Ramblings of the mind

Happy New yr

2007-01-11T02:33:00.000-08:00

I think a lot of you visit this blog even though it looks barren ..thankyou ,thankyou and some more thanks .I really ,truly appreciate it .Iam not dead ,just busy with work and many other things that are on my plate now .But my food blog is thriving,so drop me a note there and I promise you I will respond back.
Visit me at Here.

Update on me : I made new beginnings last yr like I said.It was a promising year ,and I want to continue this year on the same note.I would like to know what's been happening with everyone.Do share:-)

and remember Iam NOT dead nor is my blog, so keep visiting

Take care & God bless

Hiatus Interruptus

2006-03-27T13:27:00.000-08:00

I just intended to take a small nap and it turned into deep sleep , but iam up and back from my long sabbatical . For a while I thought I would not return to this world but it beckoned time and again and I couldnt say no ..

Though a little late , I dedicate this yr to hope and new beginnings .

Post Christmas Elation and then some

2005-12-28T13:09:00.000-08:00

3 days past Christmas and I was going through the pictures on my digital camera....Everyone loved the gifts I got them .So it was all worthwhile and made me happy .
A heightened sense of elation comes from looking at the pictures of my 5 yr old niece..literally lighting up as she saw her gifts and then opened them one by one ..Sometimes with a twinkle in her eye , othertimes a huge big grin and yet others admist peals and peals of laughter from getting something she wanted ..Loved those moments.

What stole my heart was "Nu mashi , thankyou for all the lovely gifts .I love them " She told me this atleast 10 times and I was jolted into knowing that she's now an articulate kid ,not the toothless, wordless infant I once knew .Yes, Time flies .

Look at these pictures and see what I mean :-)

"Wow , I have so many gifts .Oh my Gosh " (these were her exact words)

"Nu Mashi, Pink is my favorite color"

"Mommy , look what I got , a sparkly clock for my room, yay!!"

"Look, I've got wings"

"My (Uma's) stuff"

Those were a lovely few days spent with family.

Now, follow me as I get ready for the last party of the year appropriately called " Goodbye 2005, Welcome 2006". Come join me .The countdown has begun already.

Here comes CHRISTMAS

2005-12-24T20:03:00.000-08:00

This is how the Christmas tree is at my place is looking right now.
Presents galore. Hope everyone is having a good holiday season .

And a Merry Christmas to you too :-)

Made

2005-12-23T04:08:00.000-08:00

So what does it take to make your day ??

For me it varies...A smile ,a hug ,"an I love you" from people I love, passing all my MBA exams(yipee),understanding & empathy in trying times ,chatting with my best pal, an "I believe in you"or "You can do it "when Iam down and out, perhaps an genuine compliment and a word of appreciation for bone breaking efforts made for someone......All of these double my joy because they are as unexpected as snowfall in July .......

My day is also made with a testimonial when I expect it least , infact when I dont expect it all.

Yesterday I logged onto orkut(an online site where one mostly makes friends from one's area or anyplace around the world) after what seemed an eternity; to ponder on my pointless existence in the online world and wonder how things had changed from last yr when I was so active there.Now I hardly logged on .And staring me right in my face were the following words..

" Meenal - warm and friendly. Has an uncanny ability to connect easily with people. She's a person you wont mind trusting anything with.

Her blog is a must read. She has an amazing ability of writing with a proportion of clarity and emotion that evokes thought while touching you deeply. Sounds a little strange, but sometimes I have found words for my thoughts in her blogs!

And yes, has thrown the most awesome parties I have attended in last few years. Awesome cook :D You do not want to miss her invites! "

A smile appeared on my face , a slight uncertain twitch which soon became an ear to ear grin.

I who have lately started becoming skeptical of making friends in the online world ...This was just what I needed ..........I admit I have met some good people out there.While some are genuine ,a lot fo them are total pseudo intellectuals , brimming with self importance and a notion of superiority waging a war of the words .Mostly my diligence has been rewarded and sometimes its been an exercise in futility .

These words are from a friend who was also skeptical (he thought my attempting to make friends with him was to snag him into some pyramid scheme ) of online friends and I kept telling him that it was possible to meet good people..Today he's a convert and so are a few others of my friends.

Thanks M for restoring my waning faith .It freinds like you , Sudarshan , Sudip , Aparna who I met in cyber space who make me reach out and find good people out there.............. I know once again that its worth it .

THANKYOU for making my day :-)

Rainier, Rainier

2005-12-19T21:12:00.000-08:00

I love Mount rainier .At 14,410ft its a humungous natural "fixture" in Washington and what a lovely fixture it is .Covered in pristine white snow it can be daunting,calm,dangerous and breath takingly beautiful, all at the same time .

I see it from my bedroom window and from my living room every day.Now that's what one would call a view .

Here 's the mountain in its different avatars.

Rainier reflected in Tipsoo Lake

The mountain overseeing Tacoma

Rainier as seen from University of Washington

Rainier as seen from one of the trails

Sunset at Rainier

Got answers, Santa ??

2005-12-17T00:39:00.000-08:00

"You better watch out , You better not cry ,
You better not howl ,Iam telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town "

One of my favorite Christmas carols , this time I look forward to singing it with my 5 yr old niece . Christmas is around the corner and its time for her to make that trip to the mall and ask Santa some questions ...

Here's what a conversation between her and Santa would sound like

"What if there is no chimney ??"
Santa : If a house does not have a chimney, then I use some of my magic dust to make a chimney appear. Then the chimney disappears as soon as I leave.
"What's your favorite food ?"
Santa:My most favorite are cookies, but I'll eat just about anything that you like and that you leave for me on Christmas Eve.
"How do the reindeer fly?"
Santa :They eat special corn that makes them fly.
" How does Santa get all the toys into the sleigh at one time ?
Santa :Actually, my red toy sack is magical in that it is bottomless and continues to stay full until has made all his deliveries to all the children around the world.
"where do you get your red suit?"
Santa "My wife sews it for me "
"Why is your suit red?"
Santa : SoI wouldnt get lost in the snow.
"Will you always bring what I ask for ?"
Santa : Sometimes Santa thinks that what you ask for may not be the best gift for you, so he may give you something you will enjoy better.
" Do you really read all the letters you get ?"
Santa: Yes, each and every one.
"Well , thankyou Santa, I cant wait to see all the gifts you get me ."
Santa :Why , little one you are welcome .take care and God bless.Be good nowand BIG HUG!!

Santa Claus is coming to town ..HO.HO .HO !!!

Adapted from (www.northpole.com)

Meanwhile ,here's some of my Christmas cooking with a twist http://meenalmehta1.blogspot.com/2005/12/christmas-with-indian-flavor.html

Back to Reality

2005-12-07T14:53:00.000-08:00

I am Missing my Country

When the birds are singing early in the morning,
when the sun is rising and shining,when the sky is raining,

(-Farida)

Yes , Iam missing everything back home , good and the bad .

A visit to India goes faster than can I can say POOF .It always ZIP , ZAP and ZOOM .Always time to leave ,just when I was getting reacquainted and comfortable with all things that have changed .When I returned last Monday , I could think nothing but of the terrible back and knee aches I had from the long plane journey .I was really groggy for a while ..I slept straight for I don't know how many hours and then got up in the middle of the night.

It was then that I had the time to register that I was back .The physical pain then turned into something else ...A feeling of emptiness , confusion , melancholia ............A seething pain in the heart , almost palpable. The festivities and joy had turned into silence, the joy de vivre had turned into solitude and loneliness ..the feeling of being uprooted 4 yrs back into a cold , unwelcoming set of circumstances crept back . the Hindi chatter turned into English banter .the direct stares in your face turned to polite dismissal . And then for no reason tears started pouring down my face...I know , women !!(they just like to cry) :-)

I love India but I do not love everything about it.Or should I say just Delhi since that's where I come from .The absolute chaos at the international airport , literally swarms of people and did I say hordes and hordes of cars with no space to accommodate them.The traffic scared the living daylights out of me .The societal setup and the family politics like one of my friend says would take an encyclopedia to explain .(Payal , Iam quoting you here ).

Yes , its lovely to meet family but why does everyone and their grandfather expect you to visit them and then throw a tantrum if you do not give them individual attention for paucity of time and frankly, paucity of any feeling .And then ofcourse , one has to always do what is proper and is approved by society.God help me .I almost pulled out my hair a couple of times .I jsut concentrated on the Tv shows , the movies , the eating out , marvelling at the new hotspots and malls that had come up and the little bit of shopping that I was able to manage

And I felt weird at feeling that way .Because I have lived in India all my life . I have studiedthere , worked there , made lifelong freinds there and have family there .In a hundred lifetimes , I did not know I would feel this kind of frustartion and angst at so many things. but I did . Yeah , sad but true .

Everytime I come back from India , I end up feeling confused about where I belong ....here or there , or maybe nowhere ...and then I tell myself ,its just me , No matter where I go and stay, there will be times where I dont feel like I belong .I just need to find who Iam and thats the only thing thats ever going to work .Its a catch 22 and Iam working at figuring out a happy medium .

Will find that one day .Yes Iam hopeful .

Meanwhile Iam BACK TO life or REALITY as I call it and the daily grind .These trips are strange , they connect you and yet they derail you .Maybe I feel too much , Maybe I need to take it in my stride or maybe I need to take longer vacations than 15 days, so I can return satiated .

Will I ever ?

Picture Perfect

2005-12-03T10:13:00.000-08:00

Looks like all of this month is going to be devoted to my india trip..the overflowing stuff from the unpacked suitacses ,sprawled all over the apartment , the dvd's , the pictures , the countless knick-knacks and momentos are all reminders of a 15 day hectic but emotionally charged trip.

As I gravitate to normalcy(read , life after returning) and get over my jet lag and various aches and pains , I browse through the pictures again and again....and AGAIN

here are some of my favorites .

Jagran and mata ki chouki , 15 November

the set up

Mr.Photogrpaher , dont take my picture

Uma ji , jaago..still on US time?

what did you say ?

the singer

Nach Baliye

Sagai , Chunni Charana 17th November afternoon

The lovely Divya

The Dulha with the apple of everyone's eye

Mommy's girls

Mom and dad

Aakhon aakhon mein baat honey do :-)

Us to the newly engaged couple"lagey raho bacchon"

sweets for my sweet bhabhi

Mera mamu rang rangila mein to nachoongi

didi to Uma "beta look up"

Mr. & Mrs.

Dinner, Dance ,Rusna & Gana Ceremony 17th November evening

Mehendi

Mehendi II

The wedding singer

the posse

Mom dancing ..thats a first

Papa singing "ae meri zohrazabin"to ma

yay, kal meri shadi hai

bhangra pa le

Ghadoli 18th November morning

Our house all dressed up

lights, camera, action

Bhabhi with the ghadoli

dance

and some more dance

Sehrabandi, Baraat & Shaadi 18th November Evening

the headgear torture begins

meri behnon, zara prem se

feeding the ghodi

Here I go

Beta soch le , abhi bhi time hai

beta , ab to tera band baj gaya

barati

Dance like there's no tomorrow

the fire spitting bhangra dancers

Divya to Bmm"gotycha"

guys , get ready to sport your plastic smile

the yaya sister-brotherhood

beta , mithai khao

now we are formally a couple

quid pro-quo

and now comes the sad part :(

doli

and no more dancing ....bhabhi has arrived , I need rest :-)

That's all for now..More later .Enjoy and let me know how you found the pictures :-)

Yeh Kahan aa gaye hum

2005-12-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

Hello folks ...

Iam back from India ..........lots to tell , tonnes of memories , pictures and accounts to share ..Iam still looking at the dvd's of the marriage and the gazillion pictures taken and contemplating which one's to put up and share with everyone.

Meanwhile, winter has arrived early in Washington state .While there was no snow last year , there's tonnes this yr .All the ski resorts have opened early and are having a gala time .. Me ,Iam just stumped ..earlier because India was hot , for Novemeber and now this extreme change of temperature ,here in Tumwater.

It snowed all day today and we ended scrapping plans for a romantic weekend at Seaside ,Oregon .Kept feeling nostalgic and missing my mom and dad .Wished I was a kid once again, with not a care in the world

Chalo India

2005-11-11T01:07:00.000-08:00

hey folks ,

For those of you who read my blog , this is my last one ,for a while ..and then Iam on break ..a small ,sweet , hiatus ...Iam not gone forver ,just until the 28th of this month

coz Iam leaving for INDIA ..yippee!!

thanks for dropping by and Happy thanksgiving :-)

Food blog entry no:6 -10

2005-11-07T22:56:00.000-08:00

I have been posting recipes and pictures on my food blog ..check them out

6. Rock fish fillet in red curry

7. Durga Puja Fare

8. Grilled Salmon with steamed vegetables

9.Simple yet complete

10. Lamb Curry

http://meenalmehta1.blogspot.com

Better late than Never -Part II

2005-11-07T21:29:00.000-08:00

Lifes busy and thats good. Busy also means stretching one's self thin and scrambling between deadlines -both professional and personal .But its ok, thats life. and life is nothing if not a celebration.

I thought it would be better to post these pictures before it became too late.They are from this Diwali ...It was a recreation the festival of lights .

Everyone raved about the party on the the quantity and quality of food and were really surprised to know that we had cooked it all (lamb do piyaza, rajma, pulao, poori, stuffed gobhi, dahi bhalla, saag paneer, moong daal halwa, an assortment of mithai and rasmalai) .Most of the food was cooked by my sister and she did an awesome job .

The organising , planning ,coordinating and finally hosting the party for twenty people took the wind out of our sails and physically tired us out (because we did it all in one day ) but it was totally worth it and soooo much FUN!!!

Its a pity that my digital camera was not charged to take pictures .............

But Here are a few glimpses from the oh so fun party we threw :-)

The appetisers(Its a pity I dont have a picture of the main course)

Am I singing "Jana gana Mana " ....??

The prancy little lady with the diwali lights in the backdrop

Rangoli to recreate the festive spirit ..Happy Diwalloeen

Happy Diwalloween

2005-11-01T00:18:00.000-08:00

diwali + halloween = diwalloeen

As one of friends wished me...

Here's wishing diwali brings light and glory and halloween the spirit of joy to your life ..

Twelve days and counting ..Iam off to India soon ..Hope to celebrate diwali in India next year ..

Eulogy

2005-10-20T00:17:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dad

Iam not sure what it feels like when one becomes a parent ...but if my parents and my sister are any indication , my guess is I will love my child to death .Yes ,I think I will .

Have always heard " What children take from parents , they give. Parents become people who feel more deeply, question more deeply, hurt more deeply, and love more deeply" and believe that to be true in what I have seen ...Parents who love their kids (and I say this because all chidren are not so lucky) are actually as selfless as they come .I have known two such folks all my life and Iam sure so have all of you out there.

Its less than a month before I leave for India and I was missing my mom and my dad.We are 3 siblings and I spent the longest time with the folks , so I like tobelievee that I understand them a tad better (which ofcourse is not true) and have forged a little more of a bond with them.

Being away for almost 4 yrs from them with only one visit in between has suddenly made me so nostalgic and also realise that I was suffering from the"ghar ki murgi daal barabar" syndrome.Distance has ofcourse made the heart grow fonder and I hang to the million-zillion memories that I have of them and always recall how they are so instrumental in the person Iam today.

I once wrote a tribute to my mom and mailed it to her ...She was so touched , she couldnt find the words ..So she took a printout of my mail and has it amongst her treasured belongings .Even today if I sat down and started talking no amount paper would be enough.There's just too much to say .

So, no long letters this time , just a poem for you , ma and dad :-)

I may no longer be that little child who always Wanted another hug or minute with you But I still miss you when we are apart.

I may no longer need your hand for every step I take But I still need your acceptance and support of everything I do.

I may not be that little child who asked For all the things I ever wanted in the world But that's because long ago you taught me How to go after my dreams.

I may no longer be that little child who Looked to you to share every hurt, smile and tear But I still feel like that child whenever I think of you

I'll always love you, Mom and Dad, With the heart of that little child Grown to love you only more

Love & See you both soon ....

Blog this

2005-10-18T23:10:00.000-07:00

"Blogs are like a pair of shoes ...everyone sports one "

I read this somewhere a few days and it stuck with me .So as if being an insignificant grain in the sands of time is not bad enough ..this statement just turned up the feeling many notches...

But do I really care ?....I still continue to say what I have to say ...I never wrote to please anybody..just myself .....so who cares if my blog is or isnt the most fashionable out there ...

its just a reflection of me .........and THATS GOOD ENOUGH :-)

Better Late than Never

2005-10-15T21:22:00.000-07:00

NRI's dont get to have a say in when they celebrate their festivals .So when they are eventually celebrated (and that too on weekends),everyone who feels homesick is there.Durga Puja was finally celebrated in Seattle today(Dusshera was on 12th)and all days and events were packed into one day -pushpanjali,prasad distribution,lunch,entertainment -antakshari,plays in the evening,music etc etc.

It was a welcome break from my busy and very drab schedule of and working and studying and was a lot of fun .Enjoyed the day while it lasted ..

Here are some pictures :

The pratima

Me..Pensive one moment

smiling the next

Family, freinds ...

and Food complete the picture :-)

Here are my durga puja recipes on Foodies Unite.

http://meenalmehta1.blogspot.com/2005/10/durga-puja-fare.html

Shubho Bijoya and Happy Dusshera everyone:-)

Food blog entry no:5

2005-10-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

heres my new food blog entry ....its called Pastalicious ..check it out !

http://meenalmehta1.blogspot.com/2005/10/pastalicious.html

An Indian Wedding in America

2005-10-12T15:53:00.000-07:00

Friends, I present to you a picture story from an Indian wedding I attended in California some time back .I had never been to a wedding of folks who have been born and brought up in America and are for all practical purposes American.Aakash and Neena Patel's wedding was an interesting fusion of typical Gujrati-Indian wedding and an American wedding .

The Wedding ceremony and some pre wedding ceremonies

I did not have pictures of dandia and garba and dinner on the eve of the wedding .But they were so much fun.It was a day wedding(mostly an American practice)and the pictures are of various ceremonies throughout the day

1)Pooja,ceremonies and dancing at the Groom's camp before he mounted the ghodi and left to marry his beloved.
2)Welcoming Akash -by Neena's mom ,sister, cousins and other relatives
3))Ganesh Poojan
3)Antar Patt & Mangalashtakum- worshipping the five elements (fire, earth, water ,air & light )
4)Neena's Arrival-escorted by her maternal uncles , Neena walked to the wedding alter set by the beautiful backdrop of a flowing stream.
5)Hasta Melap(joing of hands) & Kanyadaan(giving away the daughter)
6)Mangal Phera (the 4 circles) unlike the seven pheras in a typical North Indian wedding.
7)Saptapadi (the seven vows)
8)Mangalsutra ,Sindoor & Exchanging rings
9)Ashirwaad(family blessings)
10)Vidai(Farewell to the daughter)

Reception at Grand Ballroom at the Hyatt Hotel

The reception evening was spectacular and full of anticipation as 500 guests arrived to see Mr.& Mrs. Patel for the first time .There was a stage set for the newly wed couple, their parents and siblings & respective spouses.
The Ball Room was divided into 2 halves ..the groom's and the bride's family and freinds and there were two giant screens on both sides to screen the couples love story .The evening was wonderfully anchored by a Master of cermonies.There were numerous speeches, first dance , the father-daughter and the mother son dance .There was wonderful food and wine and in the end there was dancing , the perfect end to a great evening.

Souvenirs from the Wedding

The wedding souveniers are dandia sticks , a lovely little hand fan ,dainty water bottles with the bride-groom's version of how they met and heart shaped cholcates with compliments from the bride and groom.

Tagged again...23rd and 5th

2005-10-05T03:24:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Aparna ...

something about picking up the 23rd blog entry from the archives, find the 5th sentence and post it:)

Found it funny but what the heck...at 3:20 in the morning , nothign better to do so will do this:P

My 23rd post was called Metamorphosis and here's the fifth sentence .

"I am yet to see a single baby thats not beautiful... black,white,brown,yellow, all adorable ,arriving helpless into the world , making better people out of their parents (for the most part)and others who are close and love them"

Heres a link to that blog entry
http://meenalmehta.blogspot.com/2005/07/meta-morphosis.html

Hmm ..I will tag Gangadhar, Tarun, Paro, Parth and Mohit.

happy bday to you

2005-10-03T11:48:00.000-07:00

happy birthday , albiet a month and a day late to my freind who writes a blog under the moniker "sanity starved" .

hope you liked the pedometer and the gulabjamuns:-)

Fall's here

2005-09-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

Seattle is a lovely place and even lovelier in fall..Its fascinating to see how the leaves that were once green turn red, brown and yellow .The bite in the air intensifies as we get ready for winter.

I love fall! Fall is exciting.
It's apples and cider.
It's an airborne spider.
It's pumpkins in bins.
It's burrs on dog's chins.
It's wind blowing leaves.
It's chilly red knees.
It's nuts on the ground.
It's a crisp dry sound.
It's green leaves turning
And the smell of them burning.
It's clouds in the sky.
It's fall. That's why...
I love fall.(Anon)

MY new food Blog Entry

2005-09-30T15:10:00.000-07:00

Folks,

check out my new food blog entry

http://meenalmehta1.blogspot.com/2005/09/satisfied-customers.html

He loves me ..he loves me not .

2005-09-29T23:33:00.000-07:00

I have been tagged for many things ..words, books,movies etc.I have mostly not been able to return the favor but this time I could'nt resist responding.I was tagged by Aparna and Sudip for a 55 word story and here are my two cents.

Here goes.

Fifteen days went by without a phone or email.She thought of him and wondered if there really was anything between them. She loved him and thought he did as well ...Or...Maybe not. Anxiety and sadness enveloped her .Suddenly the phone rang. It was him ,"Did you miss me sweetie?" She smiled .All was well.

Continuing the great tradition I tag Paro,Gangadhar and Mohit :)

MY FOOD BLOG

2005-09-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

Yipee !!I started it finally , check it out :)

http://meenalmehta1.blogspot.com/

A packed weekend

2005-09-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was in keeping with my current philosophy of "work hard, party harder"

Yeah, with work and other work like activities(read studying) taking up disproportionate amounts of my time right now, I decided to fit in three parties in my weekend ..and it was well, worth it .

The first one was a Dandiya organized by CRY(child relief and you),It was fun with mostly hindi film music ..the party started at 8pm and would last till 1am but we headed out earlier ..much earlier at 10:45 or so ..and this was before the p-a-r-t-y really kicked in with its bhangra music......It was fun meeting up with a lot of friends there..Debangsu,Soumya,Madhu,Sarjana,Nehal,Hetal,Parth,Kaivalya ,Milind.

Overall , a gala time with the dandiya sticks.

Party number 2,an American bday party..complete with jello shots,vodka,wine,and cocktails ..We were late arrivals and it was kind of over when we reached there, the bday girl was feeling a little sick and was resting ...somewhat of an anticlimax but still good ..as we got to meet other people and exchange views...

Party number 3 ,at home ..with freinds ,beer and wine ..watched Satya, Company & vastav and it was what we called a hindi gangsta movie marathon:) lots of chatter and violence :) fun with a capital F...thanks to the wine and exhaustion from the days before , the human wickets started falling until just two people ..Me & Soumya were left ,discussing the movie plots & volunteer work.My energy went kaput at 9:30 am in the morning and after breakfast I went to catch up on my self acquired sleep deficit.

that was it for me and back today ...to Work & sprucing up for the exams ,mostly challenging, sometimes boring ...How did your weekend go?

Alive and kicking

2005-09-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

The third part for the last post didnt get posted .Oh well,things dont always go as planned .I surfaced today after being burried in piles of work and BOOKS ...admist accounting reports,strategic audits and muiltinational theories,a gazillion assignments for the MBA and now impending exams ...I had good reason to be buried ...still am ... just got here to get a breath ..

Here's some of the stuff I did recently other than studying and working

1) The last book I read : well that would be my business analysis textbook ,I dont think that counts ..so the next best would be Timeline by Michael Crichton

2)Movies I have seen :the last hindi movie I saw salaam namastey ..nice , breezy and slick movie .Saif & Preity looked great and have good chemistry and in what scope they had ,are effortless .They have the haughty but sweet girl- fickle but nice guy ..routine down pat by now .Also saw Sarkar , very good..Abhishek has been my favorite for a while now , Sarkar reinforced his standing and I noticed Amitabh Bacchan had a nice haircut ..(peals of laughter)
The last english movie...hmm, would be Hotel Rwanda starring Don Cheadle..intense and very disturbing is what comes to mind when I recall it. Great movie .

3)Other activities : been working out reglarly , attended an Indian wedding in California(thats a sepearte post in itself), went to the innaugral party for Tasveer( a South East Asian film festival), saw a wonderful musical -One upton a time on this island (this past saturday),went to the laugh factory in Hollywood -enjoyed a wonderful show which was titled "chocolate night"

4)Stuff's that coming up and that Iam excited about :CRY dandia,parties,clubbing , durga pooja ,Rusell peters show,Algorythm-the musical show and Diwali.

5)Stuff that Iam really excited about : Visiting India for my brothers wedding ,my food license,the start of my food blog and my catering business :)

6)Stuff that Iam not looking forward to : My exams in October ..Yuck!!

7)My Frame of mind these days :driven, optimisic, hopeful .

Well that should do it .

So,for anyone who reads my blog and wonders where Iam or cares what I have upto ....folks ,Iam ALIVE & KICKING ....

Digital Enhancement .....OR....lack of it ...PART II

2005-09-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

So after the much sucess and laughter inducing effect of PART I,I present PARTII.These pictures have some celebrities sporting punk haircuts and later wrinkles,lots of them ...Enjoy !!

Punk Rock Chicks
Nicole Kidman

Nicole is known for her honey blonde curls not this sparse,moth infested look.

Mariah Carey

Mariah has a perfectly shaped head under all that hair or what was hair once.Dont you think?;)

Kirsten Dunst

Kirsten is a natural blonde with the most endearing dimples..besides this looks too contrived and unreal.

OLD IS NOT ALWAYS
Avril Lavigne

The girl is barely 20 yrs old and besides she still sports teenage clothes.Whoever came up with this picture of her,needs to get a grip.

Cameron Diaz

She is picture perfect with a buff bod and seems to be on some kind of a youth elixir.Her turning into this would be blasphemy.No way Jose.

Catherine Zeta Jones

This here is not funny ,I think its sad,besides it impossible

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman has a porcelain complexion and an alabaster skin ..besides wrinkles of these magnitude happen if one is careless and goes out in the sun too much .Shes famously afraid of the sun.

Allright, these women in their punk rock hairstyles are still imaginable (Although Nicole is a style icon and she wouldnt be caught dead sporting this hair do) but women who have fabled beauty,make a gazillion trips to spas ,salons and plastic surgeons cannot reach this state of affairs.

But admit it,you did laugh for a bit, didnt ya?

Look out for PART III, now those would be the really funny pictures.

Digital Enhancement .....OR....lack of it ...PART I

2005-08-31T15:36:00.000-07:00

"Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder " Sure it does ...

But tell me why is this world then obsessed with beauty at such a superficial level ..why do we only look and lust after beautiful ,sexy people,toned bodies and abs ? Why are the perfect celebrities then(perfect only physically though)so obsessed with getting themselves airbrushed and digitally enhanced even at their size 0's and 2's (I'm talking the female celebrities here).

Why this endeavor to be dangerouly thin and more PERFECT ??

Don't know ..I guess the answer is because their face and their bodies are their bread and butter and nobody particularly cares to look at an overweight or obese celebrity .Sad? YES!! Pressure? YES!! Unfair? YES!! Superficial ?? Hell YES!!!

I wonder if these folks ever entertain the thought of packing on the pounds and letting themselves go just to relax a little bit seeing how people react (and this mind you is not thier roles demanding it)
I can bet ........the reaction cant be good because the public does not care to see the beauty in these minds , only on their bodies and the visage, also then they would loose their million dollars salaries in a heartbeat.

This morning I came across some hilarious pictures and I will present them in 3 parts ..these are pictures of women who are superstars and known around the world for their beauty,sex appeal,talent ... I could not have for the life of me imagined that these women could look this unappealing..ever !!! Why?? Because its just unimaginable

Well, see for yourself .These pictures have been digitally enhanced to make them look like they packed on the pounds ...too many pounds, I think.

Alyssa Milano :

Check out this petite stunner from poison ivy , and the Television series Charmed. No she doesnt look like a stunner,at all.

Angelina Jolie

This absolutely gorgeous woman, with tonnes of attitude, currently the fair and the sexier half of Brangelina . How do you think she looks? Nah! Not sexy , more like a fridge raider.

Britney Spears

This super star and teeny bopper who does 400 sit ups a day...Look good to you ??Not to me .

Catherine Zeta Jones

There's only word for Catherine and that's would be STUNNING .I cannot imagine her like this.Can you?

Halle Berry

This beautiful woman who gets sexier every year is inconceivable like this .What do you think?

Kelly Minogue

Like fine wine,this woman keeps getting better every year and epitomises sexy .But this and her??A big no.

Shakira

This belle dancing crooner with the biiig voice and truck loads of sex appeal is nothing if not gorgeous and sexy ...Her and this state ? Cant think of it .

So I saw these pictures today and laughed my way to work.Still have a few good laughs left in me .These pictures are realistically impossible.I mean these women would probably die than entertain such a thought.But it was hilarious,even if only for just a few minutes .

Keeping watching this space for Part II and III.

An Evening at Rainier

2005-08-24T14:15:00.000-07:00

Of ties and bonds

2005-08-24T01:30:00.000-07:00

"I think people that have a brother or sister don't realize how lucky they are. Sure, they fight a lot, but to know that there's always somebody there, somebody that's family."

Yes people with siblings are lucky ..Iam very lucky.I have two.In our country we have special festivals like bhai dooj and rakhi to mark our day.For years I have celebrated it like yet another festival not reading much into it and sometimes even underestimating its importance.Its only the years apart that make me miss it.For many years now,we have been celebrating rakhi in absentia.But this year was different.It was special

..Why you ask ??? Well, because me and my brother were together after a gazillion yrs and we decided to prepone the festival and celebrate it on our own time ..So we celebrated it not on the 19th but on the 2nd of this month .

Found this poem very fitting :-)

As kids, we lived together, We fought, we laughed, we cried.
We did not always show the love, that we both had inside.

We shared our dreams and plans, and some secrets too.
All the memories we share, Is what bonds me now to you.

We grew to find we have a love, that is very strong today.
It’s a love shared by our family, that will never fade away.

You are my brother not by choice, but by the nature of our birth.
I could not have chosen a better one, you are the best on earth.

This post I dedicate to you ,my brother ...happy RB..much love

7

2005-08-09T14:06:00.000-07:00

Its been quite a while since I visited this space.No matter how busy I got or how other things commanded my attention I have always needed to be here and say what was on my mind ..As always there was a deluge of thoughts.....So ,I started thinking about something as basic as days of the week ....sun, mon,tue,wed,thur,fri, sat........Ah !! 7 ... There's my blog entry:-)

Now there's a long list of sevens 7 continents , 7wonders of the world ,7 vows of marriage,the 7deadly sins(pride, envy,gluttony ,lust,anger,greed ,sloth),
7 virtues(humility,kindness,abstinence,chastity, patience,liberality, diligence),7 corporal works of mercy (feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, give shelter to strangers, clothe the naked, visit the sick, minister the prisoners, bury the dead),7 gods for the Egyptians, 7 heavens for the Moslems, 7 angels for the Parsees, 7 sacred horses , for the Persians,the moon changes phase every 7 days,7 colors of the rainbow and the 7 musical notes of the diatonic scale (do, re, me, fa, so, la, te).

And then I stumbled across the most important 7's of all.........The 7 stages of grief .Important ?? Why?? Well, because I did not know grief existed in stages and those too 7 ......So.....What is it ??

Grief is a "deep, prolonged mental anguish over a loss" and has multiple causes ..So anything from experiencing homesickness, death of a loved one,friend , divorce ..to ...loss of health, mobility ,freedom, freindships,home or possessions can lead to grief.It's is recognized to have 7 stages :

(1) Shock :or Disbelief that the loss has occurred.
(2) Denial :is the stage in which the person refuses to accept the loss has occurred. (
3) Bargaining:this involves attempts to reconcile the loss by making deals with other people, sometimes also with deity.
(4) Guilt is marked by statements of "if only I had done/been . . . ".
(5) Anger is a natural stage everyone must pass. Anger may be directed toward the loss, the person lost, or even deity.
(6) Depression :this stage comes and goes throughout the grief process. Resignation at the end of the depression indicates that the truth of the loss has been accepted and the person is ready to move on.
(7) Acceptance and Hope means that you understand your life will never be the same but it will go on with meaning and hope

Why did I not know this ...Because I thought it was all the same..One long process, no stages ...Have I gone through these 7 stages??..You betchya ....Have I moved on from depression to hope and acceptance ??......hmm!! Yes because there is no life without hope , ever!!

Some people make recoveries from grief sooner ,others take time , some others; they don't really get over it ..just keep vacillating between the 7 stages...Me,I could never put my life in limbo because of grief came into my life and it didn't somehow go the way I thought it would........ WHY ?? because ......

" Grief is the agony of an instant, the indulgence of grief the blunder of a life"

So indulge life and love ..not GRIEF .

Laughter ...still the best medicine

2005-07-26T14:03:00.000-07:00

I have always heard "Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone"

Its true .As a kid I needed no reason to breaks into peals of laughter or giggle uselessly .I was a happy child and everything gave me reason to laugh..From Pj's and customary chat/gossip sessions with the family,to mimicing and impersonating others,sharing secrets with close freinds,reading joke books to myself,playing with dolls,going for picnics,doing any and all fun stuff ...I think children are like that .They feel happy with small things and their world is truly miniscule .Their joy needs and knows no bounds ..

Fast forward many many years ............to today's world ...my world..where problems-real,imaginary and self inflicted abound and have taken away the simple pleasures of life ...Everyone including me is sceptical,worried and apprehensive of what lies ahead.

Laughter now resides somewhere in the deep crevices of my being and resurfaces from time to time but with much coaxing ...and not with the child like abandon it once did ...I smile but need comedy clubs ,cocktails,"the tonight show with Jon Stewart" and sometimes even "freinds" to unleash my funny,uninhibited side ..too much, just too much on the mind ...

Reconnecting to the child in me would be good,the child who once,not only laughed herself but infected all around her with it,laughing till her sides seemed like they would split .

Yes it would be good ..Wouldnt it? So Laugh ,PEOPLE!!

Just.......Do it !!

2005-07-21T18:16:00.000-07:00

by: yours truly

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. EXPLORE. DREAM. DISCOVER." (Mark Twain)

Yes I think its always a good idea to seize life by the horns , look it in the eye and take it where you want to go and not be led by it .Otherwise it ceases to be a wonderful journey .And turns into just another dull, humdrum cyclical routine of following more routines........and before I know my life will be over and I would have done nothing , gone nowhere, been nobody ,just another speck of dirt who led a pointless existence..

They say "If I want to go nowhere ,I can be sure of reaching my destination " ..So I want to challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone ..and explore, dream and discover.

Do you??

Aapko pehle kahin dekha hai.

2005-07-18T19:22:00.000-07:00

I have heard that Chtitrangada Singh(C) looks like Smita Patil(S) ...Somewhat not totally .

Common: I think its the dark ,smouldering and sensuos beauty .The eyes,lips ,smile and the garb in C's first movie (Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi) -the crisp cotton sarees, the loose chignon the no nonsense footwear ..if I stretch even the dilaogue delivery maybe..strong and confident .Its too early to say if C has her acting skills in common with S.

Different : S was more petite it seems .C looks much taller and leaner and the nose is different too.C's nose is straighter, sharper ..S's nose was sharp too but curved at the bottom.I think they might not look so similar in non traditional clothes

what do you think ?

Ravenous

2005-07-15T15:31:00.000-07:00

A hard day
Made harder by gruelling exercise...abs, power sculpting
Sweat, struggle , senility
A shower to cool me down
Grilled catfish with salsa, garden salad ,fruit to warm the belly
A movie to entertain
The man I love beside me
Not bad at all
More of the same please .

bon appetit :-)

disclaimer: The food is not unappetising , its the bad lighting .

Meta--morphosis

2005-07-14T14:40:00.000-07:00

Picture this ...A human bun ..fresh from the oven :-) puckered face ,teeny toes and fingers , closed eyes ....(yes take it in and exhale!!) there's more ......ready???

A huge set of lungs ..beauty and perfection combined ..announcing her arrival to the world ,instantly tugging at your heartstrings,choking you up ,forging new bonds,giving new hope.Such a tiny individual capable of changing people's lives and roles forever ..making them responsible , apprehensive ,estatic and SELFLESS at the same time. HOW CAN THAT BE ?? I cannot fathom it still.

I am yet to see a single baby thats not beautiful... black,white,brown,yellow, all adorable ,arriving helpless into the world , making better people out of their parents (for the most part)and others who are close and love them.

Have'nt seen many kids upclose, except this little girl I talk about .My niece,my favorite kid in the world..Uma ... She came into this world on feb 25th ,2000 and I saw her for the first time at a month old. Still recall that day.As she slept, she had this benign,placid and innocent expression on her little face.It took my heart away and I was hooked to her ..for life !!!

As her aunt I have seen her all her life from one month old to now ,when shes 5 ..A lot has changed ..

From a bawling , toothless , beautiful baby ....she changed into to an infant who lit up everyones life around her with her sweet smile ,broken words and huge eyes..eyes that convey her every expression , that pierce the soul and that show she's a happy kid.....to a toddler who ,though challenged with words asserted herself through things she did ;her first steps ,single baby steps that grew to something like the ambling of a little duck without balance.... to ages 3and 4 where she started amassing multiple words in her vocabulary and throwing us into a tizzy almost everyday ,she transformed into an independant little lady who could sleep alone in her room without getting scared ,take a bath and eat all by herself and help her mommy and say to me "Nu mashi ..iam not a small kid anymore , iam medium kid " (Hilarious?? you bet.).....to age 5 where she is articulate , smart ,freindly ,expresses varied emotions like happiness , anger ,indignation ,hurt .Shes keenly learns new stuff like a sponge absorbing as much as you let it ,has never ending questions,reads books ,is glued to the TV when she watches cartoons,draws and paints ...wait ! makes projects with me..phew !!!

Wish I could bottle her innocence forever because I know she'll be grown up soon and before we know will be headed to school and college ..It strange how time always flies when one is having fun .Yes, she has singlehandedly brought a lot of joy and fun in my life ...

These pictures show Uma's METAMORPHOSIS and they fascinate me ...

At 1 month

Uma at 7 months

Uma at 1

uma at 2

Uma at 3

Uma at 4

uma as she looks now at 5

UMA , your Nu Mashi loves you and experiences what it would like to be mom through you ...vicariously :-)

Thanks little one!!

Unbridled , Unabashed ...........

2005-07-11T14:20:00.000-07:00

The Human cycle of emotions involve going through sadness, jealousy, happiness, lust,anger at various stages in life .I have gone through each of the above ..little of some and a lot of the others and being a person who does nothing by half measures I feel them all intensely :) Thats who Iam ....INTENSE....

Sometimes I feel emotions which dominate days and months of my existence and in a way I think its good because I find it easier to leave things behind and move on .Lately the predominant emotion on my plate has been ANGER and though I deal well with all other human emotions , anger confuses me :-)

Its a negative and explosive emotion and something about the mere reaction scares me .What do people say when they see others angry ..."CALM DOWN", do they let people express it ..."NO" ..how do they make one feel ..." SMALL AND STUPID" ...A part of our upbringing tells us that "good people dont get upset or angry ..they just let it go ..FORGET & FORGIVE "

Having said that , I do know that "Anger is a natural emotion, a human response to threats to one's safety, well-being, and happiness. Anger can even be useful if expressed effectively and creatively" So I went about looking for what wise people have to say about anger and how should one deal with it pragmatically .

I found quotes on anger by famous people.One was funny and the rest more sombre,making more sense and applied to how I feet.Here goes:

The funny one first :

"Speak when you are angry--and you will make the best speech you'll ever regret" (laurence J Peter)

Yeah !!that rings a bell .

The serious ones :

" I have a right to my anger, and I don't want anybody telling me I shouldn't be, that it's not nice to be, and that something's wrong with me because I get angry." (Maxine Waters , in Brian Lanker, I Dream a World, 1989)

"Anger is a signal, and one worth listening to "(Harriet Lerner The Dance of Anger,1985)

"When anger rises, think of the consequences." (Confucius)

" Holding on to anger, resentment and hurt only gives you tense muscles, a headache and a sore jaw from clenching your teeth. Forgiveness gives you back the laughter and the lightness in your life." (Joan Lunden)

So I had three questions and went about looking for answers

1) Is Anger good for you ?

NO.

2) If not ,why ?

"Because it short circuits your reasoning and can compound already unstable situations ,denial of the same could lead to low self-esteem ,it can lead to depression , binging on food , smoking , drinking .It could tempt you to avoid seeking comfort in unrelated and potentially unhealthy behaviors. It could lead to physical problems like headaches , ulcers, bowel problems , respiratory ills, skin flare-ups, lowered immunity ,perpetual exhaustion & heart attacks"

Wow !!! thats pretty exhaustive

3) If you are angry how do you deal with it ?

"Recognise it , think about how to express it, act constructively,if necessary ,talk directly and assertively with the person who may be be causing you anger and frustration without blaming/shaming the other person. If you can't confront the source of your anger, vent it by letting yourself cry, punching on a pillow until you're exhausted, screaming at a mirror, or excercising. Dont drive."

Makes sense!!!

It was both interesting and enligtening to know what I should or shouldnt do .I realised I knew certain things and sub-conciously act on them but the others I didnt .Iam still taking it in and am sure the time to come will involve lots of internalising and becoming more self aware and balanced and less a prey to my emotions ...

but the conversion from THEORY to PRACTICAL takes time because LIFE aint about theory alone .Its far too dynamic to adhere to set of so called facts and accept them as the absolute truth.

So how do you guys deal with the monster of anger ?Let me know..

Rahi Matwaley

2005-07-07T22:49:00.000-07:00

hey folks ,Iam BACK after a 3 week hiatus ..was busy attending to family visiting from India . they were here 3 weeks and during the second week we took a week long road trip covering Washington ,Oregon,California , Arizona, Nevada. Saw Crater lake in Oregon which is nothing short of a piece of art by nature..I fell in love with it , absolutely stunning !!!How else can one describe a lake formed on the carter of a volcano. We then moved on to see places in Sanfrancisco which involved the downtown , ripleys musuem , Waxworks, A tour of the bay . Our next stop was California where we went to the beach at Santa Monica Pier, drove by the famous Rodeo Drive , Sunset Boulevard,Hollywood and Universal studios .All the rides there were tonnes of fun.It was followed by a looong drive into Arizona where we saw the "Grand" Grand Canyon and ofcourse the IMAX movie on the same .The last leg was the Nevada Trip which began with the Hoover Dam and then ended with a tour of the casinos .We covered Caesars palace, Aladdin , Venetian having covered most of the others during my other trips to Vegas ...

It was a short trip but sweet and helped me bond with my husband's family .There was tonnes of driving involved and by the end I felt like I had driven enough for a month .I have posted some pictures of the trip here ..

tell me what you think ?:-)

At the Majestic Mount Rainier

Colossal and Calm :Crater Lake ,oregon

The Beach at Santa Monica Pier, California

Getting a foot massage at Universal Studios, California

The Grand Canyon

about sun set at Grand Canyon

With a vegas show girl outside Aladdin

Have I .....?

2005-07-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

Diana : Have I told you that I love you ?
David :No
Diana : I love you .
David : Still?
Diana : Always. :-)

(from the movie Indecent Proposal )

Todays thoughts ...Destiny

2005-06-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

Lots of folks confuse bad management with destiny.( Kin Hubbard)

Destiny has two ways of crushing us - by refusing our wishes and by fulfilling them. (Henri Frederic Amiel)

We are not permitted to choose the frame of our destiny. But what we put into it is ours. (Dag Hammarskjold)

Secret to success

2005-06-09T14:06:00.000-07:00

This morning I had nothign better to do so I was took this test and I was tickled pink with the results..still laughing

The test tells me ,my secret to success is my being Proactive !!!

Read on .....

You are a born leader with a take-charge attitude. Unlike many people who believe problems will simply go away if you give them enough time, you're one to tackle the obstacles in your path head-on.

Part of being proactive means you can aggressively anticipate the future and work to shape it according to your desires. You don't wait for things to happen; you make things happen, which is why you also tend to find yourself in a position of responsibility.

Also, because of your quick mind and ability to strategize, you can keep yourself two steps ahead of everyone else when it comes to executing plans or anticipating future actions. These characteristics help you rise to positions of authority where others can more fully appreciate your drive and direction.

and to think I didnt know .. I wonder why do these quizzes tell us stuff we almost always know ...

what are you ??

http://web.tickle.com/tests/secretsuccess/?test=secretsuccessogt

Melody unlimited

2005-06-03T19:47:00.000-07:00

benaroya hall 14th may2005

the performance

Its ironical ...I had always heard and seen the legendary virtuoso,Ravi shankar's performances and concerts on tv in India and but its here,in the US of A that I finally saw him in concert.May,14th 2005 was an enchanting evening filled with music,melody and pride.

Fighting all the traffic we reached Benaroya hall just in time .Acoustically and aesthetically its a masterpiece.The evening took on high gear when the Bharat Ratna winner/Nobel peace prize nominee) was ushered onto the stage accompanied by his daughter Anoushka ,two of his disciples and Tanmoy Bose on Tabla .The hall was soon resounding with endless applause and a standing ovation .Pandit Ravi Shankar who is pushing 85 was a study in white,with a serene expression on his face ,a gentle voice ;he epitomised fraility and yore.His 23 yr old daughter was a striking contrast in her red outfit ,youthfulness and vibrance .She shares a close resemblance with her father and I did not miss the tenderness and pride in her eyes as she helped her old dad on stage .

I was spell bound by the music and watched with sheer joy the father-daughter jugalbandi.Their music had power,soul,sweetness and lots of intricacy with fantastic range which they displayed as they played raag maru Bihaag (rupak taal),raag kirvani (teen taal),raag majKhamaj(an evening rag in semi clasical form )amongst other compositions.

I did not realise when the evening ended to another standing ovation and more applause .I felt pride and glory even though it was only "reflected glory" .

The mirror has many faces

2005-06-02T15:45:00.000-07:00

A good freind of mine fiddled with some images he had of me and created this collage ..thanks Vix :-) Very cool if I might say so myself .What do you think? (click on the picture to get a clearer view)

Picturesque Portland

2005-06-01T11:54:00.000-07:00

Spent a wonderful memorial day at Depoe Bay ,Oregon..Abounding in natural beauty, the pacific ocean and a sandy beaches are a treat to the eyes .Our jaunts included plenty of seafood at cosy restaurants with scenic views, some shopping ,making sand castles at the beaches ,long drives on highway 101 and time at the cheese and icecream factory in Tillamook and ofcourse stopping and clicking endless pictures .Here are a few memories we made and captured during the weekend.

Today's thought

2005-05-31T18:13:00.000-07:00

"Success consists of a series of little daily victories." -Laddie F. Hutar

On my cooking radar

2005-05-25T14:20:00.000-07:00

I think Iam chef at heart (haha , thats a thought).Sometimes ,just sometimes I get tired of cooking the usual drab fare so I need to shuffle the recipes and get some new ones to play around with .Heres a few I am going to try in the near future ...You are invited :-)

Brown bean salad

Made with dried brown beans ,hard boiled eggs ,cumin,scallion,lemon juice ,olive oil and cucumber ,parsley ,sprinkled with salt and pepper and garnished with fresh thyme sprigs this salad is pleasing to the eyes,light and very healthy.

spicy baked potato

Simple baked potatoes take on an exciting new character with the addition of a few herbs and spices(ginger root,cumin,cilantro,turmeric,garlic salt).

Ratatouille

A classic vegetable stew ,this is packed full of fresh vegetables and herbs and absolutely bursting with wonderful flavor.

mediterranean chicken

A visual treat made with boneless chicken to which sundried tomatoes , oregano leaves ,butter ,olives, artichoke hearts,potatoes are added. can be baked or broiled. YUM-O

Vegetable Moussaka

A flavorful maincourse dish this is abundant with veggies (egg plant , mushrooms, chickpeas,onions,lentils ) and spices , makes for a hearty satisfying meal and can be served with warm fresh bread.

Pasta Primavera

No better way of showcasing the best of the season's young vegetables (asparagus spears, baby corn ,baby carrots, red bell peppers , scallions )in this delightful pasta (torchietti or other pasta cuts)dish .

Cholcolate Cake

What can be said about this decadent yet delicious dessert ? there are umpteen varities of the same .I plan to make the chocolate layer cake with chocolate frosting topped with whipped cream and a sprig of mint .

Enjoy !!

Some thoughts for today

2005-05-25T12:56:00.000-07:00

Faith is what makes life bearable, with all its tragedies and ambiguities and sudden, startling joys." — Madeleine L'Engle

"The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference." — Elie Wiesel

"That is faith for you. It's belief even when the gods don't deliver." — Louise Erdrich

Born a fan is

2005-05-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

Star wars III-Revenge of the sith came out May 19th and has been busy breaking box office records and whetting the appetite of crazed fans ..By now I have read a gazillion reviews and gone through many blogs discussing star wars to death in some shape or form .I wouldnt do that ,for Iam already part of that cult .But I will put in my 2 cents and this is how I think Master Yoda (my absolute favorite) would have said it ,

"Won the dark side has;revenge the Sith has taken .....but return a new hope and the jedi shall and strike back the empire will "

and stop here I should before crazy I seem ..

Yoda, you kick ass :)Star wars rocked !!!

Yeh dosti

2005-05-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

u

Whats the sign of a good freind ?? They say with good friends time and distance dont matter because freinds can pick up right where they left.... I did that after 6 yrs with my close freind Smita.

We met this past saturday after SIX years.We were together in college and after that Smita was westward bound to do her masters and I stuck around in India .We kept in touch but not much as life took interesting twists and turns and then as fate would have it I moved to the US post marriage ..

So even after 3 years in the US of A ,we couldnt meet up ,only emails and phone.Two weeks ago Smita emailed me that she would be coming to Seattle to help her sister settle down who had landed a job as an intern with an architecture firm..SURPIIIISE!!!I was excited to be finally meeting her after all this time.

We met up on 21st .Pankaj and I decided to take the job of hosts seriously(wink!!).We had a wonderful lunch at Cutters(downtown seattle)reminisced about college ,our cafetaria ,our favorite spots, other freinds and what they are doing right now ,and then lounged around at Downtown waterfront .Pike place market was our next stop where we just had to have seattle's best coffee, admire all the fresh flowers , buy tonnes of stuff from the 3 girls bakery (decadent ,I tell you but yummiest ever) , After tonnes of browsing we decided to go to Alki beach even though it was pouring rain .the beach looked deserted(unheard of )but beautiful.

It was then time to go to the Indian market (Bellevue) where we tucked in samosas and chai and then to the the mall where Suchita picked up a digital camera .and before we knew it was time to leave ..gosh ,how time flies in the company of freinds we treasure .looking forward to the next time already :)

Heres a toast to all my good freinds ,people I cherish and wouldnt exchange for anything in the world .
"Silence makes the real conversations between freinds, not the saying but the never needing to say is what counts "

todays thought

2005-05-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

" a beautiful young person is an accident of nature , but a beautiful old person is a work of art "

case in point ..Julia Rroberts ..both the young and old pictures belong to her ...when she was a newcomer to the industry she just had her incredible talent and a beautiful face (though many dispute that)...a dream ..

As years have gone by she has strengthed her position as a prima donna in hollywood, the queen bee if u will..she has also added wife and mother to her ever expanding portfolio not to mention the plethora of fans , wellwishers, contacts and freinds and did I mention tonnes and tonnes of experience ?

If she remains the prolific actress that she is she will become a legend one day ..

she was a beautiful young woman , an accident of nature but she has made sure that becomes a beautiful old woman (thats far away but will happen some day), A WORK OF ART !!!

I hope I become a work of art and not just another old ,sad woman :)

Today's thought

2005-05-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

past

"the past should be a springboard not a hammock"

Most people keep revisiting their pasts either to feel sorry for themselves and mourn losses .Some others, they just become stronger ,stand up,dust themselves up and just move on,thus benefitting from their past experiences ..

for "between yesterdays regret and tomorrow's dream lies today's opppurtunity" .

chefs of the world ..here I come

2005-05-11T17:25:00.000-07:00

cooking from the heart

Wow that an intimidating title ..Iam not sure i mean anything by it ....so readers ,ignore it just like I did:P

"Food was celebration, conversation, and nourishment. The table is where the big decisions of the family are made and all the arguing takes place."
(Adriana Trigiani)

True, but in my case cooking is also an expression of my creativity ..I almost feel like a magician concocting edible visions when I play with those ingredients .

My first introduction to the art of cooking was learning something as basic as a cup of tea at age 8 .As I grew older I learned to impress ma with my "chai" and then graduated to learning how to knead flour and roll chappatis .My chapatis often resembled the maps of far away countries but mom was patient as moms are ..she comforted me saying that it would get better .That didnt happen but atleast I became more helpful around the house.

As years went by I learnt more;gradually but reluctantly.Often wondered why mom couldnt let me be and not teach me anything like a ,lot of other moms .I already knew far too much than my classmates and freinds and was strangely embarrassed about adimtting to my culinary expertise (pun intended ).I ranted and raved like a bull in a china shop but ma ddnt give up .She wanted her girls to be self sufficent and know everything that she did'nt know or did'nt learn in time ...Little did I know that I was learning something so invaluable, the art of cooking :)

By 10 I even knew how to make cakes and cookies ,puddings (again on ma'd prodding) and we were all making fun stuff during our summer holidays at home (stuff like parathas, various kinds of subzis, gol gappe,chat,gulab jamun ,kheer ,other snacks etc).

When I was 11 yrs old ma started a new thing around the house .On saturdays after we got back from school ,everyone would contribute one item towards lunch or dinner and i remember being ready with all my recipes from magazines and newspapers ,all set to make my impression..and I did ...Ma was my inspiration , her cooking is awesome and she always was ready with tips and suggestions to make things better ,I used to watch her fascinated as a kid .My big sister ,my partner in crime and fun was my other inspiration ..she was always "messing "with food and churning out great stuff...and keeping up with her wasnt easy :)my granny and grand ma are great cooks too so the influence kept rubbing off ..I loved watching cooking shows ,cookery books and kept adding recipes here and there to my scrap book:)

time went by and I learnt to cook most stuff thats part of the indian cusine(including bengali and punjabi cusine and many others) ..other things became more important though like my education and a career and cooking took a backseat.for a while I only cooked if I had to or If I had any time.

then I met my future husband and I pretended that I was dumb and knew squat about cooking ..he was most understanding and said he ddnt care and that we could eat out or work somethign out (I cackled when he said that) ..After marriage ,he was shocked out of his wits to learn that I dont only cook but actually cook well and most stuff at that .

I have rediscovered cooking after marriage and coming to the US of A ..here Iam the queen of my kitchen and make all the rules .There are so many cusines to chose from and learn about ;cooking never seems mundane ..what with all the ingredients , spices , ovens ,pots ,pans ,paraphernelia, techniques and instructions available ..its always fun..iam curently dabbling in thai ,chinese food and american food and its great:) .theres so much to learn and I am nowhere near tiring.

In my heart ,everyday I nurture to dream to open my own restaurant some day and showcase my creativity and share some love

because as the saying goes "Food should be prepared with butter and love" .Me,I spare the butter and just add more love

ijazzat..some songs i love

2005-03-21T22:48:00.000-08:00

Ijazzat..this movie starring rekha ,Naseeruddin Shah , Anuradha Patel was artsy to say the least ..a love story for the thinking ,sans the glitz, glamour and the cheesily choregraphed songs but with a lot of depth and chutzpah ....I was only 10 when I first heard the songs,much too young to understand the haunting melodies and the rivetting lyrics ...I know I appreciate the songs better today ..

And ofcourse did I mention what a lethal combination Asha Bhonsley's voice ,R.D Burman's music and Gulzar'slyrics make .......here the lyrics to the 2 songs i like most

Katra katra... (picture Rekha in her inimitable style lipsynching to this song ..)

katra katra milti hai
katra katra jeene do
zindgi hai, bahne do
pyaasi hoon main pyasi rahne do

Tumne to aakash bichhaya
mere nange pairo main zameen hai
dekhe to tumhaari aarzoo hai
shayad aisi zindagi haseen hai
aarzoo main bahne do
pyaasi hoon main pyaasi rahne do

Mera kuch samaan (the lovely anuradha patel leaves a note at naseer's place and this is what she has to say )

Mera kuch saamaan tumhare paas pada hai -2
o o o ! saavan ke kuch bheege bheege din rakhe hain
aur mere ik khat main lipti raat padi hai
vo raat bhulaa do, mera vo saamaan lauta do - 2
mera kuch saamaan tumhaare paas pada hai - 2

patjhad hai kcuh ... hai na ?
o ! patjhas main kuch patton ke girne kee aahat
kaanon main ek baar pahan ke laut aai thee
patajhad kee vo saakh abhi tak kaanp rahi hai
vo saakh gira do, mera vo saamaan lauta do - 2

ek akeli chhataree main jab aadhe aadhe bheeg rahe the - 2
aadhe sookhe aadhe geele, sukha to main le aaye thee
geela man shayad bistar ke paas pada ho
vo bhijwa do, mera vo saamaan lauta do

ek so sola chaand ki ratain ek tumhare kaandhe ka til - 2
geeli mahendi ki khushbu, jhoot mooth ke shikwe kuch
jhooth mooth ke wade sab yaad karaa do
sab bhijwa do, mera vo saamaan lauta do - 2

ek ijaazat de do bas, jab isako dafanaaungee
main bhi vaheen so jaungee
main bhi vaheen so jaungee

hmm...now I'm humming these tunes and feel transported back in time..feels good:)

Todays thought

2005-03-15T14:09:00.000-08:00

"Vision without action is a daydream
Action without vision is a nightmare "

Attitude

2005-03-15T14:02:00.000-08:00

the following thoughts stayed with me after our weekly sales meeting today :)

What is attitude??
"An inward feeling expressed by an outward behavior"

What are the truths about attitude?

1) Our attitude determines our approach to life

2) Our attitude determines our relationship to people

3) Often our attitude is the only difference between success and failure

I leave it at that ...I have a great attitude:)

how deep is your love ?

2005-03-14T18:58:00.000-08:00

"Passion is the quickest to develop and thw quickest to fade .Intimacy develops more gradually and commitment more gradually still. "

Was opening up some of the boxes ,still stashed away and unopened from all the moving in february ...and came across this book of poems ,thoughts(random as always) which I wrote and presented to Pankaj on our engagement day and valentines day ....(what a coincidence:P)

Reading all that I had written , brought a smile to my face .. still feel the same for him , probably more ,now that our lives are inextricably linked to each other ..we have gone through bad times which bonded us and good times which brought us joy ...we have tonnes of memories with each other now and I sometimes wonder how we wud continue without each other ..it just doesnt seem possible.

No melodrama there !!! just the truth :) ..I feel I wouldnt be able to .

But then let me focus on the good thoughts ....how often is it that one finds a friend ,soulmate ,a lover and a lifepartner all rolled into one :) ,someone who lets you be and loves you for who you are ..well, I'd say not often ..infact ,once in a lifetime.

Getting mushy but what else can I be......Its so easy to fall in love and dream of a happy ending ..mostly meaning marriage and a life together ..but what happens when one gets that ?I'd imagine, hone the relationship and help that love stay ,what with the daily routine ,stress and squabbles ....do I still have that after 3 yrs ..yes I know I do because I dont think we take it for granted for a day in our lives..we work on it ..is it perfect ..hmm ..no but pretty darn close.

So I come back to the "book" ..made the following upgrades ,after 3 yrs :)

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times ,always with the same person"

"when you make a commitment to a relationship , you invest your attention and energy in it more profoundly because now you experience ownership of that relationship"

"Commitment is healthiest when its not without doubt but inspite of doubt but inspite of doubt "

"If you deny yourself commitment ,what can do u do with your life?"

- Just another day in the life of this "lovelorn" woman.Amen to more of that

2005

2005-01-28T11:15:00.000-08:00

A very important year for me ..this year I finally wanna stop looking at what was ,what could have been ..I want to move on and focus on what can be .

..and I know will..I dedicate this yr to new beginnings ,freinds , my career ,family and making a better life for us both :)

Cheers!!!!

lohri

2005-01-15T17:55:00.000-08:00

blogging is great ...so I started TODAY finally!!!

last evening we celebrated lohri ...(the north indian festival which marks the beginning of anew yr ) ....I have been in the US of A almost 3 yrs and this was the first time ..well better LATE then NEVER !!! :)

Nothing fancy ..just called some freinds over ,went to my sister's place and chilled out in front of a fire with food and a movie .Watched Hulchul and Raincoat ..both diametrically opposite..one was a laugh riot(supposedly) an dthe other was slow ,deliberate with lovely ,meaningful songs (Shubha Mudgal is awesome)..have to admit almost put me to sleep at one point ..took lots of pictures

Overall a great evening :)