The New Eatery In Town!

Thts my pretty little chef in action whipping up her fav Jelly! Now that she has up her sleeve the tricks to whip u up a delicious meal - read jelly\pudding from ready-to-make-mixes, tea(which is more milk than chai) nof course assortment of cookies, cakes from the next door bakery - She's decided to start in collaboration with two other partners(her aunts - me n my sis) a small "Next-door eatery"!

On the menu are of course all the usual suspects listed above( jelly-cakes-biscuits). But the entrepreneur that she is, she already foresees a problem of not being able to cater to all sections of crowd(read - people who don consider jelly-cakes-biscuits as a meal) and so has decided to rope in her uncle(ma hubbs) to whip up any fried rice, nong-veg dishes of your choice! So there u hv ur complete meal.

But due to logistics issues(of the entrepreneur n partners being in different cities) this eatery will be operational only during X-mas-Summer-Dussera vacations! As a freebie, the first 100 customers would be provided a free personalized signed photo with the chef (photographer is ma BIL)


So the next you in vicinity of B'lore, U know where to drop in for a complete sumptuous meal :).

Linking this to Color Deckors and ABC Wednesday(P is for Pretty litt Chef!)  

PS: Now u know what I did last weekend - conceptualizing n freezing up on this entreprening idea of my litt niece :)

Book Review: The house of Blue Mangoes

If there was a book written around "growing up",  set in an Indian context, then one definite contender for it would be  - "The house of Blue Mangoes" by David Davidar. Just that the "Growing Up" bit spans not jus a litt boy but actually he n his Gen-Next! Set in a idyllic south Indian village, it touches up on all aspects of life in India- of castes, of religion, of poverty, of 'brawny' men, Of Indian mothers and DILs! 

One thing,  I liked about the book is its a "Men's" Perspective of the Indian world - not something I hv read much before. lemme tell thou, this really ain't a breeze read - Its a book you sit, mull on and read it over a few days. (Hopefully am slowly getting "there")

30 on 30!

*** LONG POST ALERT***

This post was originally written on April 15, a good week before i was supposed to hit 30 n has been sitting in drafts since then. But huh a 6 months post is a good time as any to post it rt :)
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Sigh! Am hitting 30 in less than a week(sob sob sob!) :(. Now I would hv hit this milestone happily only if I had become a mother by then :(. Yea I know age is no bar(K upto some point at least) when it comes to having a baby but well this is more of a personal goal that I would hv been happy to have a tick mark against! Now there is no point in crying over spilt milk. So here's a list of 30 things(in the order they pop up on my mind - that am Happy, unhappy, proud, not-so-proud,of in the 30 years(eeesh! Sounds like a LONG time) of my planet on planet earth

1. I absolutely look up to ladies who hv gone places with their own steam n hv a strong persona! As year tickle by, the person who seems to be right there at the top seems to be my mom(I hv my mouth definitely wide open at this revelation... yea its been a revelation to even urs truly)
2. Delirious that I was always a daddy's gal
3. A great regret of life is that there are mistakes I hv done as far as he's concerned, tht I never got a chance to correct
4. Happy that I hv a hubbs who will unflinchingly be a partner-in-crime
5. I should learn a thing or two from my litt sis - from being happy with what she has(as long as she has her share of dresses that is :-P) N being generous(too much for her own good) n jus having a loving heart!
6. Proud that I hv a in-laws I can be proud of!
7. Not-so-proud of not having made them grandparents yet!
8. Never eva knew that there was a feminist(too strong a word thou) hidden in me - its no more a surp to me that I go ballistic or at least put a token of protest the moment I see anybody being smartie pants!
9. Glad that I discovered that the hobby I enjoy most is reading n devouring books! A good book can ensure tht u don hv a boring moment!
10. Not-so-glad that music, dance, painting don't show up in ma hobbies list!
11. Proud to have gone para sailing .
12. Not-so-Proud that I cannot drive! Restricts my freedom-of-movement like nobodys business!
13. One thing I wouldn't regret having a wee bit more in life is to rake in a litt bit more moolah!
14. Not-so-proud tht I still hv trouble in keeping frnds! One would assume tht 30 odd years was good enuf time to correct this folly
15. I definitely love good things in life ~~ but hubbs has taught me the art of looking at silver lining in even the not-so-goos-things!
16. I should thank this certain friend - sabina (ha yes yes shes shown up here!) for inculcating some dress-sense into me!
17. My biggest insecurities - of growing old alone, of aliments n financial insecurities!
18. I am still a foodies foodie thou I realize my palette aint good enuf to distinguish not-so-good from good!
19. Surprise! Who would hv thot tht theres this (thou tweenie-meanie it is) tiny bone in me that loves homely homes!
20. I wish as a child I wasnt this sad-geeky creature n learnt to shake a leg!
21. Love travelling - N I can truly get into the spirit of the place am travelling - from eating the local food to scourging the local market - yeaaa to me n hubbs for it!
22. Not-So-Happy that I have not got to travel around the world with hubbs n hey a peter-pan time u grew up :-P
23. Wish things came to me a litt easier - ho yes they do work out k at the end of the day but should I pin n crave for it everytime before the apple is dropped into my lap(now wht kind of a similey is tht huh)
24. I betta learn to concentrate on the task-at-hand esp when its not I enjoy! Jus hoping that the hour will pass or tht it will get done magically jus doesn't work.. does it!
25. When you do your homework pretty well, the worst-scenarios never even play out. But huh, dare to do a shabby job then Dilberts principle of "What can go wrong, will go wrong" plays out to perfection
26. To always hv a belief to hold onto - U can cal it god or whatever!
27. When u do something - from work to cooking to home - do it with a intention of doing a good job n not make it a race to finish!
28. Speaking good English isnt really a trademark for well anything(should be commonsense rt - but man! I still hv hangups if the other person cant speak decent english! Phew!)
29. Take each day as it comes! Give things a chance to fall in place, they usually do.
30. Jus be happy :-)

Dussera - The destroyer of evils!

There has been this certain thing that I have been waiting n waiting for few weeks now. The last couple of days have been spent fretting(n in shedding tears) over its non-appearance and it definitely topped my list of prayers this navaratri season:-/

 

So imagine my pleasure, when today as soon as I sit down after the morning arthi, am greeted by its sudden "appearance" :-). It definitely makes me say "Thank U ma" ... No betta day to destroy the evils of my life rt. Here is hoping that this dussera season is the herald of all happiness and good luck for all of us.

Ma Shakti....

As I grow older(:-/), the festival that seems to top my list of favs is Dussera... for the simple reason that its the only festival that celebrates Women's power :).

Ma Shakthi!

The word "Ma Skathi" in itself encompasses the two extremes that only a women can possess.... To love n to protect! Here is hoping that the Goddess blesses us all with choicest of her blessings! Hv a good one....

Linking this to ABC Wednesday - O is for Omnipresent; Omnipresent is the supreme goddess and ofcourse the women in our lives who are our strength!

Book Review - "Small Remedies" by Sashi Deshpande

This is the first time am picking up a book by Sashi Deshpande. She came recommended by another cousin whose taste is again a notch too high for me(or so I thot). So it was with some degree of skepticism that I picked this book up... Only once again to be proved wrong :-D


 The story is set in post-Independence era - may be sometime in 70s-80s. The two main characters in the story are - One, a well-to-do lady who shuns everything to embrace music but down the line feels a need to be disassociated with everything 'immorl' in her life and Two, a gentle yet strong who will embraces life giving three hoots to whether the society accepts it or not. The story is of their lives and of everybody else they touch. There are thus plenty of stories running in parallely but all v neatly tied up n interconnected to each other.

What I loved best is the finesse with which each character is developed - You will fall right deep into the story and almost re-live the story! Its a book that has a nice lullaby feel to it

Look whos visiting this weekend...

...... This little imp of mine :-D
 

Bliss of childhood!



Haa the pleasure of looking fwd to a out-of-the-blue trip from one of ur fav nieces... promises to be a fun weekend **anti-jinx**

Linking this to thursday challenge - FEELINGS (Love, Hate, Sadness, Anger, Joy, Contentment,...)

@Shravanabelagola

After almost 5 years in Bangalore, did I manage to make a visit to Shravanabelagola on the way back from Chikmagalur.

This place figures in prominently in the religious circuit of Jains. Its known for a austere but mighty statue of one of the Jain gurus located on a hill-top which can be viewed from Kilometers away and is supposed to be awe-inspiring. Here's a click of the same.....

But makes me wonder in today's times of Internet, skyscrapers haven't the words 'Huge' taken a different meaning? I mean, yes I was awed that somebody caved this out centuries ago but in today's time is the size of the statue in itself(app 57 ft) awe-inspiring?? Maybe not.

N ho! jus so you know, the approach to it is thru well-laid steps, but be prepared for the seemingly endless stretch of steps to reach the summit :)

Linking this to ABC Wednesday(M is for Monument)

Waking up, now that September has ended.....

Hmm what does Oct bring in its wake?? Its the first reminder that yet another year is over. The reaction to it can vary from 'Yeaaa! I hv had a gr8 year" or well  the other extreme! Unfortunately its the other extreme tht am dangling with now - the sinking feeling tht my biological clock is ticking off :-/

Anyways tht rant apart, Oct is always been synonymous with planning upcoming hols for me. Like I read somewhere the months between Nov-Feb are the perfect travelling-season in India. The added bonus being those few days left in leave calendar which if not consumed by year end will get expired!

Are you one of those like me, for whom the plan-up to hols is as exciting as the actual hols! The excitement as you finalize the place, freeze on the hotel, the working out of logistics. And the best of all ~~ reading up reviews of the place\hotel\restaurants of a place that you hvnt yet stepped into ~~ - cause this would invariably involve looking up other people's hol pics -- Haa the thrill of imagining that in few weeks you will be right there indulging in these very pleasures ..... yummmmmmm :-D

You know what tops my hol list for the year? Funnily, its not some fancy foreign destination or even the Kahmir(Leh Ladakh is on list - But late in year aint the perfect season to be there). Its the by-lanes of Delhi-Agra  thats been beckoning me for sometime now. The promise of the street food in those gullies of Delhi, the cold Delhi winters, the charm of exploring a new place with hubbs as my guide(a few years in his growing days were spent year), the lures of the monuments that pepper Agra(courtesy the mughal trilogy of Indu Sundaresan) :-)

Haa jus writing this down gives me a unexplainable thrill! But well my holiday prospects this year aint v promising as I hv a few post-laprascopy sessions scheduled over next few months! Or possibly I deserve a hol jus to shake off this definite depression that the v sight of big hospitals can set in -- May be a short break to Hampi? May be -- lets wait n watch :)

Thi p ost is courtesy BlogAddas - WOW initative

Weekend Tales!

The weekend started on a not-so-high note what with staying cooped at home thru sat thnx to the Bangalore bandh and with no bright prospects  in TV or books (Bang the head!).





It was only at the fag end of the day, tht hubbs decided to shake off some lazines n done his cooking cap :). And see what came out of his cooking expeditions ....

His first attempt at dishing up a choc Mousse spiked with 'Amarula'! Tasted yumm.... Nee I don claim to be a unbiased wife :-P

The topping on the cake(or should I say mousse) is the prospect of laying hands on J.K.Rowlings Latest 'Casual Vacany' sometime this week and the promise of some tasty lunch courtesy sisters In-Laws! Haa the bliss of a hearty lunch on a Sunday afternoon esp when u don hv to life a finger to dish it :-P

Linking this to color deckors weekend wrap up - this site truly adds colors into life!

I wish someone told me...

.... that topping your class doesn't exactly qualify you for a free-ticket to a better job(read high-paying job!).

Should be common sense rt? Esp after being in the corporate scene for close to 7 years, one would have thot that this basic sense would hv creeped into this head of mine!

Am I glad I joined my current work place which is literally a ocean!! So U will hv a Diploma-pass rubbing shoulders with a IIM grad provide ofcourse he\she proves his\her mettle! This to a large enxtent has broken my bubble, but the damn creature of habit keeps raising its head once in a  while!!!

You think theres still some hope for me?

One lesson that I never miss passing onto the younger lot is to not to unduly really worry about their grades..... Nothing really depends on it!

Linking this to Write Over the Weekend Initaive by Blog Adda.. So what if am a week late :-/

Food Tales!

The 'sides'\ accompaniments to Rice-Kanzhi\Conjee\Rice gruel - from fryums to chilies to pickles - U can take ur pick! Indeed this version of street food is novel to me.....Clicked near mettur dam @ TamilNadu

Looks yummmmmmm doesn't it! While I hvnt tasted it at this place, this dish was a regular at our home during those hot summer days in Hyderabad! N a real thirst-quencher it is.

Now if Food in itsef were a indicator of our culture-tradition, what would the above pic speak of? Rice gruel in itself is more of a poor mans food, but topped with these 'side-dishes' should indeed be a relishing dish that will leave you with a contended sigh - So what does it speak of our people? People who fight against odds, but can make a feast out of nothing..... so true of our country rt or at least of the poorer strata of the society.

Linking this to Thursday challenge - CULTURE (Food, Dance, Clothing, Festivals,...)

Only Love....

... Can make somebody in their late 60s, whos bed-ridden, can take a feeble 10 steps at a time n hasnt been out of his house for months(except for the dreaded hosp visits) ....to actually step out of and accompany you..... jus so that you make it to the 'View-point' in the tiny-village that he is made his home without getting lost in the criss-cross of by-lanes that dot the village!

 Here's to the man(My dads bro) whos followed his heart thru his life but has unfortunately been riddled with illness in what should hv otherwise been the golden years of his life!

Linking this to ABC Wednesday  - L (L is for Love)

My little sis!

Over this weekend, me n sis were home-alone. This took me back a few years ago - When both of us would spend a good time of the day together - the blessing-curse of having working parents.

These 2 days was time enuf to remind me how easy it is to love this litt sis of mine! She will bend backwards jus to keep u happy(A Blessing-curse again!). Always makes me wonder how did both of us turn out so different - considering we both were bought up in near-similar conditions!!

5 months of her marriage n it has cemented what I always knew - she is happiest playing the 'Puurfect-traditional' D-I-L(perfect as long as cooking aint a criteria) - She will without a whimper put up with all kinda customs n traditions. I hv this fleeting suspicion that if she was a pro at sari-draping, she would hv gone dressed ala the TV-Serial Bahus everyday to work :-D. Ask me how diff was it to get her to wear jeans n cut tht lifeless hair of hers into a more hep-looking shoulder-length(I tell yea - she has a allergy to the word 'Hep') !. N ho how lightly she carries her degree from one of the top-notch colleges n a high-paying job with abs no airs abt it!(Something I will do good to pick a tip or two from her)


Now I am ready to almost bet my last penny that its not the initil euphoria of marriage thats making her play this role to perfection - its jus what she is. I played the purrfect DIL until the newness of marriage faded off - post that am jus the practical one.


Always makes me wonder if it is other influences in life that have made us this different(it cant be family cause well we are the family) - was it the friends n books n movies. Books - that I devore in dozens. Movies n friends - that she devourers in dozen - As a chid they would be the typical 90s hindi-telugu move - U know the kinds am taking of - where being the purfect DIL was considered to be the epitome of a woman's life!

Does that make me right n her wrong or vice-versa. Not really - but then it will help for oth of us to pick up a lesson or two from other! Time I accept that my kid-sister is grown up huh :-)

PS: If U notice, the operative word here is "Perfect DIL" n not "Perfect Wife" :-P. She can still make tht hubbs of hers to pull his hair off(now u know whom to blame for his receding hair line... lol!)

Memoirs of a Geisha!

Another book reco by Sabina Zacharias! Again a book I wasn't eager to kick off on as it dint seem of my genre - only to be yet again proved (Happily!)wrong.

A book that revolves around the life of a Geisha - the concept of Geisha was itself new to me (Geishas are traditional Japanese female entertainers who act as hostesses and whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music, dance and games.you can read abt a Geisha here). Thou this book was set in a completely unknown terrain to me, the description in the book was so vivid that you could picturize it with not much effort - from the place, to their dress(that's the beauty of books rt - it lets ur imagination soar!). The clincher for me was the many tantalizing hum relationships that this book traverses thru(One thing that will never ever change or evolve in anyways thru the history of mankind)

Indeed a good read.