Season's greetings

A wrap up...

...with notes, pictures, updates and everything in between that make it a year-end post.

* Went to the Forum mall recently and stopped for lunch at "Khandani Rajdhani". Simple Rajasthani fare. I tried the Rajdhani thaali(which consisted of rotis, gatte ki sabji, black chana daal sabji, bhindi sabji, tadka daal, dhokla, pickle and gulab jamun). Amma tried the paneer dhokla and we ended the meal with some awesome rabri. All in all, good fare, though crowded- specially at lunch time over a weekend. But that applies to all eateries in the mall.

* Today we went to lunch at "Jalsa" at Outer Ring Road. It was Seren's treat to us for her birthday. And it was a great recommendation of hers. We loved the ambience, the service and certainly the food- all of which is Mughlai themed. We ordered jal jeera pani, methi malai matar, kadhai paneer, rumali rotis, vegetable pulav and ended the meal with some gulab jamun/rasmalai.









* Random conversation :

Me : Looking at some young pretty thing on TV, "I used to have that kind of svelte figure and kamar just 2 years ago, didnt I?"

Seren : "Yes, you sure did. Now you have a full fledged kamra out there!"

For the uninitiated : in hindi, kamar=waist, kamra=room.

* Ok, I said this would be a wrap-up of the year kinda post. So let me deliver on my promise. What can I say? I wanted this year to end soon, I really still do. To that extent, I am glad we are on our last leg. There have been little joys, undeniably, but they dont do enough to make me say its been a great year. No siree. All I can say is that I have learnt some harsh life lessons, I have realised how much I have to work on myself, what big tasks lay ahead of me..all the while hoping the next year brings with it all the strength and resolve I will need for accomplishing these tasks. 2009, bring it on!

* Apart from eating, what else have I been upto- you ask? Well, I've been visiting. Visiting family, friends- long overdue to-do items. In between I've been shopping, much like how a squirrel collects food items for the hibernation period.

Thats it for now. See you all next year!

In God's own country

And we're back. With tales to tell, of course. And as the title screams loud and clear- we went on a trip to Kerala. Would you believe me if I said this was my first time? Really! And I fell in love with this beautiful state. My God, what a variety in natural resources- from tea to herbs, to Ayurvedic treatments to spices, from beaches to backwaters, from coconuts to banana chips, from beauty to serenity- can you think of another place that delivers all this in just one strip of land? I cant!

So here's how it all started.

Day 1 : We landed at Kochi and immediately started driving towards Munnar. Within an hour's time we were driving up the mountains, towards the cool, clear temperatures of this southern hill station. Vast expanses of tea plantations became visible in a couple of hours. The drive from Kochi to Munnar takes about 4 hrs. We took a 45 min break to grab a quick lunch.

We stayed at the Royal Retreat. Let me tell you, this is the cutest B&B type of place you will find in this area. The place has cabin like rooms- not too many of them. Probably about 15-20 rooms in all. But the quaint rooms, the brightly painted corridors, the colors and scents of the flowers in the yard- all add to its charm. A stream divides this "royal retreat" from a park that is filled with walking trails and a cheery flower garden. This became our evening walk as we settled into our rooms.

Day 2 :The next morning found us driving towards a few popular tourist spots around Munnar such as Pothamedu viewpoint, Mattupetty dam, Echo Point and some waterfalls. While these spots are essentially touristy in nature, its the drive that provides the best views of the luscious green of the tea plantations topped by brilliantly blue skies.








And as we drove around, we eventually were well on our way to our next destination-Thekkady. The drive from Munnar to Thekkady takes about 5+ hrs and is a strenuous one filled with steep slopes and sharp bends. Not a pleasant ride for those that suffer from motion sickness.

Thekkady : What can I say about this destination- so unlike Munnar. But so unique in its own wealth of resources. Our first stop at Thekkady was at a spice plantation- we went on a guided tour. Do take one if you can. There are many of these spice plantation along Thekkady road and its worth a visit. The guide explains the many herbs and spices that grow in this treasure trove that has medicinal value of Ayurvedic significance and home remedies. Its no wonder Kerala was one of the biggest trading ports in India for spices.

We next went to a Kathakali performance at the Mudra arts center.

We stayed at the Rangerwood Nature Castle hotel at Thekkady. This is a new hotel and hence the rooms were freshly painted, the place was well kept and minty fresh. Service was good, though room service is ordered from a Cafe right across from the hotel and hence quality of food was sub-standard. The rooms have a wonderful view of the Periyar Wildlife sanctuary and has a cabin-like feel.










Day 3 : Next day, our first activity was a 2 hr boat ride at the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. We only sighted some wild boars, elephants and birds. Nothing much to write home about. Post lunch, we spent some time shopping for spices, tea and handicrafts. One problem we had at Thekkady was finding good restaurants that catered to the vegetarian palate.

Day 4 : We set off for our last destination- Alleppey. Along the way we stopped by at the Connemara tea factory where we were given a guided tour on the process of tea making. The whole factory smells warmly....of what else...but tea! The steps that are followed to convert the green tea leaves to "tea leaves" that go into the cartons and land right at your dining table as garam chai is nothing short of wonder-mazing!

The drive from Thekkady to Alleppey takes about 3+ hrs. Whoa, what a change of scenery. One steps down from the mountains to the flat lands of luscious green fields lined with coconut trees and water.

Alleppey is the land of back waters- scenic, serene and laid back. Our 3 hr cruise along these calm waters was the perfect end for this great holiday. It was a time to gaze at blues of the sky and water, at the sponge like clouds that dotted the sky, the green of the coconut trees and foliage, the houseboats and fishing boats that amble along the way, the people that live along the shores of the backwaters- doing their thing- be it washing clothes, taking a bath or buying stuff from the peddler-on-a-boat.
















And thus we were done. Our eyes brimming with nature's beauty that's packed more in our minds and longer lasting than any compact flash card could fit.

Signing off
-altoid

Away

Alright people, please help yourselves to some chai while I go away on a small break. Oh, you'll need the strong ginger tea thats being served, made by none other than Seren.....cos you know I'll have plenty to show and tell when I get back. Relax and enjoy this quietitude while I am gone.

Happy Holidays!

The many walks of life

You know what they say are the three most important factors for buying property..location, location and location. We've lived right around the corner from one of the biggest landmarks of South Bangalore- Lalbagh. No tour of Bangalore is complete without a visit to this green wonderland- a veritable treasure trove of greenery, birds, serenity and calmness. Its the Central Park of Bangalore. And I'd be lying if I said we've never taken it for granted. One fails to appreciate beauty when its so easily accessible.

One of my favorite to-dos when I am back home is go for morning walks to Lalbagh. Come walk with me today, wont you?..as I show you some of my favorite sights and experiences. I am told Lalbagh runs to 240 acres- yes its definitely that vast. Its also a botanist's delight with its wide collection of plants. There's also an extensive sighting of birds. Its also an exercise lover's paradise. Be it walking, jogging, laughter club, exercises or yoga- you find all age groups congregate here for their morning exercise fix. There are so many trails that you could pick a different one every day and still never finish them all.
Oh and if you don't own an audio device to plug away into your ears, don't fret. This place is not about to each his own. Everyone brings mini-radios and tunes to their favorite FM channels- so from devotional music to latest hindi film songs, to kannada film hits to the latest news- you'll be able to catch a smattering of all this and more as you trudge along. There's the lake, around which is my favorite trail. Its no surprise I love walking around the Tidal Basin in Washington DC. I get my love for them from these humble roots.









In one corner of the trail, on the lake, is this beautiful sprouting of lotus flowers. The quintessential lotus, India's national flower.

In another section is the glass house. My earliest memories of this spot are of the Jaycees open-air drawing/painting competitions. Children of varying ages from different schools all sprawled across the expanse of the glass house immersed in creating their works of art.








Since its the utopia for botanists, nature healing cures abound. Commercialism has made its presence undeniably felt in the many vendors that haunt the gates of Lalbagh with various cures, fruit juices and mixes. Vegetable vendors capitalize on the "aunty" population that walks in the park, there's methi and palak and coriander and kadi patta to be sold for the day's cooking.

As one walks, the sounds that greet you along the way are varied- snippets of conversations are overheard, the cheerful chirping of birds, the distant strain of laughter club voices or the quiet of the lake and trees and foliage. A botanical getaway every morning, without fail.

So whatcha think? Worth waking up at 5 every morning? Wanna do it again tomorrow?

Winter 2008-Notes from back home-3

Weekend Getaway

* Saturday morning around 7:30 found Seren and I on the road. We were headed towards the Bangalore-Mysore highway and on our way to Janapada Loka/Channapatna and Kanva Reservoir.

* Since we headed out at this early hour, traffic was somewhat light and by the time we were well into the highway, the morning shades of dawn coupled with the characteristic cool breeze of Bengaluru welcomed us. We even wondered if we should have left sooner and caught a brilliant sunrise.

* After a 45kms drive, we saw a big, cheery sign on the left welcoming us to Kamat Lokaruchi and Janapada Loka. The anticipation of a scrumptious breakfast was in the air as we turned into the parking lot.

* As we walked into Kamat Lokaruchi, we were asked if we wanted to go for the breakfast buffet option. This was an easy decision. "Yes!" we exclaimed in unison and thus were escorted to the buffet area. Each section of this rustic set restaurant is in the form of "huts" replete with thatched roofs with an open air setting. We paid for 2 breakfast buffet meals and were served a thaali consisting of dollops of khara bath, kesari bath, pongal, chutney, kanchipuram idli and a katori of sambar. Separate stalls carried coffee/tea, some fruit and a fruit juice. Cost per person Rs 60. Digging into this delicious southern breakfast fare - priceless.

* After breakfast, we took a well earned walk around Janapada Loka. There was an open air theater-cheerily painted with Warli stick figures, a museum, a herb/medicine garden and even a small lake replete with paddle boats. Makes for a quaint picnic spot.

* I spent some time at the book store and arts/crafts store adjacent to Kamat Lokaruchi. This done, we headed out back on the highway towards Kanva reservoir.

* A few kms ahead, we found signs for the reservoir leading into a dust road. This probably is one of the negatives for those venturing to view this scenic dam/reservoir- the dust road which is really not well maintained. And there are very few signs along the way to indicate how far the reservoir is. But once the dam/river is sighted, its a beautiful and serene feast for the eyes. Oh and I forgot to mention, somewhere on the way to Janapada Loka, I realized I had brought my camera sans the memory card(Ugh! ).

* These pictures of the reservoir are taken thanks to my phone.

















* Next stop was Channapatna to check out the colorful wooden handicrafts so typical of the place. I will upload some pics of the loot we picked up on this visit in my next post. We spent an hour or so out here and then headed back. We debated whether to try lunch at Lokaruchi, then decided against it. We gave Amma a chance to feed us a scrumptious lunch of bisibelebath, curd rice and chips. And then it was siesta time!

Note to self : Please check for memory card in camera before heading out on trips.

Fan following

A good friend S and I are bigtime fans of Shabana Azmi. She, to such an extent, that she collects and wears shawls much like her object of admiration. Its one of the strongest bonds between us- our admiration for anything to do with the ace actress. And hence its no wonder that we watch every movie of hers(at the theater, if possible) and if there's a play in town featuring her- you think we'd not go?

So this one year, 2003 to be precise, we decided to catch Tehzeeb at Loehmanns Cinemas in Fairfax, VA. It was a week day- a Tuesday I believe. She, having cleared her schedule, made sure her daughter was fed and taken care of, her husband was suitably entertained with whatever it is that guys like to be entertained with- we finally made it to the theater. We were excited, it had been a while since we'd seen Shabana Azmi on the big screen. Our last had been Godmother, released in 1999. 4 yrs seemed like eternity!

The online movie schedule had mentioned there was a show at 7:30pm. So 7pm saw us at the ticket counter with a loud "2 for Tehzeeb please".

Voice : "Ma'am Tehzeeb went away last Friday, its been replaced by Janasheen!"

She : "Shucks!" and looks at me disappointed. Two disappointed, woebegone faces!

Voice : "Its Tuesday ma'aam tickets are half-price. Want to try Janasheen?"

She : "Alright, sure!" (to me) "We've come this far, why not as well na?"

Me : "Errrrrrrrm its Fardeen Khan yo! I never watch his movies, never want to!"

She : " Its ok na yaar. Its half-price. How bad can it be?"

Me : "Erm, it CAN be very very bad!"

She : "Chal samosa khaate hai"

Me : bleat, bleat!(sigh, no use)

So a plate of samosa chaat and mango lassi later, we found ourselves in the movie hall with 10 other people who had decided to use the half-price offer to put up with this misery that included Fardeen Khan, his dad the great Feroz Khan and Celina Jaitley(horror of horrors, shudder!)

Now the one thing I didn't know about this friend of mine was the fact that she doesn't believe in walking out of movie theaters mid-way. I do it all the time, its second nature to me. For her, its unthinkable and an injustice to the makers of the movie- however bad it may be. Such nobility! So 10 mins later, I bleat again. "S, chal lets go".

She : "Arrey rukh na, we'll see how it pans out. Another couple of hours."

Every 10 mins, bleating continued to no avail.

And we left the cinema hall at the sighting of "The End" sign. I could have died before then.

Another noteworthy "Shabana Azmi fan following" episode was the time when there was the staging of "Kaifi aur Main"- Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar's narrative reading of some of the best pennings of the life of Kaifi Azmi and Shaukhat Kaifi.

This friend S had gifted a beautiful handmade paper notebook for my birthday just a few months before this episode. She being somewhat of a poetess herself, she'd written a beautiful piece as a preface. I was raring to make use of this beauty. I figured this would be the best paper on which to get an autograph from our idol, Shabana Azmi. So I was armed with this book, S inaugarated her new Shabana-esque shawl for the occasion(but, of course). Thus we set forth, with our usual enthusiasm and joie de vivre we reserved for such occasions.

We went, we showed our tickets, got checked in, found decent seats and sat back in eager anticipation. Show was scheduled to begin at 6pm, we were in our seats by 5:45. 6pm happened, 6:15 happened, 6:30 happened and finally the MC walked up to the podium.

'Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to 'Kaifi aur main'. We apologize for the delay . We also regret to inform you that Ms Azmi has been stranded at the Chicago airport due to a snowstorm. She is, as we speak, waiting for the airport authorities to allow flights out of Chicago, it will take her 2 hrs to get here. So you have two options- you can wait here till she comes- which might be as late as 10pm or later(depending on how long it takes for flights to leave Chicago), Or you can request for a refund of your tickets. Again we apologize for the inconvenience and we will keep you posted of her status at regular intervals".

We look at each other with dismay. "Oh, no!"

I recalled the Janasheen episode and bleated " Please S, lets not sit here, she might never show up. Who knows when Chicago will clear flights to take off?"

She : "Hm, lets see for another 30 mins then"

Me(gulp!): "Wokay". And silently settled in the seat to listen to Jaswinder in the interim.

Every 15 mins, the MC would update us with nothing significantly different. "She's still at the airport", "She's VERY upset at this delay", "She's changed her saree and is all set to perform" etc etc. Which meant nothing, really!

45 mins later, we decided to call it quits.

Two sad fans, one that vowed to never use the book again, the other to never use the shawl again.

Footnote : Years later, we managed to watch 15, Park Avenue and Honeymoon Travels featuring our idol-but never at the theaters and never together :). We also did manage to watch Tehzeeb when it finally came out on DVD. Our admiration continues strong to this day and right now moi is contemplating getting a hair cut just like my idol's in Honeymoon travels. Seren, on the other hand, will have none of it!

Winter 2008-Notes from back home-2

* Alright people, for the next few days there will be no mention of food. As Seren and Amma have rightly pointed out, my stomach has crashed since landing here. Seren thinks its the kachori chaat, Amma thinks its the 'nippattu'- either way if there was a way to do away with my tummy, right now I would!

* One of the first things I do when I come home is to wade through Seren's wardrobe and accessory collection. I make a note of which ones I'd like to wear and which ones I'd like to keep for myself(yes, yes- she's very generous and lets me do that, only after I have paid a hefty item for barter). Its like diving into a treasure trove- picking out the new ones, putting away the old ones- picking out matching accessories. And at the end of it, I have a "wardrobe" of sorts. A new one, every time.
(Well you don't have to feel all sympathetic toward Seren now, she does the same thing. She sifts through my suitcase and 'takes notes'. So there!)

* Went to the CD store and I felt like a kid in a candy store. So many genres to choose from and then there are those movie dvds/vcds to choose from.

* December is a beautiful time to be home. Bangalore, though, is unusually warm and humid!

* That is it for now. Want to know what was a decent meal I had more than 24 hrs ago? It was Pongal, vade and kesari bath :(

Winter 2008-Notes from back home-1

* Yes! I am back home. After a 32 hr journey, no doubt! You know, after one of these marathon journeys one fails to remember when one left home and how long one's been 'traveling' so to speak. Anyhow, what was noteworthy was the fact that we were rescheduled by chance on the Kingfisher airlines flight from London to Bangalore. Now this is my first time on a Kingfisher flight and let me tell you this. If not for the "economy" sized seats I'd have thought I was in business class. The service is unbelievably good, the amenities are jaw-gapingly good and like I said, if it weren't for the economy seats, I'd have slipped into dream land thinking I was flying business! There are menu cards on what to "order" for meals. There's hot towels, sleep kits replete with eye masks, toothbrush/paste, socks and individual tv screens playing a range of hindi and english movies. The vegetarian option for a dinner plate came with parathas, hariyali kofta(which actually tasted good, just like what you'd get at a fancy eat-in restaurant), rice, aloo-palak, a bean salad made of rajma, channa, lima beans topped with salt/pepper and lemon juice and ends with a small packet of mukhwas. After this meal, even I(who rarely sleep on flights) tucked in a good 4 hr nap. Ya, no kidding! Oh and breakfast options included uttappam, idli/sambar and upma- a regular darshini in the air no?

* I managed to catch Life in a metro in the flight. Surprising how I missed watching this movie earlier. I actually liked Shilpa Shetty's acting in this movie and Shiney Ahuja impresses once again. The movie itself was typical Madhur Bhandarkar fare with his usual serving of dry almost-documentary style of narration on marital/relationship angst in a metro.

* The first few minutes of arriving home is always special. One's eyes get acclimated to what has been for a while, to whats new, to whats different, to whats missing and to whats moved.

* 24 hrs since landing, I took someone to task for spitting. I dislike this of our people. Spitting everywhere like its one's birthright. Something terribly unhygienic and crude about it!

* Morning walks coupled with the sights and sounds of a neighborhood waking up is soothing. Two things that bother me though are crows(droppings more like) and litter. Why is there always a trash container on the streets with trash everywhere else but inside of it?

* I am struggling to finish Amitav Ghosh's latest- 'Sea of Poppies'. This is the 3rd book of his that I am taking a shot at(first two were 'The Hungry Tide' and 'The Glass Palace') and looks like his works are not for me. While I like the theme and settings he chooses for his stories, most times I feel he loses essence somewhere mid-way and then the whole book seems to drag endlessly. This story is set in Bihar around the 1840s and talks about the workers in an opium factory run by the British for export. Pretty depressing and melancholy, I must say.

* How could I be home and not finish a post with more mention of food?
So Day 1's menu consisted of Amma's soft fluffy idlis for breakfast, some spicy/tangy vathakozhambu/beans curry for lunch and kachori chaat coupled with cold badam milk for dinner.

More later.

Yenjoy!

Bake and take

Each year its been a tradition of sorts for me to bake a batch of holiday goodies to take to the workplace. Its not a potluck or any such. So far, its been some banana nut muffins one year, cookies with festive decoration the next, and fruit cake one year to mark the spirit of the holidays. I usually make it closer to the Christmas holidays, but the traffic levels are usually low at that time of the year and hence a small batch of 20-25 pieces is good enough.

This year with my trip coming earlier than usual, I didn't want to skip this little "tradition" of mine. I was also planning to not make it too holiday themed while still wishing to make something different. And it had to be a bigger batch, around 40 pieces since everyone was around. Obviously the economy had forced them to stay around town. Thus the requirements were set.

I usually watch some Food Network program while having my dinner, how about you? It sets the mood for me, most times. And thus I happened to catch this episode of Paula Deen. While I generally don't try too many of the recipes I watch, this was something that seemed simple and interesting. I love pecans too, which was an added incentive. And thus this became my "bake and take" dish for this year.

Here, feast your eyes, while I feast my tummy :P and feed the rest of the lot.

Woman in white

....No! This isn't about Teesri Manzil. I am talking about the novel of the same name by William Wilkie Collins.

But lets begin with a foreword, shall we? I haven't read much in about 3 months. Its been one of those dry patches where I have been unable to sufficiently entertain myself with some good reading material. What with the holiday season and a short trip in the works and a long trip around the corner- a good friend of mine casually mentioned this book. Now its interesting she suggested this book, because it so happens that 'The Moonstone' by the same author happens to be my very first "adult" novel. I found this in our family "library" and plunged right into the worn out copy like a fish takes to water. I loved it, I was terribly impressed with the aura of suspense and mystery that was woven into the tale. Coincidentally wiki tells me that the Moonstone is considered to be the first detective novel in English language, hm!

So that's how I happened to pick up a copy of the Woman in white from my library and over the Thanksgiving weekend, I managed to finish it.

'Woman in white' is about an art teacher that is hired to tutor a young and budding heiress, Laura. She also has a half-sister who is somewhat of her guardian angel. In this beautiful Victorian setting, the author describes the budding romance between the art teacher and the heiress, which eventually is detected and dispelled by her half-sister Marian who informs the art teacher that Laura is engaged to be married soon. Dejected, he leaves the estate on a flimsy pretext. Laura's fiance and eventually her husband comes along with a baggage of mystery and intrigue forms the bulk of the story. Do the art teacher and Laura meet again? What kind of a man was
Laura's husband? Who is the 'woman in white'?

This amazing tale weaves through complex characterizations, plots and machinations of the human kind, the follies and failings of those around us and a mystery that forms the cherry atop the proverbial icing.

Quintessential Wilkie Collins, cant expect any less from this superb storyteller.

I needed this, to resync with my lost reading bug.

And here we are

..at the end of the year. Its December already!

What does it bring?
- A trip home
- Birthdays galore(my family is infested with Sagittarians, I tell ya)
- Food - home cooked and otherwise
- Lesser work loads
- Lazy winter afternoons
- Reading, music, movies

A well deserved month long break- before a new year begins.

My next post will be from my home town- Bengaluru.

See y'all on the other side of the globe!

Edited to add : Well my next post will probably be about how I got back in the groove with my reading habit. And THEN, subsequent posts will be from apna desh.