The Ethereal Night

Nights are always magical, always have been and a window with a wonderful view makes it all the more beautiful.  I switched off the lights in my room and gazed out across the river.

Looking out I see the fantastic buildings of Manhattan.  The twinkling red lights atop the sky scrapers, the occasional plane whizzing by, the ship across the inky black waters of the Hudson, the myriad dispersed lights in the buildings, the moving lights from the cars I see moving across the river far far away, the majestic Empire State building with its fiery lights at the top, the Chrysler building with its bright arc shaped lights, the blue clock tower, the red neon light. 

Its not just the lights which make it so serene.  This sounds strange but it is the silence of the lights which make it so.  I tried capturing the moment on a camera, but the tranquility of the moment couldn’t be.  As the notes of Floyd wafted from my laptop, I was at peace with myself and at peace with the world.

Random Impressions

When will Spring be here?

Random Red Cube

Yeah, thats the whole building!

The way to Dollars:  Showbiz or Investment Banking

My Favorite icecream

Cheers to Chai

It has been a while since I have been hunting for that perrrfect Cup of Chai from the best hotels to the roadside tapris. The right blend of weather, spice, water, milk, tea leaves, other edible accompaniments  and the company can alter the entire tea drinking experience

This ubiquitous drink that everyone can afford in the world, keeps the mornings awake and the world going.    

Origins
In an old Chinese legend, Shennong, a legendary Emperor of China was drinking a bowl of just boiled water when a  few leaves were blown from a nearby tree into his water changing the colour.   The emperor on sipping the brew was pleasantly surprised by its flavor and rejuvenating properties. I certainly am glad, that the leaves got blown into his water though!


Variety

Well, for me so far there was Kadak Chai, Cutting Chai, Masala Chai, Adrak wali Chai, Lemon Tea and Peach Tea but on expanding my horizons, across the world, Cha, Chai or tea as it is called mostly is had in several forms.  There are at least six varieties of tea:  white, yellow, green, oolong, black and pu-erh of which the most commonly found are white, green, oolong and black.  There s also a herbal tea.


The perfect moments for having Chai:

Boy Meets Girl:

In India, in the scenario of an arranged marriage, when the families meet at the girls place, the shy girl usually brings Chai for everyone with nervous shaking hands and a clattering tray.  This oft-repeated scene has never failed to make me laugh at those arChaic (they still exist though) times. J  Well, though now, humble Chai is now replaced by the Coffee at CCD or Barista ofcourse with no nosy parents around.

In the train

With the Chaiwalas yelling Chai Chaii in their characteristic nasal tone, when the train reaches a station early in the morning, the sleeping wake up and long for that cup of tea despite being bugged at being rudely awakened!  Oh yeah, and the Chai in the Kulhad or earthen pot are always special!

330 P.M at work when the Chai tapri opens

Tea breaks have always been welcomed at work, for most guys at office, it translated into a sutta break as well..Despite the awful Chai at Aslam Bhais tapri, people never ceased to flock for that break.  Why, once, it so happened that he put salt instead of sugar and people still had the tea thinking, it was just another bad day! And of course, coupled with garam Samosas, gives another dimension to the break!

Gossip Sessions

What better moments to gossip than over a cup of Chai with good friends around.  Tea parties with pakodas and wafers have been in vogue for donkeys years.  Though now, there’s less time for the leisurely gossip sessions with girl friends, a cup of Chai always lasts for a few new tidbits.

Winters

A steaming cup of Chai is welcome anytime during winter..With chattering teeth and several layers of clothing, heading out in the cold to a tapri on the road for that kadak adrak wali Chai, well, the experience is matchless!  Thanks to my Gurgaon friends, I enjoyed that experience which sadly never worked out in the warm winter or Mumbai.

Exam time

I never could attend an exam without gulping a steaming scalding cup of Chai over last minute notes for fear of falling asleep.  Well.  Thanks to my disability to making edible tea my roommates barred me from making the tea, and I got it made free for me :D, otherwise, the nearby Shivsaagar tapri was my safest bet for anything that would keep me awake during the exam.

Between Lectures:

I remember rushing to the NCC canteen near college after every lecture to ward off that sleep induced by the mundane words of the lecturers

Sickness

I guess, Chai is the only thing that works during illness..  When food fails, Chai is always the soothing balm to sore throats and chills.

Early Morning and with the Newspaper

From the Grumpy Mondays to the Finally Friday, the morning has to start with the hurried gulping of Tea to sail through the rest of the morning.  Saturdays and Sundays with the Tea and the newspaper at leisure is certainly a must.

When there is nothing to do

When it’s just time for the Tea!

Well I guess, I can ramble on and on..but I m sure, you ll need that tea to keep you awake at the end of it!  So here’s the recipe

Preparation

The Chai lover that I am, it is unfortunate that my cup never is ever correct.  Infact, it usually becomes  a weird inedible slurry that looks like tea that needs to be dumped in the sink.  Well, the right quantity of tea leaves or the tea powder needs to be used, the water should be boiled for exactly the right time and in the right quantity, the sugar should be just right, the milk should be the right temperature and quantity and if you are fond of masala Chai or the ginger tea, that has to be just right as well!  Oh well, it isn’t that complicated I reckon..someday I will succeed

My mum tells me the procedure yet again and insists nothing could be simpler.   Maybe you would succeed..

Heat up one cup of water to boil, Throw in one flat spoon of the standard Red Label tea (well, I prefer this), and add in a spoon or two of sugar as required.  Beat a small piece of ginger and put it in the boil, and let it all merrily boil away for like 3 mins.  Heat milk to a boil in a separate vessel in the meanwhile and add it after the 3 mins are up.   Let the tea boil for a min and then close the lid, and let it sit for 5 mins till the flavor of the tea seeps in. Strain and serve..Voila….it sounds good 

Well, ofcourse, there are differences, in when the milk should be poured.  It is said that it is preferable to add milk first as the high temperature of freshly brewed tea can denature the proteins found in fresh milk, which result in an inferior tasting beverage.  Others debate that it is better to add the milk after brewing the tea, as most teas need to be brewed as close to boiling as possible. The addition of milk chills the beverage during the crucial brewing phase, if brewing in a cup rather than using the vessel ruining the delicate flavor of a good tea.

The height of tea making!:  Another interesting thing I got to know, was that the flavor of the tea can also be altered by pouring it from different heights, resulting in varying degrees of oxidization.  The art of high-altitude pouring is used principally by people in some parts of Africa and it is also a technique to cool the beverage destined to be consumed immediately.  Now I see why the Chai wallas transfer the Chai to vessels with style from heights!

That’s all about the Chai from me.  Go have a cup.  Cheers to the Chai!

Richa

I ll Miss...

Some things I will miss this year when I'm out of India...


PavBhaji,Pani Puri, Bhelpuri, Wadapav , idliwada sambar, pohe, cutting chai, Indianised Chinese
The colours of the saris and dresses at every market
The lights of Diwali
The colours of Holi
The elephant God Ganesha’s festival

My wonderful Friends and Family here
My beautiful Home sweet Home
The ring of the temple bell every morning
My mommys yummmmy food
Relaxing while the kaamwali cleans up the house and the dishes
Chai at Aslam Bhais tapri next to office
Shopping for trinkets on Linking road
Trying to resist (always in vain) buying those earrings in the local train
The clamour and bargaining at the vegetable market so full of fresh veggies
The cool breeze at Marine Drive
Walks in the calm bylanes of Chembur
The CCD at Shivaji Park
All the great Indian Traditions…(psstt…read my prior blog for that info :))
The bustle at every station and outside it
The jhatkas of Bollywood on every other TV channel
Shopping for jewellery from the TV serials
The Bandbaja at the wedding Baraat
Lunch at the office cafeteria facing the BandraWorli Sealink conquering the awe inspiring ocean
Getting a driver to drive the car, a maid to clean the dishes, a guy to wash the car, a maid to cook the food, and a handyman anytime to fix stuff at absolutely low prices compared to anywhere else!
Contemplating if I should use my car or the rickshaw, or the MERU or the bus or the AC bus or the local train to get anywhere, where else would I get so many options!


Well, some things I wouldn’t miss would be

The honking cars and bikes who think the road belongs only to them
The yucky spitting on the roads by someone every 1 minute I look outside
The traffic jams
The ever crowded trains and roads
The poverty and filth on so many roads
The politicians who encourage everything that’s wrong, for the votebanks and have nothing to do with development

Well, I guess, my positives still outweigh the negatives…so sure will look forward to getting back soon :D

Kolkata Kaleidoscope

Thriving markets, speeding metro trains, boating on the Hoogly, calming Ganges, ferrying to Howrah, marveling at Howrah Bridge, colonial Victorian architecture, picking up trinkets at New Market, eating out at Park street, whimpering beggars, clamoring at vegetable markets, congested streets, sights and smells at the flower and fish markets, yummy roshogullas, Maa Kali fervour, art and literature, dusty roads, crumbling dilapidated buildings, annoying languor…….were my first thoughts as I reflected on the so called city of Joy, Kolkata that I recently visited.

When I sought to experience this East Indian city that the East India Company chose as its headquarters to leave a huge legacy after, I was not expecting much.  Though the city has its merits, this is one blog where I will not be raving only about the place! Though I hadn’t much time to explore the city while I was there, however, from whatever I could glean in the few days that I was there, I just felt, the city just needed to get going.  It was completely mired in the old age and is where it was all those decades ago.  It started the metro, and well, it hardly progressed beyond that.  It built that awesome engineering bridge, the Howrah Bridge, but couldn’t repair its dilapidated buildings.

During Pujo 

Victorial Memorial

Racing on at the great big Maidan

When I first ventured out in the city, I found myself looking for a city as I traveled from Salt Lake! Well, I continued to look for it in vain.  Seriously, the whole place felt like a great big village with some urban trappings.  Perhaps I associate a large metro with large buildings, which were few and far between (some one told me, it was because of the silty nature of the soil that didn’t permit tall buildings),  good roads which large cities are supposed to have and Kolkata lacked, and a fast pace which the city did not have.  There were also few avenues of entertainment apart from those at Park Street.

Well, there certainly seems to be a lot more room for improvement where infrastructure and facilities are concerned. To add to the woes of the city, there apparently are constant bandhs and strikes that reinforced the lackadaisical image of Kolkata.  Why, in the week that I was there, there were 2 holidays declared, one for some puja, which was fine, and the other because a politician died at the age of 95.  Another thing I noticed while I was there, I could be wrong, but I really missed seeing young faces that I see at Mumbai.  I mean, has the young population of the state been forced to move for lack of better options of studying and employment? 

Well, enough of the criticism.  I 'll come on to my more pleasant experiences now.

I saw the Kali ghat temple which is quite famous.  In Kolkata, the religious fervour of the people for Maa Kali and Durga is well known.  I wish I had the chance to visit during the  ‘Pujo’ days, where the city would become a grand spectacle, with pandals and the festivities everywhere. The Kali temple was like any other religious place that I have been to, with the rows of shops arraying their religious paraphernalia of photos, models, cds, cassettes, flowers, sweets etc, the throng of people and the chaos.  I have put two snaps, one in Maharashtra at Mahur and one at the Kalighat..see the resemblance, you’ ll see what I mean.  The similarity continued when the numerous touts hounded me offering me easy access to the deity and proceeded with putting the tilak on my forehead and demanding a cool 200 bucks for doing so..which I ran off from of course. J  Though crowded, it was an interesting experience all the same.

I enjoyed using the public transport too at Kolkata.  Though old, the metro was quite efficient and fast as compared to using the road and the expensive cabbies and I knew where I was as compared to using the roads that had a complete absence of signboards giving directions.  It was funny to see the trams that probably moved slower than I walked.  I was surprised to see the hand drawn rickshaws , which I had thought were obsolete.  Despite all this progress in the world, it was rather sad to see human beings acting no better than mules drawing heavy loads.  

The map at the metro station

The old world Tram

The ferry to Howrah was also a pleasant ride, though I thought the boat would sink when a huge throng of people who I had seen marching in a morcha or something to that tune, all jumped on to the same boat!  The river Hoogly, was as expected extremely dirty, after journeying its way from the Himalayas, through UP, Bihar and Bengal, it had enough waste dumped into it.  I wonder how the people who were bathing in the river, expected it to clean them even if they were using soap!  The old Howrah bridge was quite picturesque with its several trusses and old world charm.

The old Howrah bridge

The new Howrah Bridge

Shopping at Calcutta and eating out at Park Street was a pleasure.  Everything there was half the price that is at Mumbai and there was a phenomenal variety in the trinkets and accessories at all the local markets.  I absolutely splurged at New Market, Garia Haat and Shobha Bazaar.

Where eating is concerned, oh Man….Mishti Doi was absolutely yummy as were the unique Rasgullas or rather Roshogullas made of jaggery.  Folks back home savoured the different varieties of shondhesh which have funny names such as Bhimnag sandesh and Kheer Kadam.  Mishti Doi incidently that sounds very easy to prepare, well isn’t.  Very simply, its essentially made by using milk evaporated to half added to caramalised sugar and converted to dahi by adding some yoghurt to it in an earthern pot for that amazing earthy flavour.

After all that gorging and shopping, I reckon, it isn’t a bad place after all!  IT companies and manufacturing companies have already started making a beeline for this eastern city, and things are looking up. With so much great history and culture behind it, with so many intellectuals from this place, be it artists or revered writers such as Rabindranath Tagore and newer Bengali writers such as Amitav Ghosh, Jhumpa Lahiri, Anurag Basu etc, I am sure, the people of Bengal will not have their beloved city languish. Hopefully, things will improve and this place will catch up with the rest of India!

Richa

Traditions- Part 1

I love the traditional food that Mom makes, the traditional attire that I think really suits Indian women, and I love all our traditions that go generations back. I guess, most traditions are linked to the great Indian festivals. The aftermath of one such festival, led me thinking about all the wonderful festivals and traditions that our culture had. While talking to a friend of mine, I discovered not everyone had the same enthusiasm for these festivals and traditions that I did! Much has been said and documented too on Indian culture, but I only hope the traditions that define our unique culture are carried on forever and with the same fervour as they are today. Afterall, what would life be without celebrations!

Come Jan comes Makar Sankranti, the kite flying festival. ‘Til Gul ghya god god bola’…that is so sweet to hear..be enemies or friends, we try to appease all with the good will gesture of giving the sweet concoction of til and jaggery as we ask them to be sweet to all! Flying kites is another great institution that is sadly dying down in larger cities. Otherwise hours of langorous gazing up in the skies at the multitude of colours up there was unadulterated joy. For married women, this season is yet another excuse to meet up under the pretext of ‘Haldi-Kumkum’ a tradition predominant in Maharashtra, where the married women of the house invite other married women and others, apply haldi and kumkum to them and give them little gifts..and then of course binge on hot samosas and snacks apart from the til gul laddoos or chikkis or gul polis while newly wed women, are decked up in ‘halwache dagine’, i.e ornaments made of sugar. Well, this festival is known by different names in different parts of India. It is known as Lodhi in Punjab, Uttaryan in Gujrat and Rajasthan, Bihu in Assam, Pongal in the south.

Well, come February, well Valentines day is not really traditional per se, but I guess, it is one in the western world, and I guess, we Indians have not remained far in keeping up with the traditions of wishing our loved ones if not more.

March brings another big festival in India, Holi, with the tradition of throwing colours at each other…I guess, I don’t really revel in this anymore, but I still enjoy watching other people playing it on TV or otherwise!...for me its my Mom making yummmmy Puran Polis with oodles of ghee year after year that makes me look forward to Holi! Alas, Holi also brings with it a long dry spell of fewer festivals.

Sounds funny but March ushers the Hindu New Year called as ‘Gudhi Padwa’ in Maharashtra. An auspicious day, there’s the tradition of tying a ‘Gudhi’—a bamboo stick or any stick, with a silk covered goblet embellished with flowers and sweet ‘gathis’ (caramelized sugar discs on a string) are seen popping out of windows and doors of Maharashtrian households. I've always found putting up the smallest of these tokens really festive and has always made me upbeat in the day! Well, like other festivals in India which are known by different names in different regions, this day in Maharashtra is synonymous with Ugadi of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka which starts on the same day, Baisakhi of Punjab, Naba Barsha of Bengal and Vishu of Kerela. I guess, all the states have one thing in common…that of making the best of sweets and celebrating the New Year!

Well, there are so many so many stories for each festival and there’s some logic associated with every tradition. For example, Black is worn on Makar Sankranti, since it absorbs heat in the cold. Tilgul given on Sankranti is something that gives warmth to the body. The gudhi symbolizes victory or achievement to look forward to in the new year. The Rangolis drawn in front of houses ward off evil from houses, but for practical purposes, look welcoming and pretty. I reckon, it’s the logic which came first and then these traditions that have lent so much character to all the festivals.

There actually is so much to tell out of just my own experiences and what I have been seeing my family do over the years. I ve reached only March so far…and still several months more to go! I guess, I’ll do that in a separate part to this blog!

The Big Apple: New York City

Every city in the world has a pulse of its own…a fast paced pulse like that of Mumbai or a slow languid pulse reminiscent of any smaller city in India such as Nagpur. It could be a pulse where u see money and opulence everywhere, like Dubai or yet another pulse, that of power, like that of New Delhi where the heart of politics can be felt. It could even have a pulse of heritage, which the great cities of Europe with all their works of Art and architecture revel in. There could also be a pulse which is cosmopolitan as compared one that is very regional like Chennai. Well, the New York City has this vibrant pulse to it…one driven by money from the Wall street, by the power that comes from the money besides its imposing sky scrapers, a pulse that is as heterogeneous as the mix of global cross cultures that inhabit it, a pulse that draws hordes of tourists and dreams from all over the world.

New York or the ‘Big Apple’ was always a city that I looked forward to seeing. After living virtually for several years with the characters of all the television serials, Friends, How I met your Mother, Sex and the City etc, apart from watching a string of Bollywood movies such as ‘Kal ho naa ho’, a movie called ‘New York’ itself etc, Well, I had to go see the place!

As I got out of the subway at the Penn Station, the neon lights of Times Square dazed me as did the sheer vibrancy of the place. The Desperate Housewives and other television stars winked tantalizingly at me from the massive lit up hoardings. Broadway musicals dotted the road and the huge swarm of tourists buzzed around happily in wonder. Everything wore a festive look including the NY Police Dept. and the Subway! It certainly was difficult to tear away from the place in the coming days. I have never seen as many tourists in one place as I did in the Times Square.

New York has a lot to offer in terms of tourism. We took this pass called the New York City Pass, which was quite cool. Most of the entry charges to various places, are indeed quite high (in the range of $20-$40 per head), because of why these passes help save atleast a bit. We had taken a 3 day pass that gave us admission to most places and a metro unlimited pass that allowed us to hop off and on any trains for that fixed cost for seven days…Well, for first timers, it would be helpful to check out all these offers on travel, and sight seeing before they venture out and pay individual destinations. There are options to travel by the metro, by the Grayline sight seeing buses and cabs. It was fun taking up the map of NY City and exploring all the various options.

Amongst the touristy buildings in NY, the Empire State Building is well known throughout the world, and has featured in several movies such as KingKong, Sleepless in Seattle and some older classics. The 86th floor observatory gives panoramic views of the entire New York City on a clear day and they say one can see as far as Massachusetts on an ultra clear day. It certainly is worth the wait of well over 2 hours, after being a part of the hordes of tourists, who throng the place from all parts of the globe. It was awesome to just look and look down below at all those tall buildings! The New York sky ride was also an interesting experience too in a 4D theatre and almost felt like we were actually in a helicopter seeing the city down below!

The other tall building which we saw by night was the Rockefeller center from the 68th floor observatory deck or the ‘Top of the Rock’ as it is called. The illuminated city of NY and the grand Empire State building were another visual treat from way up there.

Coming to the museums, the Madame Tussad’s Museum was a lot of fun, and let us hobnob with the celebrities around the world including our own Gandhiji and Amitabh Bacchan. The other interesting museum was the American Museum of Natural History where the dinosaur loving Ross Geller of ‘Friends’ worked for sometime and where the movie, ‘Night at the Museum’ was set. For Art lovers, the Metropolitan Museum of Art located on ‘Museum Mile’ near Central Park, is one of the world’s largest art galleries.

Another famous landmark, the Central Park is a vast expanse of greenery and beauty, and an oasis among the high rises. With artists sitting around the park, drawing caricatures and portraits for a small fee, horse drawn carriages with horsemen dressed in medieval attires, the Central Park is a wonderful picnic spot where one can sit back, relax and just chill out in the open. We also entertained ourselves at the Central Park Zoo where we unfortunately didn’t see Marty the Zebra or Alex the lion of ‘Madagascar’ though we did see the cute penguins!

Another really touristy thing that one can do, and we did, was to take the Circle Line Sightseeing cruise. This 2-3 hours twilight cruise, took us across the Manhattan shoreline on the Hudson river across the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty, showing us the high power Financial District in Manhattan, Chelsea, our home in New Jersey City :) that overlooks the Hudson etc etc in the daylight, twilight and dusk. We ended the tour with a bang as the Diwali firecrackers took off onto a spectacular show!

There are also interesting regional nooks in the city such as Little China, where the early mandarin population clustered around and where even all the sign boards are in Chinese! A romantic dinner in one of the quaint restaurants in Mulberry Street which is one of the dwindling lanes of Little Italy should certainly not be missed.

I guess, there is a lot lot more to be told and even more to be explored. But I guess, these are some of the things that I found quite interesting.

Apart from seeing the city, its living there that is an altogether a different experience. Cities like NY, Mumbai, cannot be really seen. They have to be experienced. Like I said at the start, it’s the pulse of the city that makes all the difference. Its not just tall buildings and neon lights that make the city’s heart beat but the power that is reflected in the great throng of ordinary and brilliant people who go about their work purposefully day after day.

Book Review: Eldest by Christopher Paulini

One of the reasons why I bought this book was, the outstanding cover of a flaming Red Dragon with flaring nostrils and baleful eyes. Good thing it turned out to be, for I judged the book by its cover.

‘Eldest’ is a fantastic tale woven with all the elements of mystery, magic, moral values and myriad characters, and not unlike the Lord of the Rings. The book is well researched, and the Ancient Languages, dragons, elves, dwarves, humans, sinister creatures the Ra’zac, wizards with their powerful spells and swords, dangerous journeys, and wars makes this book a runaway hit with fantasy fans.

After the prodigious journey from a simple village boy to the responsibility of being a Rider, Eragon takes off from he leaves in the first book after killing the evil Durza and rescuing the elf Arya. Eragon and his dragon Saphira have miles to go before they can aim to defeat the wicked tyrant king Galbatorix. They traverse to Ellesmera, the elven forest city to be under the tutelage of Oromis to learn advanced magic and secrets of the Riders. Parallely, his cousin Roran, leads his entire village away from the rule of the Empire to the safety of the Varden, the rebel group dedicated to overthrowing Galbatorix. Roran travels with his cavalcade in a spine chilling journey as the sinister creatures, the Ra’zac continuously stalk them. War clouds loom large, and Eragon leaves his training unfinished as he rushes to the rescue of the Varden and its allies headed by Nasuada. A surprise is sprung in the middle of the battle, as Eragons’s old friend reemerges.

What I liked about the book was the amazing narration, and the strength of the characters crafted by the very young author who was only 21 when this book was published. Each of the characters, Eragon, Saphira, Arya, Nasuada, Roran, Oromis, Orik, Elva, Galbatorix, Murtagh and the others leave a lasting impression on the reader. Values and emotions are powerfully etched for each of the characters and they range from friendship, loyalty, love, courage and responsibility to everything evil, betrayal, tyranny and selfishness. I look forward to seeing the development of these characters and more action in next books Brisingr and the yet to be released book and await an exciting finish to this epic tale.

Richa

Book Review: 2 States by Chetan Bhagat

When I read the back cover of 2 States, there was no suspense left of course, about the theme or the story, but well, the book was certainly highly entertaining. Of the earlier books of Chetan Bhagat, I had enjoyed 5 Point Someone and had trashed the 3 mistakes of my life as well as 1 night @ the call center... I know this is digressing, but just happened to realise, that all his works have some number in them..ah well, he still has the number 4 before he finishes 5 books. :-)

Anyway, coming back to the book 2 states, its a hackneyed plot of a beautiful and smart girl Ananya and an obviously not so stupid guy, Krish. If you remember the 5 point some protagonist, well that’s him, now continuing at IIMA. They fall in love at IIM and decide to get married. Well, that’s where the fun starts. Ananya comes from a conservative Tamilian background and Krish is a Punjabi with a Mom having flamboyant ambitions for her prize son. Ananya's parents want her to marry the virtuous Tamilian geek from Cisco, whereas Krish's mom wants him to marry Pummy auntijis daughter who'll inherit 3 petrol pumps!

Of course, they brave all the odds, with Krish, making a his prospective Mother-in- law a singer in a public concert, helping Dad-in-law with MS PowerPoint, and Ananya saves Rajji Mamas daughter's wedding from getting wrecked by demanding samdhijis etc etc!  The wooing of the respective in-laws I guess, is more difficult than wooing the girl/guy itself in India!

Chetan Bhagat certainly has done well in his quest to be 'India's most loved writer'.. He certainly doesn’t write great literary works, but he definitely entertains.

Book Review: The Fourth Protocol by Frederick Forsyth

This book published in 1984 is set in an era of the Cold War, a state of ceaseless military, political and economic tension.

A supreme plot of a plan, audacious beyond belief,starts off in Britain, with the not so innocuous theft of diamonds and with them unwittingly extremely confidential high security documents that have apparently been leaked. The documents are sent back by the patriot enough thief to the right people, sparking off intelligence operations. Several thousand miles away at Moscow, a plan is being hatched, that seeks to spiral Britain into revolution. MI5 officer John Preston, leads the operation of unraveling the Russian operation called Plan Aurora, and to stop a devastating trigger that would cause a cataclysmic shift in the balance of powers on the globe. This racy book catapults the reader into the web of lethal power play, covert agents, treachery and spine chilling lengths that people go to achieve their means. I ld give a four star to this book.

A movie based on this book starring Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan would be worth seeing after reading the book.

Umajoshi ye ye ye

Was just reminiscing about the good ol' days when we used to play those mast games and sing silly songs and clap along!
It used to be so much fun playing in the evenings till Moms had to come and drag us back home to have dinner and do our homework. And we used always shout out our friends' names to come and play downstairs!

"Colour Colour which Colour do you want"!! and then a scramble for the reds/blues/greens on whoever was wearing that colour!
This one was I guess, not too common...a mix of Colour colour and Dongar aur Paani (Land and water)...it was "Crocodile Crocodile, can we cross the river...Yes if you have Red!!"
Then there was Bachao Sakhali and Hide and Seek and a variant Stop Party, Langdi, Jhipri, the hot favorite Vish Amrit with various names such as Poison and Medicine, Lock and Key!, then there was an indoor, rather inside the building games Corner to corner, one to do with a hanky..with all of us sitting in a circle and chanting "I wrote a letter to my mother and on the way I lost it lost it lost it. The postman came and picked it up and put it in his pocket pocket pocket..",..Well I dont remember the rest!

Selecting the danner was another ritual...we went "Dip dip dip...my blue ship..sailing in the water, like a cup and saucer, dip dip dip"!
There were stupid ones like "In pin septi pin, in pin out.." and who can forget ganda songs like "Aada pada kisne paada, mamaji ka ghoda pada...!!..wont say the rest!", then a simple 10 20 30 ...100 (out), or putting our hands facing our palms or otherwise and y elling, Majority!!

And what about the clapping games we girls played...Alas I hardly remember all those songs except my favorite Umajoshi which come to think of it now, couldnt have been sillier!
It went ..
"Umajoshi ye ye ye
My mother told me sixty years ago
There came a lady knocking at the door
With a Ooh, Aah, I want some Pah!!(?)
The Pah is sweet, I want some Meat
the meat is tough, I want to go by bus
The bus is full, I want to go by bull
The bull is fat, I want my money back
The money is green, I want some cherry beans
The cherry beans are red, I want to go to bed
The bed is yellow, goodbye dirty fellow!!!"

the shortest one..."Aaa mina...clap clap clap....super sina...clap clap clap...big boys...clap clap clap...lazy girls clap clap clap...
Aa mina supersina big boys lazy girls ..Statue!!

Of all the Charlie Chaplin songs, I remember only one now..
"Charlie Chaplin went to town, to teach a lady disco dance
A knee, a Toe, A round we go
Salute to the king and Bow to the queen,
O V E R over over over, Statue!!!

Another fun game was "Who stole the cookies from the cookies jaar"...Number 3 stole the cookies from the cookies jar...who me, yes you, couldnt be, then who?...........

If u remember any more rituals and games and silly songs...do put them on!!

Richa

Marvellous Mahabaleshwar

This time I ll let the pictures do the talking. A picture is worth a thousand words you see!

Branching out

What we ate the most!

Monkey Business!

We in the Valleys

Butta Woman

Strawberries with Cream...Mmmmmmmmm

I thought this was only in kiddies drawings!

Crrrunchy Carrots

The woods are lovely, dark and deep

See the elephant?

At the Summit of Glory

The little grey cells of Hercule Poirot: Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie has always been one of my favorite authors and her fictional Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot has been an all time favorite character.

Captain Arthur Hastings, Poirot’s friend, describes Poirot as:
"He was hardly more than five feet four inches but carried himself with great dignity. His head was exactly the shape of an egg, and he always perched it a little on one side. His moustache was very stiff and military. Even if everything on his face was covered, the tips of moustache and the pink-tipped nose would be visible.
The neatness of his attire was almost incredible; I believe a speck of dust would have caused him more pain than a bullet wound. Yet this quaint dandified little man had been in his time one of the most celebrated members of the Belgian police."


The ‘little grey cells’ of Poirot have never ceased to amaze me. When the most puzzling of all mysteries, flummoxes all at Scotland yard, and of course, the reader, Poirot, with a twirl of his moustache, clears all the haze. I recently read the stories in ‘The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding’, a collection of six superb stories which leave the reader guessing. A valuable ruby hidden in the pudding, a man found dead in a Spanish chest, a dream about suicide come true, all were planned so ingeniously, but ofcourse, just a tad less ingeniously for Poirot to unearth the truth! This book also features a story solved by the adorable grandmotherly Miss Jane Marple.

What has me hooked to Agatha Christie is the build up of the story, the typical English characters, traditional English house holds comprising of maids, butlers etc, the brilliance of the plot itself which seemingly is so impossible, but when Poirot, opens the cards, its all crystal clear, almost as if, there could be no other solution! Wish our police force solving all those murder mysteries such as the Aarushi case, had Hercule Poirot’s little grey cells!

 

Book Review: The Financial Expert by R.K Narayan

Indian Authors have always been high on my reading list. I reckon it is because I certainly can associate with what they write and the very Indianness of the characters. I recently read up ‘The Financial Expert’ by one prolific writer known as RK Narayan. This tale is yet another that is woven in the fictitious town of Malgudi set in Tamil Nadu.

The story revolves around the rise and fall in fortunes of Margayya, a financial wizard who helps out people sort out their financial woes. The colourful delineation of Malgudi is a delight, and brings out several facets of traditional Indian life. Margayya seemingly lacks nothing in life as he progresses from under the banyan tree to a celebrity status with a formidable reputation in money matters. Unfortunately, his pampered son, does not show the same ambition, and spends his time frittering his father’s wealth. The story is extremely simple, but it’s the endearing and humorous depiction of the South Indian characters that takes the cake and differentiates RK Narayan from other authors.