Wahi hum, wahi Aminabad

So I stumbled upon the ‘tehzeeb’ city last weekend- Lucknow! What a beautiful place, with huge roads dotted with pristine gardens that a certain politico has built amidst a lot of controversy. From Aminabad to Gomti Nagar , the one thing that you can feel in the erstwhile ‘Awadh’ is warmth, amongst people, their handicraft (lovely chikankari!!) and of course theircuisine. Although I was there on business, it was quite adventurous to sneak out some time to meet a few dear friends from Lucknow so I could enjoy the gastronomical experience of the famous Awadhi cooking.

My friend, Malvika actually stuffed her car with the 7 of us and took us on a food joyride. So first we stopped at the Royal Café in Hazratganj market and enjoyed the ‘Basket chaat’ there. It is pretty much a mix of aloo tikki, crisp sookhi poori, soft badaswith a drizzle of curd, red and green chutney packed in an edible basket made of potato ‘lachha’ (slivers) itself . The basket chat is particularly famous for its uniqueness and surely the taste. It was chatpata but too filling. So we decided to give food a break with some shopping in the market itself. A couple of hours later, we had given the Lucknow economy a serious boost by collectively spending almost half a lakh on the chikan kurtas andshalwars.

With so many in the car and so many (parcels) in the boot, we were then driven to relish the brilliant, world famous TundeyKebabi’s galouti kebabs with mughlai roti. While the mainTundey Kebabi  is in a place called Chowk in the busyAminabad, we settled for the one in Gomti Nagar to avoid theRamzaan rush. The Aminabad Tundey has kebabs that are made with beef (known as Bade ke Kebab) as well but the rest of the branches have mutton ones only.  Between the seven of us we ordered three plates galouti and two plates boti kebabs. Both came with a liberal helping of sliced onion and chutney on the side. One bite into them and you know why there is nothing liketunday’s kebab that exists anywhere other than Lucknow. The melt in your mouth consistency transcends you into gastronomical heaven especially when accompanied with the mughlai roti.

Over 100 years old, the legend associated with the invention of these kebabs goes thus. In Lucknow, there was a one armed chef in the royal kitchen who designed this recipe and the consistency so he could make them with one hand. Another story is that the chef made these kebabs so that the Raja in those days, who didn’t have teeth, could enjoy them without any botheration. While in conversation with the great grandson of Tundey I figured that tundey kabab is actually unique because of the closely guarded secret recipe of masala that is used to make them. This masala has more than 150 ingredients and have been given down the family tree by the women of the house. TheirBoti kebab was quite a delight too. It is lamb marinated in curd and then garnished with seasoned onions and served with a brown gravy. The masala in there was also to die for. Although everything was so delicious that we could go on eating there, we kept some space for the Dum Biryani from the famous dastarkhwan. 

Dastarkhwan is actually a Persian term that actually means a wide spread of dinner that has everything from Qorma to Kheer. However, this Dastarkhwan is a restaurant in Hazratganj where we sat dowm to have some chicken curry and mutton dumbiryani. Interestingly, the dum style of cooking originates fromAwadh itself. The style of Cooking on slow fire (Dum) was used extensively by the Lucknowi Bawarchis. While in Dastarkhwan,when the Awadhi Biryani was served, everyone just quietly took in the experience of the delicately cooked meat over the ‘khilekhile’ saffron soaked rice. Truly had never had anything more divine!. The succulence of the meat warranted for an encore but we knew we would have had to rent a stomach for that.

By this time, I was so high on food that I convinced everyone to make a dash to Imambara, in old Lucknow despite the Ramzaanrush. Although this area has been named after the monumentImambara, it has been made famous by the phirni available at many stalls that are specially decorated during the holy month. Made of coarsely ground rice and condensed milk, this phirniwas truly brilliant because of the delicate flavours of saffron and cardamom and also the temperature at which it is served. Petbhar gaya per mann nahin bhara! With this thought, we reluctantly called it a night only to wake up early morning to enjoy the famous dahi jalebi at the Chaar Bagh Railway station. This unique combination is supremely popular in lucknow and now I know why. The jalebis are crisp and the dahi (curd) has right amount of tart in it. Together they make the perfect ‘Nawaabi’ breakfast.  I wish I could spend some more time exploring the city and the Awadhi cuisine but conferences are sometimes quite ‘zaalim’!

Kala Ghoda ke picche- The Pantry

My love for food has taken me many places big and small but seldom has it taken me to a place that is a complete treat not just culinary but for the eyes as well. In one of my previous blogs ‘Food show addiction’ I had spoken about how there is a promise of a dreamy, fairy lights decorated Nigella’s  kitchen that transcends the food to another level of goodness as it fulfills the senses at many levels. So even if you cant taste the food she makes you would love to be right by her side when she makes those recipes in a magical pot in that equally magical setup. 

Uff! Enough said about Nigella and her kitchen. However there is a reason behind all that chatter; my recent visit to a new eatery in town that has me and the in-laws swooning about not just the food but its looks. Set in the heart of the city,at the posh-arty location of Kala Ghoda, THE PANTRY gives us a little piece of England in its looks but a brilliant assortment of organic food from all over India.

First the decor! The moment I lay my eyes on this place it clearly looked like a white drop of snow in the cluttered, back (read black)ally of town. We went there because the place came with serious recommendations for my brother in law who takes his food very seriously as well. According to him, the place reminded him of Rene’s cafe in the good old comedy ‘Allo Allo’. Being a Parsi I am sure he has love for everything Victorian :-). And that gets me back to the Victorian windows that add to the cosy interiors of this place. The ‘semi curtains’ in white made it even more angrezz!  Inside, the fairy lights and some intelligent paper collages makes  for a place that is unpresumptuous, and super cozy!almost nothing like any place else in the city. The very unprofessional pictures taken from my Iphone may just give you a bit of an idea about what I am talking about.

The husband and I landed up there on the first evening of the new year with his brother and fiancé in tow for a ‘light cafe meal’. This was in order keeping in mind a very sober New Year’s Eve thanks to our new and precious member of the family, our son Jehan. It was one of those very few pleasantly cold Mumbai evenings. The Pantry’s ambiance quickly got us in the mood to try on almost everything on the menu. That brings me to the food.

No matter how great the ambiance of a place, very clearly food connoisseurs need their reasons to be happy. True to its name, this place stores the best ingredients from all their specialist states. The sugar and honey come from Punjab, the dairy from Parsi dairy farm and many other food basics that I cease to remember. It is a start up of a few food lovers who are making the effort of cutting the middle man and bringing organic food from the farmers, straight on the table.

So there, we looked at the menu. Although they have a tempting selection of coffees, tea  and hot chocolate on offer, we chose to try out their all organic savory selection first (trust me, we have many a times started with desserts :-)). Their fresh salads included a variety of salad leaves, pears and various kinds of cheeses. Brilliantly refreshing and ample! Next on order, a pulled pork sandwich and sausage roll. Fantastic!. The size of both was just perfect from cafe meal perspective but if you are 'geedadd' hungry then it would be sensible to call for a lot more of those sausage rolls! dukh ki baat yeh hai  that their stuff usually is very limited in number. So doing pehle aap,pehle aap while ordering may see the sandwich train leave the food station super fast!!.Up next, the ham stand sandwich which had basic ham and cheese but filled with great English mayo and mustard in a super fresh bread. Moving to the sweet section, I had to try the bread & butter pudding, a childhood favorite which was pretty sadly pretty dry than how I remembered it last but it somehow made up for the flavour with the magical sprinkling of cinnamon. i think cinnamon brilliantly works at making anything saada into something exclusive. the chunks of gooey bread looked better than they tasted :-) yet. The husband on the other hand is the guinea pig for all desserts ‘banana’ at everyplace. He tried the bannoffee tart which was given a thumbs up. Next on the 'try-al' was the hot chocolate. hmmmm! it was richly Belgian and could give the sinful counterpart at 'la pain quotodien' a run for its money. the accompanying chocolate chip cookie with melting chocolate chips in the middle toh dil le gayi!!. There is another one on the menu! oatmeal butterscotch cookie which was the poor step sister to the chocolate one; it was an unimpressive version of ‘Cookie Man’s Brandy snaps’. Along with this the chocolate twisty was also quite some what neither here nor there!.  The damage was pretty reasonable of 450 rupees per person.

The Pantry also provides free wifi, so your I-pad, laptop,kindle can give you company over a cuppa. I prefer the real thing- books over a nice kahwah

Beginning early at 8 in the morning the lights are out by 11.30pm. All in all, this cafe is indeed like a breath of fresh air or shall I say aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans that takes over the moment you enter the gully right next to Fab India.
Try it out for the love of everything that makes you happy!   

Of flowing river and brilliant musings: Coorg!

Jan 26, 2012 6.45 pm Place: COORG, Amanvana


So here we are at the Scotland of India- COORG after a small flight and long cab journey via Mysore! Despite being up since 5am and except for catching small snoozes during the drive, my dear Anvita and I are still chirpy, giggly, cracking jokes and absolutely fresh. The legs hurt but not like they would after a presentation for hours. Eyes are dry as well but I still don’t mind gazing at the stars in our private courtyard (ahem..! ) that houses a lotus pond as well. The bungalow is absolutely beautiful with patio lighting for honeymooners (hyuk!!).Amanvana, the place we are staying in the ever so beautiful Coorg is almost like a ‘jack in the box’ kind’a place. While entering this property both anvita and I were wondering if its location in the city would really be any good for our ‘chaen’ and ‘Aman’ but surprisingly it’s not just incredibly beautiful with manicured landscapes but supremely serene as well. There’s a lot of promise for a quaint picnic alongside river Kaveri with our respective books and chutney sandwiches. The chocolate scrub at the spa sure would be super relaxing too J however that is still a promise as of now.


Meanwhile, am awaiting the ‘Blue Banyan’ wine (a a new brand of wine) & cheese crackers to ease off any remaining tensions of physical and the emotional journey of life.


ANU


P.S. it is amazing that when we are in a clutter free, clean lemongrassy environ all the writing flows brilliantly! Happy republic day alsoooo!

Julie & Julia- Yesterday & today

Julie & Julia! Although a recent film but such a classic!! Mazaaaa hi aa gaya..dil khush ho gaya!  A very dear friend told me almost 2 years ago that I must see this film because he thought it had all the ingredients that I love. After watching it last night, I agree. It is a movie about two women (one of them played by my favorite Meryl Streep), France and cooking. to top it all it is based on true stories.

Julie and Julia are these two quintessentially modern women of their times looking for an outlet to explore themselves better. Of course, in layman terms, they were looking for something to do which was worth their while!! From the year 2002, Julie is the contemporary new age women with a new job that sucks, she seeks consolation in the one constant in her life i.e. if you put eggs, flour, chocolate and sugar together you get a batter beaten to death in order to reach heaven :-) She knows that cooking is the only thing that she can rely on to break away from everything inconsistent in her life including her residence that has recently shifted to the sad part of New York, Queens.  It is so true that while everything seems erratic in our lives we always take solace in that one thing we took to casually as a hobby like cooking, painting, sketching or for that matter writing. Sometimes, we don't really know if we have a 'book' in us but surely we do have a ton of anecdotes and small memories that are worth sharing. Blogs are brilliant because of that. I feel I am writing it for a select group of friends but god knows who all are reading it. Julie's effort to find a worthy one year was in taking up cooking challenge where she had 365 days to cook 524 of Julia Child's recipes.


Julie trying Julia's recipes




It is the same Julia whose story has been beautifully intertwined from the 1950's France to the present day of Julie who seeks inspiration from her. The first woman to take up an advanced French cooking class with only men in tug disliking her for bettering the perfection that they created in their tutorial kitchens, Julia was a natural! Sadly with no children and therefore ample time at hand, France was the perfect ground to find her a new something to learn. Her heart set in America still, she wrote recipes after recipes for the 'serventless American women'!


Reel & Real Julia Child

 Her struggles in finding her true calling are so relatable. After experimenting with learning a new language, then trying to make designer hats and then finally realising it is food that she really wants, Julia shows that unsure side of a woman who doesn't quite stop at a compromise for a choice. Once her book is taking shape she loses a publishing deal that she almost clinched. What she doesn't lose is hope! Dejected for a while, the support of a loving husband sees her through to finally a cook book!
 Julie on the other hand is potrayed as this lady who gets obsessed with Julia, her use of butter and has almost the same conviction to get through those 524 recipes in a year. However, she is reckless, consumed in one task at a time, and almost not as evolved as Julia. Julie let's go without giving it too much of a try. She is not cooking for a supportive husband but for  mission. Amazing how Julie was even more me... more 21st century with rationing time and juggling work and home, sometimes giving up on the personal time. At that time Julia is much of an inspiration. No wonder that Julie loves the butter smacking Julia.
   It's amazing how the maker of this masterpiece movie has been able to capture the truest, the simplest need in both Julia and Julie and in fact all of us women and that is to live a beautiful life...create something brilliant for everyone to marvel & most importantly ENJOY it ourselves :-) It can be our passion for stitching, knitting or even the professions we are in, it all gives us such joy. We are the wives, the mothers that have another something we love to do with our lives.
Now whether it is desperation to live a life full of color and creativity, i don't know but it is usually how I very happily see many of us living :-)

designer emotions@dharavi? Kabhi nahi!

Bahot dino ke baad aaj Dharavi ka rasta liya!!  The 60 meter Dharavi road is a path less trodden in my regular commute to work and back. The simple reason being that just like the nallah running parallel to this road the traffic there is always choked. However today because I chose to travel by a taxi my taxiwallah chose to travel by Dharavi J! Usually in the comforts of my own car I don’t even realize the passage of life I am crossing through. Today was different!!

Going from the same place, I managed to get a closer look at those ugly, tattered, stacked one on top of the other jhuggis!!. There were sights that I observed that were stark contrasts from our being in the usual rosy life. For instance, I noticed a man who was dressed in a clean white shirt and pajamas struggling to comb his just washed hair. The shanty that he was staying in could not be high enough for a man of average height like him. With a broken window glass for a mirror, and jute sacks as curtains, on a closer look I figured he wasn’t really unhappy or ‘struggling’ as I said before. 

Then there was a young girl playing with a little baby who was lying on the wall that separates the nallah from the chawls. I was scared for his life thinking what if he topples? But the girl seemed carefree, happy to play with the little one busy tying his/her scarf. To think that we have always learnt that babies need to have an infection free environment, this was quite a contrast. However again the girl looked happy and the little baby was not crying (so I am assuming he was happy too!)

A board in Marathi stated that dropping scrap in the nallah is a punishable act but just a foot away there was a tailor who was throwing purple colored fabric pieces in the nallah right there. One elderly man was borrowing shaving blades from his upstairs neighbor.

Overall the construct of these chawls screamed convenience. There were bunches and bunches of electric wires put together hugging the tallest chawl and there were big small water pipes coming out of each one of these rooms directed towards the nallah. The site of the nallah itself was so repulsive that I seriously wondered how these people manage to bring themselves to live there.

Then it occurred to me… the biggest and the strongest instinct of mankind- Survival!! Our evolution is based on it (as per Charles Darwin). While we dabble with designer dreams in our designer homes, these people have no time to dream. Everything, everyone is a step, a resource utilized to survive. Emotions, feelings, candy clouds, picture perfect holidays gayee tel lene!!  To think there are many amongst us who cannot manage emotions and need psychological help seems like a completely alien concept to them. For a moment we may feel for them but with them being incredibly busy in putting one breath and the other together I wonder if they have anytime to even feel these ‘designer emotions’. The means to get anywhere are probably not even classified. Like a struggling director crudely put it ‘Jab bhook lagti hai to ghanta sach jhooth mein farak samajh aata hai’ !!  Really! It is then when a rucksack serves well as a curtain and a dirty corner in the wall works well as a baby crib. I don’t know what we do or don’t do to deserve our lives but for sure whichever and whatever life a man gets, somehow he manages ‘live’ it!!

Sunder Munderiye..!!!

 Two days ago was Lohri! Going by the books it is the end of the harvesting season in Punjab and the end of winter in North India. But for me and most of my cousins who grew up together in one big Dilli ka ghar, it was one day when we could wear the best of clothes and eat as many aate ki pinni’s  as possible. All the mummy’s and Badi Mamma (my granny) would be busy figuring out the number of guests who would be coming over for Lohri baalna (bon fire) in the evening. Or on several other occasions it would be them figuring out gifts for those relatives to whose houses we have been invited for Lohri Party.  It used to be a day off from school so in the morning all us kids would be busy ‘helping’ the men of the house in bringing apart old rained down furniture that was comfortably getting accumulated in one corner of the terrace. Although it was for the fire in the evening we would bash up the furniture with an utter sense of urgency (it was somehow a lot of fun) post which we were obviously super tired , hence jumping and prancing about further was not an option!!!    Poori sabzi and half a phooge ka laddoo later, we all would be fast asleep only to wake up to the halwais’ Kadhayi and bartan making a racket in the verandah ahead. All the mummy’s would have by now gotten ready with the best of jewellery and phulkari dupattas. My chachi (aunt) used to go a step ahead and tie a paranda in her plait.     

Pinni- the most popular lohri sweet meat




We kids had no special agenda other than waiting for the bon fire to get started hence we used to pass time with picking up one of the wooden phattas (plank) meant for the fire and start playing cricket with a newspaper rolled up as a ball.

As soon as the bon fire would come to life our much beloved bat and ball would be ‘swahah’ed in it. Also there was a sudden realization. It was indeed very cold during those days. Delhi is still shivering at some 6 degrees but I guess with all the day’s play us kids would never really feel it. Anyhow, so there was a bonfire and all the elder were throwing in til, gud ke laddoo, corn that would eventually pop out of the bon fire and almost hit us back . There was the punju song and dance with the music blaring from our beloved Phillips 240v deck. The butterrrr chicken and lachha paratha would follow with Uncle’s ‘Car-o-bar’!!! (concept of booze in a car’s boot which only Delhiites are aware of I guess J).

 

typical dressing for lohri celebration



As the wood turned to amber coal and the fire gave way, the party also used to come to a close with all relatives chasing bye bye’s for at least half an hour on the gate (another punju tradition that never leaves us!!). And for us chillar party, we were almost sad to let go of either our dumb charades or i-spy dens!

That was Lohri for most of us as kids. Today, life has moved on. All cousins are either studying in some part of the world or are happily married. I have shifted from Delhi to Mumbai as well. By virtue of marrying a Parsi, there is no knowledge amongst most about the Punjabi new year or all that goes on in that day.  Therefore, today it is all about sifting a few of my ‘kind’ who know its relevance and (unlike most others who continuously make fun of this festival’s name) get a few figs of wood and coconut shells in a bowl and do a small fire, throw in some revdi and Act II popcorn, and a few ‘hoye hoye’ and half a ‘sunder munderiye’ song  at a dear friend’s place. Life’s hues have changed. Smaller things were very big when we were small. Every festival was an event, an opportunity to have fun. These days it’s almost inconvenience to most. After all, there are way too many tasks to juggle aur uske ooper rishtedaron se kaun miley? Somehow, very very strangely I am continuously thinking of that one dialogue that Ajay devgan brilliantly delivers in the movie Singham – Mujhmein hai dum kyunki meri Zarooratein hain kum!!  :-)

FOOD SHOW ADDICTION!!

Nigella's home as brilliant as her food!!

Think there is a new category of addiction in the psychiatrist's book - FSA or FOOD SHOW ADDICTION. I for one am a self confessed food show addict (no prizes for guessingJ). I absolutely love watching cooking shows on TV. Travel comes a close second as the moment there is Nigella, David Rocco, Rachel Allen, Rude boy, Donna Hay or Master Chef Australia (and only MC Australia!!)Calling, I forget everything. There can be the most difficult recipe on offer but just for the fact that its sheer art on plate I would be delighted just to see it happen. I think there is a huge something about cooking and food that tingles the reward centre in our brains so brilliantly that we tend to forget most of the idiots we bummed into through the day.

Therefore my attempt at exploring the reason that makes food shows so addictive. I think, food shows are not any more about food alone. They have a promise of sorts. A promise to make you look like someone with great culinary skills (without really having them) by combining some basic yet clean ingredients and cooking up a great HS (high society) dish. Better still these shows have a promise of having a kitchen, read lifestyle that would ensure you cook those many designer dishes in those designer kitchens and homes. 

Donna Hay's fast, fresh, simple!



 Donna Hay’s obsession with ‘white’ from the cutting board she uses to the kitchen oven and the show set that has sand and gushing sea as backdrop transcends you straight to that beautiful home of hers. You want to see her cook not just because of all the simple yummy recipes but more so for the cooking she would do on that beautiful griddle on her balcony with the noise of waves and the breeze in her hair. Her cutlery is so enviable that you would eat plain celery out of it and NOT complain J

Then there is the ever so favorite Nigella Lawson, the queen of excesses. Her beautiful English home just makes me long for a place exactly like hers. With books of all kinds stacked rustically yet all over the place, Nigella’s kitchen can be forgotten for a while (i.e. until I explore her entire house). Another thing that I will give an arm and a leg for is her pantry..! It is so quaint, almost like a hobbit’s den that has almost everything to rescue someone who is pressed under a hard day. Nigella’s trick to cook is simple… EXPRESS WAY. So although the real time cooking isn’t really that fast (have tried) I want to see her cook something that I may have half a chance at when I return to my kitchen from a long stressful drive back home!  The fairy lights in her kitchen take me back to the word ‘celebration’. That cozy corner cooks up lamb shanks and ice-cream cakes with the same zest. Her special edition of Nigella Christmas was exceptional. It really made my desire to see a white Christmas even stronger. The real Christmas tree with Nigella’s cheat’s Christmas pudding threw a cinnamon smoke cloud and I fell in love with food show once again. 

So you see it is not just about the food but also about the lifestyle that promises a lot. After all, who wouldn’t want to have a house with a fantastic back garden that not only houses all the fresh food ingredients but also a real wood oven? To top it all, the dream is complete with the promise of doing nothing but gardening and cooking food that is absolutely beautiful!! What say Jamie Oliver?

 









APPLE OF THE i

So why it is that Steve jobs has been revered so much by the entire world..! Is the reason the inventions he did? Or the technology that he presented to the world? That too but the biggest reason why Jobs has been such an inspiration is the fact that he stood tall & proud presenting to the world a person whose mind was never deterred by cancer. His brain worked as efficiently despite a failing body.

Ever since pancreatic cancer hit, Steve knew the journey is not going to last long. May be that is why he refused to wait… wait for the eventuality to happen. He made a choice! A brave choice that opened doors for such technology that would have probably taken him 20 years to develop but for the reasons he kept close to his heart until very late. It was a tall order however  the man who is known to speak very little took it on himself to show the world what only a great mind like Edison displayed or for that matter what Willy Wonka illustrated in the chocolate factory.

For me Steve Jobs was more of an artist, a painter who may have had a different canvas but the purpose was the same. Bring to life what the world deserves to see and feel and absorb and more importantly enrich itself with. His words at the Stanford convocation in 2005 are not just enlightening but also autobiographical. He was not only a super creative czar in the world of apple but also someone who felt and more importantly conveyed a common man’s emotions and worries. The part where he talked about the fear of death and how it is life’s biggest invention really wells up nothing but ‘respect’ for the man who so beautifully put forth a truth we all know about but somehow programmed to forget.

Steve Wozniak & Steve Jobs

May be that was what was different about Steve..! May be he never forgot the fact that death is an eventuality that does not knock on the door except interrupts the flow of life. Before his could go out of him he made sure he gives the world something to remember him by. The quality of a true human being who has indeed served a purpose; A purpose that looks out for the progress of the human race not only in technological  creations and inventions but also in examples of ‘self belief’ that took his creations leaps and bounds ahead of others, ‘righteousness’ that made him resign from the  CEO position thanks to failing health, passion that still saw him standing tall for the launch of the latest ipad and most importantly humaneness that never let go of the dream he dreamt in a garage 25 years ago with a friend who shared the same name but probably not the same destiny!! R.I.P Steve Jobs!  

Zach- pure & innocent ch1

This time the trip from Mumbai to Delhi wore a different hue. There was something about it that looked unsettled. The city that usually brims with joy, excitement and most of all fun for me, my Delhi looked a bit dazed. On second thoughts I think it was me. Yes, before getting to Delhi, we lost the most celebrated member of my family in mumbai, our beloved Rottweiler ZACH. He was 8. Honestly I wasn't quite aware of the fact that I was so attached to him until we lost him so suddenly. 
I must confess that I am a convert. A convert from being a non believer in keeping pets especially dogs to being one who cherishes Zach's presence in the house. I believe there is still time before I actually get to accept the overall concept but for sure Zach was an exception. 5 years ago when I first entered the Patel household situated on the main road between the plush Dadar Parsi colony and the green Matunga, other than the fact that I was going to meet my 'would be' in-laws, I was much worried about the most special member of the family who would meet me instead of it being the other way round J So after meeting the folks I sit there, not supposed to move too much and in comes a big, handsome, tall, large headed Zach. Must say I was taken aback by the sheer size of this guy, his face was literally in my face :-)! However despite his almost shocking size I noticed that he was immensely gentle, cutely sniffing all over. My dad in law is right when he says Zach is the four footed gentleman who is unaware of the muscle he and his kind hold. After all Rottweiler is a banned breed in some countries. This one was a family dog.
Hanez (my fiancé & now husband) was very clear that it will take a lot of time for Zach to get used to me and the day he lets me scratch his belly that would be the day when I would have broken the ice. Although I didn’t quite pay much heed to all the ‘alert talk’ the very next morning I opened the room door and saw Zach sitting in the alley looking at me wagging his nonexistent ‘poochh’. I laughed and started petting him and voila! our dear friend turns on his back and gives me his belly to scratch…yippee! I was grinning ear to ear. That I think was the moment when Zach and I became friends!   

Rain Dance Party!

There is nothing more inspiring than the time I am on road in mumbai. Just so much is happening in that 5 km stretch from home to office. Early morning when I am making a virtual to-do list, I see a couple enjoying their 'dashboard breakfast'... yes! it is actually a more recent addition to the psychological study of the metros (i am not making this up!!!) where people rushing to work have their breakfast in the car while it sits on the car's dashboard :-)). Anyhow, as I would maneuver through that edible happening, I realise it has started raining. The Mumbai rains are indeed like the 'bin bulaye mehmaan' that land up anytime without even informing, in this case a bit of thundering or lightning! They just start tipper-tapping on the car's roof..! Through the comforts of air conditioned interiors and watching the outside through my well wipered glass I see a group of slum children taking off their Baniyans and dancing away in the joy of receiving the much awaited shower. Such a beautiful, simple pleasure of life! These kids were completely unaware of the bustle of cars going past or the 'pollution' on the road or in the water. All they cared for was to get their dance steps right; there made for such an endearing sight when they tied their colorful baniyans on their waist and starting following their 'master ji' who was a slightly older boy in the gang. The rains have such different consequences in our heads. Inside the car I am worried about the umbrella that i didn't carry, the potholes that may give way to dirty water splashed on me the moment I get out of the car, the entire effort of tip toing through the kicchhad! But for these kids, none of this mattered; all that was important was how heavy can this rain fall and the tune in their heads to which they all are care freely dancing to on the side of yet another pothole! Am sure at some point they would use the pothole also as a prop!
Really, jaded as it sounds, in the bid to get all comfy and 'successful' we have somewhere lost the taste of the time for the simple joys of life!

WINDOW OF MY HOME, MY HEART. ch-2

Dad is forever busy with either running errands or his work. Although he is always delighted to see me, he doesn’t like to change his daily schedule unlike mom who would banish the world and worldly matters to spend some exclusive time with me. His mornings are not very early but he will be up and at it by 8. After filling his staple cloth bag with ‘makki ke daane’ for the birds he will be off to his morning walk to the city forest near by only to return by 9.30. Our entire family has always laughed about the fact that there is no one in this world who can direct timings and timelines to Dad. That is his single most reason to be self employed so he doesn’t have to report to anyone J Dad is adorable in his own way. We have shared many conversations, some utilitarian, some philosophical, some about the fun of living but only towards the latter part of me growing up. He was pretty busy while we used to go to school. There would be days when we would long to see him and even if he returned at 10 in the night my sister and I would jump in our beds. He would then come into our room and have dinner there only. Knowing my little sister’s love for food, he would offer her a ‘mini meal’ too. Those were dad’s hay days at work. He is not so busy now and hence has dedicated a big chunk of his mornings to fitness. And then his leisurely bath that can never happen before his stress busting habit of many years! Guess what? ‘Polishing his shoes’ Lol!!. Since the time I remember dad’s mornings his immense love for polished and shiny shoes is so strong that we as children would never have to bother about our school shoes being clean as they would be much more than that. In fact, with Dad, the shoes would be sparkling a night before itself! Beat this… he had tips on polishing shoes as well!! Did you know that if you apply only polish on your leather shoes a night before and then rub it in the shoes the morning after with a muslin cloth, they would shine so much that u may have to wear sun glasses? That’s Dad’s love for shoe polish! Trust me, our shoes shined more than Cinderella’s glass slipper!

There is one more thing about Dad which is brilliant, his candid sense of humor. There is no one on the roads who would be spared a joke when Dad is driving. In fact, driving down anywhere with Dad is an experience. Ever since work started becoming less, Dad decided to enjoy himself by taking almost a picnic basket to work. One big cane tokri which will have one huge khaane ka dabba, home-made dahi  and some fruits, of course, he wouldn’t forget his Times of India! I remember once I went to his work place with him and while on road the 33 km stretch (yes he travels this distance every day), he asked me to pull out the cane basket from the back seat. With much takleef I got it in front and from there he took out a guava and a knife and instructed me to cut it in a specific manner. Putting only slits in the guava enough to put the chat masala which was carefully packed in a newspaper. Yaar, I tell you I was fully impressed. Full picnic facility!! I love Dad’s spirit. Off lately, he has become a lot quieter but I can say that he is the one who has exemplified the way to live life for me, ‘king size’ and absolutely fearless. No matter what be the situation, Dad has only one line ‘Tension na le, koyi Goli nahin chal jayegi!!’ Love you papa!

WINDOW OF MY HOME, MY HEART- ch 1

Those rusty hinges of the main gate,

Will squeak one more time!

The twirling staircase encased on each floor would get me to halt,

To catch the view of the beautifully manicured garden down

And finally run further upstairs to become the delight of those forever waiting eyes,

Those loving hugs and cuddles!

I know I am missing home when I start revisiting the memory space occupying the various montages of not just home but its periphery as well. I start remembering the city forest I used to visit once a while with Dad. I remember the age old Kirana and icecream parlour ‘Premi uncle ki dukaan’. I want to go back to the crowded local GK (and have plates-ful of delicious Momos), Kalkaji Market and the E block Mandir where I somehow religiously go whenever I am home. I Love talking those long walks with mom on her various reasons to walk for relentless one and a half hours everyday and then feasting on garam garam Jalebi or her favorite Golguppas at Aggarwal sweets. Coming back home to some TV per bakwaas and to discover my mother’s new found love for desi latka jhatkas in innumerable dance shows that shard prime time of all channels. Ghar ki dal roti is always the most delightful part of coming home. Mom’s special ingredient is always there – love which is combined with ladles and ladles of care and affection. Looking at my mother every time and the smallest things that she does for me I realize the reason why I get all mushed up when I listen to any soppy, emotional, bollywood song on ‘Maa’… suddenly, that dialogue that we have forever made fun of starts making so much sense: “Mere paas maa hai’!!  Honestly I still don’t think we have gotten used to the fact that we don’t live together anymore. I guess the toughest part about changing cities has been staying away from the hugs & comforts of ‘Mom’.

First Prize goes to...

Nothing succeeds like success! honestly nothing in this world can give you a bigger high than success. For many years since childhood i have won a lot of awards, laurels and appreciation for extempore, speech and dramatics etc. and later in the work field for some good work. however if i were to categorize those laurels, i think there will be a few firsts and many many seconds!!
Whenever I received the second prize, it felt good but not great. I guess, its natural for anyone who comes second. It was always great to see that there were many who didn't even attempt to do what i did, then there were those who were really happy with the 'consolation' prize (personally, i feel it's a horrible category for prize, why couldn't they call it appreciation prize instead of keeping such a consoling name?). Having said that, the first prize is always pure gold. No amount of 'its great to participate only', 'see someone got the third prize also', nothing takes away the desirability of gold!
Somehow, over the years i couldn't help but notice that there were many occasions wher i have won a lot...a lot of second places!!
As if it got written on my mind that someday I will be second to none. i grew up, got into the corporate world but chose the path less trodden.. RADIO. i truly genuinely fell in love. My dad once told me, 'either you love the job you do, or do the job you love' and i can very proudly say i am one of the lucky few who managed the latter.
Its been 10 years. With mirchi as a jock being no.1 became second nature. then the question used to be how many gifts will i get from listeners this week? by what margin am i ahead of the second competitor? It was such an amazing feeling to be loved and adored by lakhs of people. It wasn't easy to leave the RJ's chair and move into the backdrop, into anonymity!
Came to a new city, new life, new challenges. Overcame them somewhat succesfully and came to Radio City as the Programming Director. This journey has been indeed peculiar and really really special!! This is the place where i realised paki pakayi khichdi khaane ka time nikal gaya hai!  In here there were not just challenges with the style of radio but the biggest battle was the people. As a jock I had never ever bothered about managing people as I was the one (being a RJ) who could officially throw tantrums! I genuinely started seeing the other side of the coin. Figured how difficult it is to manage egos, hormonal imbalances and most importantly 'boss haters' (I think there is a creed like that because no amount of logc appeals to these characters).
After one and a half years of exciting times of putting the product together, building the blocks and picking the right talent, WE HAVE FINALLY SEEN THE TOP SLOT!! While struggling at no.5 a couple of years ago, this looked like a very far fetched reality, my team has been able to break all boundaries, and exceeded in every sphere including SELF BELIEF. I have to say this.. it feels FANTASTICCCC!
The elixir of success is the sweetest! after many second positions I have personally been able to rip the wall and become numero uno. The hardwork has finally paid. I am no more jinxed with the number 2 position...Life's good!!

WORLD CUP KI CLASS!

'That's the way Mahi ve..!' 28 years later, all that one could see was that intense look in the eyes and a power packed six which vociferously stamped India's victory in the WORLD CUP. What a sight Dhoni was? completely sure, calm and absolutely focused, almost a corollary to his team mate on the other side Yuvi who was pushed to tears on the realisation of the dream that every Indian dreamt for 28 years. The victory had much more in store that what meets the eye!

There were moments of catharsis and certain lessons that really mean a lot to any garm josh individual.

Lesson no.1- NEVER SAY NEVER: After all India proved in more than one way. it was historically not only the first team to chase a WC final's score and win it but also the first team who won the world cup on home grounds thereby proving that no so called norm can come in the way of a strong mind or eventually the victory

Lesson no.2- PERSEVERANCE PAYS: Sachin waited 12 years for this day and while he waited he gave people some fantastic cricket to experience. It is almost as if the world cup victory was icing with a juicy cherry on cake but it was certainly not all that he would be remembered by. As SRK rightly said, 'aajkal bhagwan bhi confuse ho gaya hai, usse log Sachin keh ke bula rahe hain'. Despite that the man is the image of humility and pride.

Lesson no.3- PHOENIX IS NOT A MYTH:
Almost like the rise of the phoenix, Yuvraj singh made a comeback and became the 'man of the tournament' which was not just well deserved but surprising too. The man was almost written off after the T20 WC loss which led to many criticisms from the real to the 'armchair' critics. My dad-in-law very often calls him 'gas bag' much on the lines of too much attitude but zero altitude. I am sure after encountering many jokes on his physical girth, Yuvi has had a mighty last laugh. Here's hoping that Dad would finally be more than happy to relieve Yuvi off that title.

Lesson no.4- TEAM PLAYING IS THE KEY: The team was not just together in effort but in spirit as well. Their love and respect for Sachin surpassed any criticism any of them could have lent on his non performance in the final match. Each one of them unanimously spoke that they created history for 'Sachin'. After all, no matter how great a group is, if emotion has no place in it, it will never do well.

Lesson no.5- GOOD COACH= GREAT TEAM: Gary Kirsten got together a team which was probably reeling under a lot of insecurity, under confidence and self doubting individuals three years ago. It is under his tactful, disciplined & honest coaching that the team reached new heights. He made them walk the thin line between self confidence and inflated ego thereby teaching them much beyond what all of them would already know about the game.

Lesson no. 6- IT IS EASY TO CRITICISE THAN TO BE CORRECT: last but not the least, Dhoni's acceptance speech at the finale podium said it all. In a very tongue-in-cheek manner he spoke about how fickle natured cricket fans are. all the questions about choosing sreesanth over Ashwin, chasing a high score and missing opportunities to score could be now put to rest since we have won the world cup. bitter yet true. We are all such 'arm chair' critics. We cannot possibly be all ok all the time in our lives but love to bash someone else up for how wrong he/she is and that includes the game that is so close to all our hearts. Seriously we gotta stop that.

In the end, all's well that ends well. Although I was just 2 when we won the world cup in 1983, I am immensely happy that now after many many years, a colored photo of Dhoni and team will replace the black and white memory of Kapil dev and men for any mention or promo of World cup. The montage and the memories are fresh and definitely delightfully colorful! Dhoni, bade cup mein chai ka mazaa hi kuchh aur hai..!

THE PROBLEM OF PLENTY

There has always been a tingling feeling to figure what would have happened if the choices made in life were different.

What if I would have chosen to be a writer and not an RJ? What if I would have chosen a career option in Pune and not stayed back with my then boyfriend? What if I wouldn’t have gotten hitched the time I did? What if?

The questions never cease to exist because the choices we make never seem to be just right or completely wrong. At least in my life barring a few erratic ‘in-love’ situations I can very comfortably say that life has never been a complete and perfect plus or minus.

There have been choices and there have been thoughts. I guess somewhere it is good to explore both in comparison and context of each other. Life becomes a lot more interesting and you look forward to it and the challenges of the choices a lot more.

One is called the free will and the other is karma. Both have their respective consequences. The former is in the present life and the latter could be from the past life or the current. Whichever way it turns out, our attractions, our inherent likes or dislikes are all due to this one mind and one heart.

Mind seems to have that extra id which works on its own and man has no control on it. Heart seems to clearly follow the path less travelled, clearly steering away from logic and judiciously following the ‘gut feel’, ‘the hunch’. There are people who we meet the first time and dislike instantly. Guess what? Sooner or later we realise that the relationship with that person never turns out to be healthy. Now whether that is the past life connection, strained heart strings or just the mind reflecting the feeling and hence logically taking the relationship forward... i don’t know!!! What I do know is that there is much more to the brain than meets the eye and far more mysteries and realms of life to explore than what the heart can fathom.

My many instant connections and lovely bonds can completely be credited to my beautiful ‘first time likes’. My relationship with my doctor cum nutritionist is one such fantastic bond. Our journey as friends (or god knows what bond that is!) just continues effortlessly. We don’t need to call each other all the time but whenever we speak, we do with a lot of clear hearted affection which is devoid of any expectation. To think that we just met at a radio show and took to each other immediately makes me realise that the heart also makes brilliant choices which somehow turnout perfectly (well!!! Most of the times). What if I would have chosen to keep my distance and not bother about this one time meeting?

As i said before, I love to ponder in my own journey of choices and endeavour to classify them under mind and heart and I can very easily say now that life has not been easy on choices... ‘the problem of plenty’ bothers the mind as much as the heart J

COLORS!!

Colors!...They express so much. They reflect the light into our dull lives, they are the birds of our imagination and they take us where we have never been. I wonder why it is such so cleansing to be able to just play with colors?

Well, in reflection there is just so much that evokes so many emotions in us in a day; as if we were the canvas on which our heart paints many colors of emotions. The result most often than not, is not conclusive like a portrait but it is streaked, all over the place abstraction.

No wonder, I think there is a lot more fun in abstract than clear defined figures on a canvas. A background covered with many directionless beautiful colors is far more inspiring. They give you a piece of life really! on one hand, they are hope, they are fun, they are many prayers put together and then on the other they are dejection, jealousy or tears of failure and loss as well.

Whichever way they come, playing with these colors on canvas is complete catharsis!!. It is meditation which invariably concludes into a still mind. It is life that finds its own course just like the many colors coming together to find a unique expression on the canvas.

There is a lot of ‘me time’ that I spend in reveries of what be the ‘it’ way to really ‘live’. With the tying down chores of life I perpetually find my stream of consciousness running awry into a flood of so many thoughts that I drown in it. There seems to be no way out because thinking from the heart does pose detrimental in the ‘rat race’. Frankly the vivid and brilliant forms of yoga have not helped (or may be i didn't try too hard!). Neither has there been a possibility of calm when I sit still concentrating on my nostrils. It’s just not me.

Nonetheless, the tryst with meditation has gotten me to realize (yet again!!) that one thing which purges me is the burst of colors. I feel them in my hands, put them on the white bare canvas and feel free. The canvas is like that one slice of my life that has no obligations to fulfill, nothing to worry about and no rules to follow.   

The joy of seeing a painting unfold is inexplicable. That feeling is not just the creation but the process that it has involved to conclude into a beautiful art piece. Every time, I complete a painting it is a completion of the purgation process; it is the final ‘tangible’ product of my innumerable emotions; it’s a release of that energy which if not used makes me feel wasted and just so worthless. It is the gift that gives me the courage to cut the strings and be the free radical that I always wanted to be…a spirit whose destination is defined by the roads it travels.

Care for some abstract painting anyone?