Butter Chicken

This is the easiest way to make great tasting Butter Chicken ever, I would like to thank Leela Akka- my Cooking cum Life Idol for sharing this recipe with me. Though my mum is a great cook and all that, I still maintain that I picked up the art of cooking good food from Leela Akka, for she not only makes great tasting food she will make so many substitutions to the ingredients in the original recipe and still end up with a final dish that tastes just like the original or in many cases better than the original. OK, I'll stop singing paeans to Leela Akka and jot down the recipe. I don't have a picture of the final dish at the moment and as I made a small quantity for testing the recipe and the vessel was licked clean before I could say "Photo"... so the picture will have to wait for the next time I make it...

Note: As Leela Akka is big on cooking based on gut feel, all the ingredients are also taken "Andaze se", meaning if you want the measure of each ingredient down to the gram, please surf to another site...or if you are an adventurous cook like me, hang on and use your imagination...that clarified...moving on...

Ingredients:

1) Chicken (cut in to strips)

2) Ginger-garlic paste

3) Lemon Juice

4) Salt

5) Cashews

6) Tomato Puree

7) Chily Powder

8) Kasuri Methi

Method:

1) Marinate the chicken strips in ginger-garlic paste, lime juice and salt. The longer you marinate the better.

2) Fry the marinate chicken or alternatively you can roast it in the oven.

3) Dry roast the cashews and then blitz in a mixer to make a fine powder.

4) Heat a little oil and add the cashew powder and fry until aromatic.

5) Add the tomato puree and cook well

6) Add the chilly powder and Kasuri Methi and bring to a boil.

7) Add the fried chicken and let it simmer for a few mins.

8) Serve hot with chapatis/ naan or rice.

Operation Drive 5...

Today I can confidently declare to the universe, "I CAN DRIVE". My resolve to learn driving before BB came back has finally paid off, I managed to drive to the airport (horrendous traffic not withstanding), pick up BB and drive back too !!!

The fact that I'm pleased as punch is evident with the grin that is plastered on my face since I've returned from the airport (the Kindle Fire that BB gifted me also added to the glee), but the satisfaction that I'm driving while BB is sat in the passenger seat...is something that I've wanted to achieve for a looooong time now. 

I'm sure that the euphoria I'm experiencing right now is the kind that the winners of awards feel. As every award acceptance is incomplete without listing out the names of the people who deserve credit for the award, I shall publish my own credit list...

First and foremost the person who deserves credit for this achievement is BB himself, its thanks to his reluctance to drive me around that drove me (pun unintended) to learn driving...

Second, I would like to thank my driving guru, Uncle D, who instilled the confidence in me that I could drive. Never once did he doubt my driving skills and would just say, "Thoda traffic mein chalenga na, toh tum seekh jaayega, darneka nahi, tum apna line pakadke chalo, woh apna line pakad ke chalega!". When driving if I told him, 'This place is tricky, please take over', Uncle D, would just wave his hand dismissively and say, "Arre chalo, kuch nahi hota!!". The man had nerves of STEEL and the patience of a SAINT, honestly, if I were teaching me how to drive, I would have beaten me black and blue by now.

Third I would like to thank Div, my first passenger, OK, Uncle D was sat next to me while I drove her to Marve beach, but still it mattered to me that she trusted me enough to put her life on the line travelling in a car driven by me.

Last but not the least, I would like to thank L Akka, if she had not consented to sit next to me while I drove to the airport today, I doubt I would have been able to pull it off. She sat next to me absolutely cool as a cucumber and kept me cool by giving out pearls of advice, "Drive slowly", "There is no hurry", "Don't bother about the honking, you concentrate on your driving". In no time we had arrived at the airport... the hand brake being in the "ON" position not-withstanding. I drove close to 8 kms with the hand brake on, L Akka did point it out to me, "Isska position aise hi hota hai kya?", In my defence I would like to state that I misunderstood that she was referring to the gearbox and said, "Haan yeh idhar hi hota hai" for she drives an automatic in the US and never in my dream did I think she was talking about the hand brake. It was BB who pointed it out to me the minute he stepped in to the car!!!, It was then that it dawned on me that this was the reason I could not speed up the car, no matter what I did!!!

All in all it was an experience in itself and I wouldn't change anything about it!!! 

Happy Diwali

Happy Diwali to all my readers, may the Festival of Lights bring you health,happiness and prosperity!!

100th Post...

My 100th post of the year, a tribute to the year that has seen a sea change in me, leaving you with a bit from the song Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson...Enjoy!!!

I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly

I'll do what it takes till I touch the sky

And I'll make a wish, take a chance, make a change

And breakaway

Out of the darkness and into the sun

But I won't forget all the ones that I loved

I'll take a risk, take a chance, make a change

And breakaway...

Seafood Aglio Olio...

This is my version of Seafood Aglio Olio, for the original recipe follow the link...

I've made a number of changes depending on the items available in my fridge...

Ingredients

Spicy Prawns:

7 medium sized prawns, peeled and deveined

1/2 lemon, juiced

a few sprigs of corriander chopped

1 teaspoon crushed  red chillies (I used normal Kashmiri Chillies and blitzed it in the grinder, to make flakes)

4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled

Salt to taste

Extra-virgin olive oil

Aglio Olio:

Extra-virgin olive oil

4 large cloves garlic, crushed and minced

Red pepper flakes

2 tbsp finely chopped corriander

Salt to taste

Spaghetti, cooked to al dente

Directions:

• Combine prawns with next 5 ingredients and toss to coat prawns evenly.
•  Heat a large pan fry the olive oil and and then add the prawns and cook till done.
• Return pan to heat and reduce heat to medium low. Add the extra-virgin olive oil. 
• Add garlic, and pepper flakes to the oil.
• Next add the chopped coriander leaves
• Toss spaghetti in the pan with the garlic oil, then season with a little salt, to your taste.
•  A a little water and toss the spaghetti well.
•  Top servings of garlic and oil spaghetti with spicy prawns.

Take That...

With age I guess I've become wiser and what surprises me is the fact that things that used to bother me in the past...just don't any more...Nirvana. Earlier situations that had me tongue tied have me making witty one liners about them. Its just that I've figure it drives people mental when I just agree with whatever nonsense they are saying when they are expecting a hurt look or a caustic repartee from me. It may sound cruel but I like to watch them squirm uncomfortably when I make a joke out of what was intended as a sarcastic jab at me.

While what I'm about to recount is not in the lines of what has been mentioned above, it comes close to it and is usually thrown at me by well meaning aunties and uncles.... you know what I'm driving at... yes, my unmarried status is something that people just can't digest. The way people go about it, is as if it is of national importance that I get married asap... or else... 

I figure the best way to silence these people is to say, "Yes auntie, sure I'll get married, please let me know if you know anyone!" and then follow up with them (I haven't reached the level of shamelessness to follow up, but I promise you, I'll get there...soon). After that there is a deafening silence from their end and people avoid you like plague and when you see them in the street they suddenly remember that they forgot something somewhere and turn around to go get it... just to avoid having to make small talk with you. Honestly, if only I had thought of this modus operandi earlier in life, I would have reached this Nirvana state much earlier...

The latest in the line of such encounters happened this evening when I ran into an auntie who lives in the next building. After the normal "hello beta, how are you doing?" she went onto the pet topic of aunties, "I  missed your sister's wedding as I was out of town, since I'm in town now I hope you get married soon so I can attend it!".

In the past if this happened I would have given the auntie a beatific smile and left it at it, and she would go on to the "Its OK beta, you will get married soon, its just not your time, but soon it will happen", and all I want to do is scream, "Do I look depressed to you, you MORON, I'm perfectly happy, or is it my happiness that you can't stand ???', but I would continue with the demure smile through the episode... but not now... now I'm a woman on a mission...

I replied "Yes Auntie, I pray that I get married soon so you can attend it while you're STILL AROUND". The look on the auntie's face was priceless... its confirmed, I've crossed over, I'm EVIL now...

Worst Meals

We had a team lunch today and somehow the discussion went onto the topic of the worst food/ culinary experiences we have faced.

The first one to share her experience was Z, it relates to the time she was just learning how to cook. One day after labouring in the kitchen for hours, she presented the burnt hideous looking mess to her parents for tasting.

She asked her dad, "Do you think I need to put anything else, to enhance the taste?". 

Her Dad replied, "I think you should put this dish in the dustbin, where it belongs!"

The next one pertains to my cousin, at that time she was newly married and had invited us to visit her at her new home. We arrived and after the grand tour of her beautiful home, she said, she had a treat for us as she had personally baked a Bread Pudding. We trooped into the kitchen and to be honest the pudding looked so inviting, that all of us literally fought for the biggest piece. My brother got the biggest piece and was gloating over his windfall... that is until the first spoonful went into his mouth. The expression on his face was priceless, If only I had a camera and could capture the expression on his face. Bread Pudding as we all know is made with bread, eggs, milk and vanilla essence. I think she forgot the vanilla essence, for the pudding tasted only of runny eggs and an eggy taste in anything can kill your hunger pangs in less than a few milliseconds. How we shoved the pudding down our throats can actually provide fodder for another post. After that all invitations for dinner/ lunch at her place were politely shot down for a few years.

The final one was again shared by Z, it relates to her aunt, who is the worst cook imaginable (I'm wondering if the bad cook streak runs in the family), and when she cooks non-vegetarian food, it is safest to declare "Oh, too bad, I'm so sorry, but I'm vegetarian today" or better still "I'm fasting". Hehe, the perks of being a Hindu and having 33 crore gods to choose from, you can pick any day to fast or  be a vegetarian. 

Anyway I digress, So one day they were at her aunt's place and she served a very dodgy looking and a 1000 times worse tasting fish. They nibbled at it for a while and her sister decided that some action needs to be taken. She asked her aunt if she could have some salt and the minute her aunt had left the room to fetch the Salt Shaker from the kitchen, she picked the fish and flung it straight out the OPEN WINDOW. When asked later "What if the fish had hit a passerby?" she replied that she found the idea of facing an irate passerby hit by the flying fish far more tolerable than forcing that monstrosity on her taste buds.

Operation Drive 4...

My observation after two weeks of driving on Mumbai roads...

Driving is too exhausting to even think of multitasking. 

I can just about do the following:

1. checking the rear view mirror, driver side view mirror; passenger side view mirror 
2. dodging pedestrians, stray dogs and pigeons (I almost killed a pigeon today)
3. remembering to change the gears
4. checking the traffic lights
5. ignoring drivers who think they are in a race car.
6. going carefully around really expensive sell-you-house-to-pay-for-damages type cars
7. ignoring the honking cars behind you and finally
8. remembering to BREATHE during it all...

Is just too much...

Update 2nd November 2012 : I've confidently driven from Powai to Andheri in the peak hour traffic today, though the less said about Uncle D's nerves the better, I believe Uncle D's nerves are never going to be the same..

One gear at a time...

The title of this post is inspired by the hymn "One day at a time, Sweet Jesus", which was one of Sister C's favourite, back in school, the other one being "Every morning when the day has begun", but I digress. What I am trying to drive at (pun unintended) is the fact that I've started driving and am taking it one gear at a time...

This morning I finally decided to bite the bullet and drive the car properly. My driver whom we shall call Uncle D, for that is what I call him, suggested that we go to Lokhandwala Complex, as it has several back roads where many a novice driver has honed his/ her skills. Accordingly this morning we left home around seven thirty in the morning. As we arrived at the junction where we turn in for Lokhandwala, Uncle D turns to me and says,"So, would you like to take over??"

I was like,"What!!!, Here!!!, Now!!!, you mean like here on the main road, with live people walking around??, No way, Jose, you bring me to the deserted roads you promised!!". Smiling like Cheshire cat, Uncle D drove further down the road, where the promised land awaited me.

I took over and the driving lessons began and I soon noticed that driving a sedan is much much easier than driving a Fiat (I got my licence on a Fiat, so now you know how many moons ago I got my driving licence). The gears move smoothly, the steering also does not need manual labour (I used to literally pant while trying to turn the Fiat into a full right or full left). After doing a few rounds on deserted roads (by deserted I mean there were a few of those late joggers, bicyclers and walkers and other novice drivers), Uncle D directed me to go towards the main road and told me to take a right turn at the main Lokhandwala Circle. We arrived at the Circle and the Saturday morning traffic had started in full swing.

After waiting for a few minutes looking for a break in traffic when I could take the right turn, I was like, "Ulp, do I have to do it??, I can't do this, can we not take another route?" and Uncle D very firmly said "No, we go this way!". With an answer like that the only way to go was forward and with my heart somewhere in the region of my stomach I moved forward. All the while I prayed to God and also forgave all those who sinned against me and before you knew it, we were on the other side of the road!!!

After a few more rounds,  I was ready to go home, but Uncle D was like a couple more rounds and then we can go home. Honestly the additional rounds did help and when it was time to go home, I was feeling confident enough to drive home, and that is what I did...

I confidently drove from Lokhandwala Complex to Veera Desai Road, a distance of about 15 mins... with full on Saturday traffic notwithstanding!!!

Mumbai Marathon 2

As promised, details of the NGO that I am trying to raise funds for...

For the past 40 years Apnalaya has been helping children living in slums towards a better life. The main area of work is Shivaji Nagar, Govandi, with communities around the dumping ground. It strives to achieve this through urban community developments projects in Mumbai. Its role is one of empowerment: of encouraging ordinary men and women to believe in themselves and in their abilities to change their lives for the better. 

The main activities undertaken by Apnalaya are in the following areas:

1)Health : They provide basic medical facilities in the form of weekly general and ANC Clinics, immunization and growth monitoring programs for children, supplementary nutrition programmes, TB Awareness, General Health awareness programmes, Counselling to HIV/AIDS patients and support to the affected families.

2) Education: One of Apnalaya's prime objectives is to work for children, to help then grow up to a better life; and they believe that the key to achieving this is education. They reach out to children through programmes such as balwadis and study classes, sponsorships and recreation, and to larger numbers through community programmes, offering training and support for community groups to run similar programmes. 

3) Empowerment: Apnalaya works towards the empowerment of women by providing vocational training and helps them form support groups.

You can read more about Apnalaya by following this link:

Details of how you sponsor me will follow shortly (still in the process of registering and completing the other formalities)...Looking forward to your support :)
...

Operation Drive 3

Sooooo I have found a driver who is willing to risk it while I drive. Come tomorrow I shall embark on my journey towards independence or on my final journey, depending on how we manage as a team on the roads.

May the force be with us... :))

Mumbai Marathon...

I've been called various things in the past and 'Escapist' is one of them, I'm not proud of this fact and do admit that in the past on many occasions I've always chosen the easy way out by running away from  problems and blocking people out of my life. Also life has been kind enough to me which is evidenced by what my good friend and mentor P1 once told me, "You sure are lucky, whenever you want a break, you get one!'. 

Well, all I can say now is that I'm done running from problems and if the past two years are any indication I've proved that I'm quite capable of tackling any problem life may throw at me. With this new found resolve I've decided to use my years of 'running practice' to good use by running to raise funds for charity. Encouraged by my performance in the footsteps4good Walkathon, I plan to raise funds for an NGO by running the 21 km Half Marathon at the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon and have already started training for it. 

Now let us shift the focus on you, you too can be part of this noble cause by sponsoring me, on my part I promise you that I will complete the Half Marathon, even if it means that I have to crawl across the finish line...

I'll will put up more details of the NGO that I'm supporting and as to how you can make a contribution  shortly...watch out this space for more...

Footsteps4good...

 

So I took part in the 10 km charity walk organised by Footsteps4good. To take part in the event, participants needed to make a donation to a charity of their choice and my company decided to go with Magic Bus. Magic Bus is an NGO that uses Activity Based Curriculum (ABC), a unique model that  uses games to make change. The games excel in building physical, social and personal skills.

Coming back to yours truly, I honestly went there for a lark. D was all enthusiastic about taking part in the event and some of her infectious enthusiasm rubbed off on staid old me and in a moment of madness I signed up for the walk, all the while thinking, "I'll walk for a couple of kilometers and then beat it, no one is going to notice a missing walker.' What I had not bargained for was that fact that half the junta at the walkathon had the same thought process. 

However I can proudly say that I not only completed the 10 km walk I did it in good time - 1 hour 53 minutes... my personal best record. Also thanks to this event, come January 2013 I might just be able to run on behalf of an NGO at the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon!!!

Cheers to life...

Operation Drive 2

Ever since I told BB that I plan to drive to work, he has been going around with a martyred look on his face which is intensified x2 whenever he looks at the car. Given my past history with vehicles I don't blame him. No, I have not been in any accidents or anything like that, its just that I have classic female problem when it comes to directions, judgement and speed ... and he imagines the worst. 

That said I intend to change history... rather rewrite my history so to speak and I will never get a better opportunity than now as the sole person in the house who has the licence and the will to drive. Also BB has only himself to blame for my new found resolve, the below exchange which took place last week has me determined to start driving, read on and see for yourself.

The other day we met a few friends and one of them goaded BB to let me drive the car.

Y said, "Come on BB, let her drive the car, pohoch jaayega yaar tu".

BB snorts, 'Yeah, pohoch jaayega, Powai Lake mein milega'. (we work in Powai in the vicinity of the lake).

X who was also part of this group, agreed with BB and rolled her eyes while pointing skyward indicating, "yeah, pohoch jayega... UPAR'.

A message to ya all, I shall drive... PERIOD.

Lucid...

Another offering from Krunal... enjoy...

Figure, what's going on
you'll be revealed in facts
you've lost the touch
the senses are still intact
caught in the whirlwind
you were lost in time
thought you'll say something
not sure if I'm
the dream is over
though it's stuck in your head
get over it my child
you are very much here in your bed
the scares are temporary
the shivers are too
the fear shall stay forever
only if you let it overcome you
look in my eyes
things are back to real
hold me if you want
tell me how you feel
once there was a boy
who ran in circles
the grass was golden
and the sky was purple
he beat the path
with his feet
waiting for someone
to come and meet
he ran and ran
but never got anywhere
he got too tired
and slept right there
he dreamt then
someday he'll break free
when he woke up
he was right here with me.

Satyavachan...

FB status update...so true lah, just the perfect line to describe moi!!!

"Once you get past my charm, good looks, intelligence and sense of humour. I think it is my modesty that stands out!"

 :-p :-p :-p

Operation Drive...

So BB (baby brother) is travelling on a project and for the foreseeable future I am going to have to fend for myself travel-to-office wise. I can assure you it is not something that I look forward to. After being spoilt rotten for over a year being, ferried around in the car with nothing else to do other than get on BB’s nerves by giving him navigational support (it is a well accepted fact that I am rubbish when it comes to giving directions and can get lost in my own back yard so to speak).

This being the case when I told BB that I’m intend to drive to work and will get myself a driver who will sit next to me while I practice driving, BB gave me a significant look which had ‘I-hope-the-Optra-doesn’t-look-like-a-Zen-when-I-return’ written all over it. Now the second part of Operation Drive is to find a driver who is of the category ‘jisske-aage-peeche-na-koi-ronewala-na-koi-ronewaali’, given the fact that I am even worse when it comes to driving and will needs someone who is willing to take risks of the jaan and maal variety. Check out this space for more on the travails of a lady driver. Hopefully I’ll survive and also master the art of driving on the Mars landscapish Mumbai roads well enough to be able to go to the airport to receive BB when he returns. Cheers!!!

Pandal Hopping!!!

The ten day Ganesh Utsav that is celebrated in Mumbai is one festival that I enjoy the most. During the ten days the city is transformed and every person seems to have a spring in his/ her step and "Ganpati baghayla chala/ Ganpati dekhne chalein" is the catch phrase on every ones lips. As a rule I try and see as many idols of Lord Ganesh as possible and if all else fails, on the last day you'll find me standing on the footpath along the route taken by the Ganpatis on their journey to the sea for immersions. As kids, my friends and I would stand on the footpath and watch the huge idols as they slowly made their way towards the sea. We would keep count of the number of idols we saw and then brag about it for days thereafter to the others who did not come with us.

Every year I just have to see the below three Ganpatis as they hold a special place in my heart and my social calendar can never be complete without a visit to see them. I must mention here that I've been visiting the below three Ganpatis since the time in the very, very, distant past when I wore short frocks.

Mhatarpada, Amboli

The Mhatarpada, Amboli Ganpati and I go back a long time; this Ganpati and the below Shiv Sena Shaka Ganpati are housed in  the lanes on the route we took to school, so everyday after school us kids would go pay a visit to the elephant god, not so much out of  devotion, as for the prasad of sugar cubes and peanuts that was distributed to all!!!

Shiv Sena Shaka, Amboli

I loved going to this mandal as they had the most innovative pandal designs, usually they would create a cave and devotees has to walk on stepping stones that were placed in a make shift stream. The streams would be complete with live fish!!! 

Andhericha Raja, Azad Nagar

The Andhericha Raja (Andheri is the part of Mumbai I call home and for my international audience, I'll clarify that Andhericha Raja means 'King of Andheri'. Truth be told the Ganesh Idols at this mandal always have the most mesmerising eyes, see pic below). Every year they create a replica of some famous temple and this year they have created a replica of the Dilwara Jain Temple, Mount Abu and to say it is breath taking is an understatement. I'll let the pics speak for themselves. Ganpati Bappa Morya!!!

Dal Makhani...

So, after a year I'm finally back to doing what I like most... cooking... and the recipe that has been on my list for a long long time is Dal Makhani... I got the recipe from here, but as usual made a lot of adjustments so the below is my version of Dal Makhani and it tasted fabulous... and one tip I can give you is, the more you cook it the better it tastes....honestly it tasted even better the next day. I think going forward if I want to serve Dal Makhani for lunch I'll prepare it the previous night :)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole black lentils
• 1/2 cup Kidney beans
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 4 green chillies, finely chopped
• Paste of a 2 inch piece of ginger and 4-5 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp cumin-coriander powder (freshly ground)
• 1 tsp cardamom powder (freshly ground)
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 1 tsp dried Fenugreek leaves ( Kasuri Methi )
• 3 tbsp butter
• 4 cloves
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon powder
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 3 tomatoes (pureed)
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup cream
• salt to taste and chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method

1) Soak the lentils and kidney beans overnight.

2) Cook them in a pressure cooker for 7-8 whistles (until it is quite mushy). Remove from the cooker and mash the lentils.

3) Heat the butter in a pan and add the cloves, cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, cumin-coriander powder,bay leaf, ginger-garlic paste, chillies and onions. Saute until aromatic and onions gets soft.

4) Add the Tomato puree and cook till the raw tomato smell leaves.

5) Add the lentil mash and salt and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6) Add the fenugreek leaves along with cardamom powder, stir and then add the cream and cook for 5 minutes.

7) Add the tomato sauce and water and cook well.
8) Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and a dollop of cream.

9) Serve with rotis or plain rice.

Heal

And one more from Krunal, somehow this one has touched a chord as it is a time of new beginnings for me as well... Enjoy...

Hush, the wind sings
listen to what it brings
the sounds from across
the dreams of whitewash
the darks are hues now
agonies are few now
the fever that was so high
is now receding
pick up the idle book
it needs a little reading
breathe deep into the air
breathe the scent it wears
let the trapped voice
break free and rejoice
open up your mind
leave the pains behind
open your ears
to the sweet silence
open your eyes
to dreams it saw once
move from deliriums
to ecstasy
let the inner tide rise
let it meet the sea
in the time of shudders
the vessels are porcelain
but don't you bother, boy
the slate is wiped clean
the doors have opened up
come out of the room
it's time to heal now
it's time to bloom...

Turning Point!!!

Well, my brother who has the lovely job of ferrying me to and from office was working late yesterday and I had to cajole a rickshaw driver to bring me to Andheri. Normally when I travel by rickshaw the good Samaritan hidden deep (really really deep) down inside me stirs from the Rip Van Winklish sleep and makes me offer lifts to people. Accordingly yesterday I offered a lift to someone who I am on civil hi-bye terms. When I say this I mean it is a someone I've known for a long time but isn't some one I would expect to chit-chat with and definitely not someone who would share life experiences and give me straight from the heart in your face blunt advice which actually makes sense. 

Come to think of it, it really makes me believe in the age old sayings "Never judge a book by its cover", "Don't believe all you hear", "God speaks to you through others" and last but not the least as my best friend once told me "Never Assume". For never in my wildest dreams did I expect this person to be so down-to-earth and capable of carrying a sensible conversation about anything other than self. I had the most interesting half hour conversation which has given me enough food for thought. I sincerely hope that in the distant future when I look back at my life, I can single out this conversation as "the conversation that changed my life for the better!"

Cheers to life!!!

P.S.- Just noticed this is my 300th post :-p (16th September 2012)

These Shoes...

Another gem written by Krunal and my personal favourite... enjoy...

Blisters on the sole,
and a bruised and battered soul,
A soft lawn will arrive
when you’ll throw away these shoes
but not now,
the stubborn shackles will break away
the hot tar road will draw to a close
the nerves beating to a rhythm
will soon calm down
but not now,
endure this twinge for a while
enjoy it rather till it lasts
your feet will soon breathe fresh air
once you throw away these shoes
but not now,
yes you’ll walk many miles
after you throw the shoes away
or perhaps you’ll fly, as wings will grow
and the flight will set free
but not now,
yes you have walked all this while
and now you are short of breath,
but this is the last lap
and you’ll soon breast the tape, finish the race
but not just now

the heart is full of hope
the mind full of aspirations
the thoughts are wakeful
and the freedom is at the doorstep
how can they hold the light
they don’t have the switch
the time is waiting
for you to reach
yes the shoes are hurting
and you won’t need them soon
but not just now my friend
not just now.

The Road to Leh...

Again this poem was written by Krunal, while he was visiting the magical and mystical Leh...Enjoy...

Driving on the land of passes
through the magnetic hills
across the silk route
into a rural idyll

climbing the higher altitudes
where the air turns thin
in a breathless space
the whispering wind grins

the cold mystical breeze
blows in my face
the road it moves ahead
in its winding ways

seeking for a utopian land
I ride the road to Leh
leaving behind the bustle
of encumbered days

the mists of dawn
glowing beyond the heights
spreading slowly across
the star filled skies

the turquoise spaces reflect
upon the calm waters
creating a scene surreal
marvelling the trotter

the prayer flags flutters
colouring the sky
high above a monastery
stands on the ethereal side

seeking for you there
I ride along the Indus
taking your name
in the moments of hush

Hey you!

OK, this post is by a guest writer, my colleague Krunal wrote this, I think its lovely, Enjoy...

Hey you,
why did you lose that light
look what you've become
trying to be right
once you had a vision
all that is lost in reason
the ship of fools you left
is now grounded
but the directions you were heading
were really bounded
Hey you,
you were a smarter one
look what you've become
running for the sun
once you had that shine
though you were in the firing line
the doors you closed
is now surrounded by vine
why do your eyes lie now
when you say everything's fine
Hey you,
why don't you come back
look what you've become
riding with the pack
once you had the grit
now you are a tamed misfit
the shackles you owned
could still be broken
speak out now
for the words are left unspoken...

Table Tennis...

Now that my knee, back and other sundry body parts which were on strike for the better part of last year have relented and I slowly limp (pun unintended) back to normalcy, I seem to have discovered a new found love for sports... to be more specific for Table Tennis.

To be honest, all my life I had a strange loathing for this game, for the life of me, I could not understand what joy people got by whacking a plastic ball onto a table with something that resembled a tiny frying pan. Also the rules were something that I never could get a grasp of no matter how hard I tried to follow the game...

for e.g.:

1) How did they keep track of the serve, to my mind it seemed like one person served till eternity

2) While serving the ball had to bounce on both the sides of the net, else it was out, and I just couldn't get the ball to bounce once...forget twice for i'm an avid badminton player and every time the table tennis ball came in my direction I hit it high into the sky and sent it sailing across the room (Again I play gully badminton, bring in RULES and I blank out)...

3) Ask me to watch a doubles Table Tennis match and normally I would bolt faster than Ussain Bolt to get out of the room where the match is being played... as I find the doubles rules even more enigmatic.

But then something happened last week and I'm now a convert. It all began when I moved teams, my new team sits right outside the room which contains the Table Tennis table. Now this room has become a hive of activity ever since my company announced its own version of the Olympics with three different indoor game events ( Carrom, Chess and Table Tennis) and staff are encouraged to take part is large numbers. Yours truly hasn't touched a Carrom Board or Chess Board in the past ten years and hasn't ever played Table Tennis  barring the few feeble attempts at mastering the game while in school which sorely failed... so taking part in any of the events was out of question, the sentiment being, "Better a Spectator than a Spectacle!".

My colleagues however took part in large numbers and I would drop in to see them practice and one day I confessed to one of the more avid Table Tennis players that I was at sea. He took it on himself to enlighten me about the game and as they say in the penny thrillers...something happened. I must say it was like the moment in the movie Matrix where Neo realises he is THE ONE and everything just falls in to place... I was hooked. A few tentative games later I was playing like one who played this game all her life and all I can say to anyone who wants to play a game of Table Tennis with me is ... bring it on!!!

Musings

This post is by my good friend Vibes, a good writer but one who cannot be bothered to start her own blog because she feels it is, I quote her "too much hassles maintaining one!!".

Enjoy!!!

I leaned my head against the side of the car. The rain had started to come down more heavily in the last few minutes. The gentle drumming down on the window was somehow very soothing to hear. The rain drops looked like silvery ribbons as they trickled down the window, surprisingly seeming to snake their way through the otherwise even pane. The big drops seemed determined to pursue their goal downwards, bright lights from outside falling on them, making them glow in the dark. Few drops just seemed plastered on the glass, looking shapeless & almost content with their fate! Water fell on some and they too continued their passage down. Thousands of tiny and white specks of water, dotted the rest of the window. Gazing at the watery-screen, nearly quenched my thirst for water that I was feeling at that moment! The shadow of the falling rain on the window, was making some eerie patterns on my hands and on the top of my jeans. Fascinated, I shook my hand to & fro, & the bizarre designs flowed along, like some pattern on an obscure painting. Ahead, the same watery shadow danced on the driver’s face as well, as he looked unblinkingly in the front. 

I looked at the rain again as it pattered on the window. Am I like one of these drops? -  I wondered to myself. Strong enough to know where I’m headed, knowing what I want? Or am I like those aimless spots, just lost in the crowd, not knowing where to go? Perhaps I’m like one of those, just waiting for some sort of force from somewhere or someone, pushing me & taking me along, to my journey’s end.

Movie Review : Ek Tha Tiger

Normally when it comes to a Salman Khan film, I try not to read the reviews  before I see it and will always make an effort to catch it in the first week of its release, that is, before the cynics (I refuse to use the word critics here, cause they turn cynics when it comes to him) have written about the film and bashed it out of recognition. Yeah I agree his films may not have a plot or a story line and that they are all about the STAR, all I want to say to the cynics is this, "Woh STAR tha, STAR hai, aur STAR rahega!", if at this age also he can command such a fan following you got to cut the man some slack. 

OK, I admit it, I'm a huge Salman Khan fan... so hang me!

Why Salman Khan, you ask me ??  Well, because he is a true entertainer and a clean entertainer, I don't have to think twice about watching his films when people are around, his brand of humor may be slap stick but it appeals to the child in each and everyone in the audience and last but not the least, he appears to be enjoying and having fun doing all the inane larger than life stuff on screen... me like that, me life that very much. How many people can say that they love their job ??? Well for one, I'm sure Salman Khan does!!

Speaking of Ek tha Tiger, by far, this is the slickest and most stylish Salman Khan film I've seen. It is larger than life and yes, there are scenes that make you laugh because they are ludicrously silly, but then, if I want life, I'll just dwell on my own and if I want sensible, I'll watch an Aamir Khan movie, thank you very much!

Plot wise same old, same old love story between guy from India and girl from Pakistan, twist being that both are spies for their respective countries, the ultimate message being love conquers all. For once RAW and ISI and Pakistan were mentioned instead of the done to death dialogue 'Sarhad ke uss paar". The beautiful way in which the locations have been captured throughout the film makes one want to go to Ireland, Turkey, Cuba and yes, post the movie I am tempted to make a quick dash to Iraq as well. Katrina can kick butt and how!!, it sure was a treat to watch her beat up the bad guys and hold her own through out the movie, no damsel in distress this lass!!! And there is no denying that they make a great pair both on and off screen. 

Honestly can't remember any of the songs or the background score, though some of the scenes remain with you long after the movie, like the one where the neighbors gossip about him, the flashbacks when he is asked, "kya karte hai aap?" or when asked "Abhi tak ladki kyon nahi mili?' or the hilarious "Kya tumhe kutte pasand nahi hai?" and the one I found funniest was the one where Katrina calls him a fusspot when he asks the waiter to "puncture the eggs and fry them till they are solid" (being a runny egg hater myself and something of a fusspot foodwise, I was practically rejoicing), not to forget the stupidly funny tram scene, and the stylish put-a-gazelle-to-shame kind of leaps over rooftops. Even though the fight scenes were over the top, they are quite well executed.

All in all I would say that it is a paisa vasool film for all Salman fans, for sure it will break all box office records, so don't miss this one... 

London Pictorial...

As I recover from my visit to the city of my dreams... just thought I'll upload a few pictures to give you a fair idea of all the things I did and places I visited whilst there... Its been one great trip, full of fun and camaraderie. A well rounded two weeks, where I ended up catching up with old friends, making delightful new ones, taking in a musical at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane (this place is in Covent Garden and has been in existance since 1663!!!), visiting the Tate (they had an exhibition of Edward Munch's paintings, the man painted his life story, a very moving exhibit and an absolute must see), window shopping at Bond Street, Oxford Street and Harrods (well, my salary post conversion will not buy me anything decent (anything naughty being even more expensive was totally out of question) at Harrods SOB...SOB), shopping at Portabello street (picked up a picure that is over a 100 year old!!!) and at London Burroughs Market (apparently this is the oldest market in all of London), walking across all the bridges I possibly could; London Bridge, Blackfriars Bridge, Westminster Bridge. Visits to Greenwich, Canary Wharf, Notting Hill, O2 (where some of the Olympic games were held), also managed to catch some action at the Olympics, was part of the crowd, waving madly as the participants of the Men's Marathon went by, and generally soaking in the sights and sounds of the city I have come to  love!!! 

A truly cosmopolitan city that embraces people from all walks of life and is super SAFE, ask me, I went alone for the musical and once it ended at a little after 10 in the night, spent the next hour or so just walking around taking in the sights of the city at night (something that I would never ever do in Mumbai)!!! So here are the pictures, Enjoy!!!

Tower Bridge!!!

St. Pauls

Shrek the Musical...

Playbill and Pics of the Musicals at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane...

Playbill for a Musical from way back in 1814!!!

London Calling!!!

So ‘The year-that-shall-not-be-disclosed’th year of my life has started with a bang, come Sunday I shall be travelling to the city I love to bits… LONDON. Whilst there I plan on catching atleast one event at the Olympics… hopefully I get to see the Indian athletes in actions… fingers crossed!!!

Watch out this space for more details as I plan to put up a blow-by-blow account of my two week stay :-p

Mera toh vaat lag gaya!!!

Today is when I let people sing "Happy Birthday" to me and like all good girls, though technically I'm way past the shelf life of what would be a girl, but then if the Queen can be a Bond girl at 86, why can't I be one at .... hehehe, over my dead body, sister, and this is my blog and I can call myself whatever I want, so what was I saying, ah yes, like all good girls I went to the neighborhood temple. 

As I was praying for all my sins to be converted into good deeds (no harm in trying, what??), I heard the temple poojari say to the cleaner. "Saaf karneka kapda de, kal pura tel gir gaya, mera toh vaat lag gaya!". A Translation for my international audience, this means. "Hand me a cleaning cloth, yesterday I dropped oil on the floor and I was ruined/screwed'. Honestly this is the first time I've come across a poojari who speaks Bambaiya Hindi, normally the Temple  poojari can be categorised into the Mild or the Pompous types. The mild ones who do their jobs and help sinners like me to commune with the Gods...service with a smile is their motto. The pompous ones are the kind that think they own the Gods or that they are Gods themselves and treat the devotees who come to the temple with barely concealed contempt and now I've come across a third category the Bambaiya speaking kind. This one made me laugh, I'm sure he must have been the Maria of the Mutt where he trained to be a poojari. You know, Maria, Sound of Music, Captain Von Trapp...the immortal song "How do you solve a problem like Maria?"

Normally the temple environment will make you feel peaceful and calm but laugh... never... and normally I won't admit it but, I like corny... corny is good... and this year sure seems to be looking up with the corniest temple experience ever...

Velagiri on a Tuesday...

Two weeks leave with nothing to do can make you do strange things. OK, all my vacation plans went down the drain due to some unforeseen circumstances and all of last week saw me running from Mahim to Malad on some errands or the other and tying loose ends. Come this week it was too late for a long vacation and too long to just sit at home twiddling my thumbs. After spending all of yesterday cooped up at home... a forced break to make up for the hectic activity of last week, I was really looking forward to spending some quality time with myself. 

Of late I have noticed that, where at one point I was quite capable of tearing people limb from limb if they said anything against my city, I've become indifferent to the charms of Mumbai, I seem to be falling out of love with my city!!! Drastic measures were called for to get the spark back in the relationship. Also as I needed to go to Mahim for some work, it seemed but natural that I take a taxi and cruise along the shoreline toward town whizzing past all the places that made me fall in love in the first place. It seemed like a great day for a trip, the sky was overcast, there was a light breeze and even lighter drizzle.

I hailed a cab and told the driver to ply me to Taraporewala Aquarium on Marine Drive. As we neared town it began to pour and the sea was raging in full glory with the waves crashing on the breakers and for the first time in my life I saw the sea off Mumbai frothing. I've always been a sea person, put me on the beach and I can get lost in the rhythmic sounds and could spend the rest of my life just looking at the waves. Today however was different and I noticed that somehow the raging sea made me feel much calmer and my head and its insides which seems to be stretched like a rubber band 24/7 seemed to relax for a bit. Since my mind was calm I suddenly seemed more responsive to my surroundings and noticed many things that on other occasions I would just overlook, for eg., I noticed the sound made my the windscreen wipers, I noticed the sound made by the tyres on the wet roads, it almost sounded like a rainy day composition by a maestro. I noticed the Babulnath Temple which is just off the road, I noticed the beautiful architecture of Wilson College, I noticed Haji Ali which seemed like an island off the coast as the water level rose and covered the walkway leading from the shore to the ancient dargah... I noticed the beautiful houses on either side of the road that reminded me of townhouses from the Victorian era.... Oh what I would give to live in a house like that...and just like that I was back in reality...

Today being a Tuesday the Aquarium remained closed... if it had been any other day I would have been disappointed, but not today, just told the driver to turn back and bring me to the Planetarium, even though I was almost tempted to get off and walk along Marine Drive, thankfully I did not do that, as the moment we turned around and were on the seaside of the road I saw that the sea dumping rubbish all along the promenade, I can assure you, it was not a very romantic sight. However from the comforts of the car I could see the sea, feel the breeze and the raindrops on my face... Till date I enjoy the breeze on my face while driving in a car and that is something that hasn't been bested... I asked the driver to go slow so I could savor the sights and sounds of a rainy day on Marine Drive. 

Before I could say Planetarium we were bearing on it and once again I changed my mind and told the driver to bring me to Juhu Beach instead. By now the driver had done some profiling on me and slotted me under "tourist" and enthusiastically began pointing out to the various places worth looking at, as we reached Juhu, he pointed out to Amitabh's bungalow, Jalsa, I'll admit even though I'm an hard core Mumbaikar and an die hard suburbanite at that, I had never laid eyes on Jalsa, until this day, The iconic Prateeksha yes, but Jalsa never...

Eventually we arrived at Juhu Beach, the new plan was to walk along the beach for a bit and then eat some of the unhygenic treats - PANIPURI topping my list...but it was high tide and there was no beach to walk on... the sea was unbelievably close to road... so I just stood close to the waves for a bit and then sat down on a low wall, built along the footpath and tried to take the scene in... even with the raging sea, and the high tide and the light drizzle...there were other mad caps like me crowding the beach...

It was impossible to get an uninterrupted view of the sea and after waiting vainly for a few minutes for the crowds to disperse I gave up and walked to the place which may have dubious hygiene standards, but serves the best PANIPURI in the world, the stalls by the beach at Juhu, after downing six of the best, I hailed a rickshaw home thereby ending a perfect day on town. I'm sure you want to know whether the spark is still there, whether I still love her, to be honest, Mumbai has changed and so have I, we will need a little more than a day about town to re-ignite the spark and it seems inevitable that we continue to grow apart unless there is a miracle ... and soon...