bose itself.
15. Wagah border :closing of the gates ceremony.

Cinderella makes us proud

2007-01-01T01:28:00.000+05:30

I watched her handle herself at the Sasoon hospital. I felt really really proud of her. She seemed to know how to behave, how to dress (faded salwar kameez), how to organize.She suddenly seemed grown up, responsible, self assured. And she stood out.