Pensieve

Blah!

2010-05-07T05:36:00.000-07:00

I don't post.
I don't want to post.
Thats it.
Thank you, it has been lovely, but honestly I want to scream now.

On Inspiration

2010-04-04T00:43:00.000-07:00

Love

2010-03-28T04:38:00.000-07:00

Prem gali aati sankri ja main do na samaye

Main hu to wo naaye wo hai to main naaye

The street of love is very narrow and two won't pass through

If I come then he can't and if does then I can't

Love, I can't believe that I have met you. That I ever did something so good that I deserved to meet you. To see you, to touch you and mostly to love you. From the time I saw you, something changed inside me. Something transformed. Something blossomed. With each growing day i want to become more and more like you. Become more you. I don't think it will ever matter if you love me back or not. I love you and that the universe chose me to love you is the most sacred thing to me. Who won't love you? But you grace me, overwhelm me. You acknowledge my love.

Words will never do, but let me try again. I love you

Puds!

2010-03-15T23:46:00.000-07:00

Hello there! Its my favorite time of the day. The time for puds! Today we have a very special pudding. Its special because its addictively delicious yet mind-numbingly easy to make. No, marijuana is not an ingredient. But something just as good- drinking chocolate! Chocolate Balls!

Now, take a packet of butter biscuits. Suit your budget- Tiger, Marie, some other expensive ones and dunk them into the grinder. Remember to take off the wrapper. Now grind it into a powder. Chunky or fine, either will do.

Add a few tablespoons of drinking chocolate. Approximately, the biscuit powder should be thrice the chocolate. Remember to use great quality drinking chocolate because this will make or break your dessert (I used Cadbury). And run the grinder for a few seconds to have an even mixture.

Put the powder mixture into a mixing bowl. Taste at this time to see if it is chocolaty enough. Add more drinking chocolate if required.

Add some (more like lots) melted butter. And make balls. Roll the balls in sprinkles if you like.

Voila!

Me Today

2010-03-14T11:08:00.000-07:00

Hello World! Its me again. Yes, the same old. I have nothing new for you. I know that happens time and again. I do have a few good recipes to share but they are such a pain to write, especially when you cook with approximation but need to write with exaction. Anyways I will tell you whats up with my life. I know thats a first, but I guess todays your lucky day!

Well to start with I have Conjunctivitis (I shall be surprised if you don't know that already). I am quite the sulker when it comes to being sick and I have sulked my way through phone calls and Facebook. Yeah, so I don't have pink eyes or any discharge. There was slight swelling in the first few days but that is gone too. So actually I am perfectly fine! But according to my doctor I am still infectious. And no not just my enthusiasm, charm and good cheer, she meant the disease. So basically I am all well but just under house arrest (not that I am really staying at home).

Yesterday I went for this modern Meena Bazaar, a crazy shopping hub for women (or as they would prefer to be called- ladies). Sellers from all around the region had come and displayed their wares (mostly clothes) and women were shopping like crazy. The whole place drove me crazy! Do we actually like clothes that much? Yes, we women! We, who speak of womens liberation and equal rights and personalities and all those fancy shmancy things. At the end of the day, we need clothes and shoes and bags and makeup to make us feel worth ourselves. Is that all? Look great and pull men? It depresses me beyond measure. But to think a bit more, obviously nothing else works for men. They need their women to be looking the part if they are to love them. Most men and women will protest I am going mental and none of this is true. I am sure there are a lot of us who aren't like that (me! me ! me!) but aren't there more who are. By the way the name of the shopping bazaar was 'Vanity Fair'. Apt, huh?

Today, I met a friend of mine for coffee. We do that often. Sometimes we don't even drink coffee. We just sit and chat about absolutely nothing. Like talk talk talk and never run out of things to laugh about. Other peoples children, common friends, common enemies, love, life, food, fat, coffee, work.... People have said we could be twins. Maybe we were!

Thats all of my roller coaster brain ride today. I completely know how terribly interested you were to know about my uber cool life. You are totally welcome!

The Maggots

2010-02-21T08:49:00.000-08:00

At sunset, on the river ban, Krishna
Loved her for the last time and left...
That night in her husband's arms, Radha felt
So dead that he asked, What is wrong,
Do you mind my kisses, love? And she said,
No, not at all, but thought, What is
It to the corpse if the maggots nip?

Kamala Das

Mash and Cheese Pie

2010-02-13T09:21:00.000-08:00

Serves 4

This is a lovely recipe which I learnt in England. It uses leftover mashed potatoes with some fresh ingredients to create this delight. Its fairly simple and you can modify it per your own taste. This is my version of it.

6 largish potatoes

a fat chunk of butter :)

4-5 tablespoons milk

salt to taste

2 cups of mixed veggies ( carrots, French beans, mushrooms, peas, corns...whatever takes your fancy)

1/2- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (can use mozzarella if in dire straits)

a tablespoon of seasoning- use whatever is handy- basil/oregano/thyme/parsley or a mix

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees.
Boil and peel the potatoes.
Simultaneously boil the veggies. Make sure they're not too soft. Crunchy is good.
Mash the potatoes. Add softened butter, milk and salt.
Mix, mix and mix. Mash is done
Add the seasoning to boiled veggies.
Take a baking tin. Put the mash in and level it.
Layer veggies on top of the mash.
And finally put the cheese on top.
Bake till cheese melts.

The pie is great when served with toasted bread and baked beans.

You can make some alterations to it. Here is a list of things you can try

Mix the veggies in the mash instead of creating separate layers.
Omit the veggies. It tastes great but may not be the last word on health.
Use paneer with or instead of the veggies.
Add a bit of chili, either in the mash or the cheese.
Make the seasonings indian- try cumin powder or a pinch of garam masala.
Cook the veggies in red sauce before you add them
Add a layer of bread crumbs somewhere.
The possibilities are endless. Experiment!

Book Reveiw

2010-01-29T11:38:00.000-08:00

Loving and Leaving the Good Life

Since late I have become quite picky about the books I read, and I am really glad I picked this one. (Actually it was handpicked by a close friend whose recommendation I can completely rely on.)

The book is a memoir written by Helen Nearing about the life she shared with her late husband Scott Nearing. Scott is well known in radical cycles for propounding and practicing the good life of simplicity, self-sufficiency, social justice and growth of the being. LLGF is a biography of man who lived and died on his own terms with grace and dignity. Helens words show how Scott was not only an influence on her but so many others and still continues to be. The book touches politics, religion, money, fashion besides more prominent issues like loving, living, learning and leaving. Helen’s narrative is lucid though I felt it became a bit too serious and referenced at times. Nevertheless, she is wonderful when she is talking about her love with Scott and extremely inspiring when she talks about her love for land (through homesteading, gardening, farming and cooking). All in all, the book is a beautiful manual which inspires one to come back to land and love with gratitude, happiness and contentment.

Rating- 4/5

PS- I wish to read Simple Food for the Good Life soon. Again by Helen, a recipe book full of vegetarian goodness.

PPS- The book is not published in India. You will have to order a copy online or you can always borrow mine :)

On Meeting The Beloved

2010-01-23T04:59:00.000-08:00

I close my eyes and you are there
I open my eyes and you are there
Oh Beloved! You are such a tease
Tell me where are you closer?

Ana Gupta

Jan 2010

Me and You :)

2009-08-21T15:08:00.001-07:00

Things I can Do after my MA...just in case I forget later on

2009-08-21T14:58:00.001-07:00

Become an AOL teacher
Civil Services
MBA
Become a teacher in Dubai
Teach in a school while I do no. 2/ no. 3
Enrol in a Ph D and start teaching in a college alongside
Volunteer abroad and/or at home
Start and manage highly succesful business
Get married (Oh no no no no no!)
Get another degree which is not an MBA or a Doctrate
Join an activist group in India; Make Arundhati Roy my role model
Teach English in Dubai or China and lead a very fulfilling life there
Take cookery classes in the Brit Cuisine...Teach them ahem pasta and mashed potatoes, plus custard and sandwiches. Maybe some boiled veggies and chips. Lovely, innit?

Thats all I can think right now...Will keep editing as ideas keep popping in. Merci Beaucoup!

Volunteering Abroad

2009-08-21T14:50:00.000-07:00

I was talking to my flatmate today and found out that she is going for a Volunteer Abroad program in October for 3 months. I was intrigued. It seems brilliant. Though you pay for travel and don't get paid for the work you do, but the experience sounds wonderful. It could be one of those life altering expriences which makes you see things in a different way. I looked up some websites and saw there were hundreds of volunteer abroad programs. I was thinking maybe I should do it since I have almost nothing to do after my degree. Or maybe too much to do. I don't know though if my parents will agree. Especially dad. He might not see the point in it at all. I can try nevertheless. I wish to be an AOL teacher soon though. That should give me a lot of opportunities of volunteering. And I might feel slightly wrong if I went volunteering abroad, when there is so much, so so much to be done at home. I don't know. I guess it's the best if I do both, for after all we are a one world family. Plus it will look absolutely superb on my cv. Haha. Well practicality counts too. Having said that, I feel bad that I had to explain myself on the CV part. Cvs do matter and if you want to make a change it is essential to have money along with intention and action. So yes it will be a great experience plus great on my cv. Also it builds character :)

Dinner Today

2009-08-19T15:10:00.000-07:00

Today was a day full of lethargy and irritation for me. I woke up at 1 pm after 11 hours of sleep and then stayed in my room the whole day. I was feeling extremely frustrated and suffocated by about 9 pm. My head was beginning to hurt and the feeling of uselessness has climbed up to my forehead. I did not want to eat anything. I stood in the kitchen awhile and felt that no food seemed appealing today. I felt all food tasted like cardboard. It all seemed the same, bland, tasteless to me. I blamed it upon the poor quality tinned ingredients of England and then upon my cooking.

And then, I decided to venture out to Sainsbury to buy some new ingredients, to inspire me. So after having bought some tomatoes and yogurts I got out and saw a beggar....sitting right outside Sainsbury. I suddenly felt a pang. I put my hand in my shopping bag and took out one cup of yogurt and gave it to him. He was delighted to have the yogurt; he got a big grin on his face and couldn't stop thanking me. As I started walking home I couldn't believe that one pot of yogurt could make a man so happy. I couldn't believe that I was being such bourgeoisie arse with all of my- Oh! I can't bear my 3 course dinner, where there was this man who probably had no food at all. I couldn't reach home. I went back and saw he was asleep. I kept some other food next to him and left. When I was a little away I saw he kept the food in his bag. I was glad he will get something to eat, but alongside I was extremely sad. How can the world be full of unfed and unloved people? How can I be happy when there are others dying of starvation? I was cribbing about being away from home, and here was a man, who probably had no family. How are we to deal with such this worldwide epidemic of poverty? I don't know. I don't know if any efforts made will be enough. But the deeper question is - are we trying? Is the latest car or the even faster high speed internet going to help feed this man? Are we working towards the swaraj of these millions of underfed and underprivileged people? As Arundhati Roy says, is it fair that some people have so much, when so many have so little?

We need to get rid of our city eyes, acknowledge the bare truth and keep striving. For an ocean is made up of droplets, after all. I came home, made pasta and ate it with gratitude and awareness.

Hello!

2009-08-19T09:54:00.000-07:00

Hi World!

This is me...Me who? Don't ask...Revealing identity makes one conscious of what will people think...And that generally places a damn on the river of free flowing thoughts. I can't be me... I feel pressurised to comply with standards, to fit perfectly in the frame of myself image. And I just want a space where I can let my thoughts be, release them and let them play with words, like lego blocks, and build whatever they like. It does not have to be meaningful or make sense, or be portraying my personality. I just want to release the thoughts which have infested my head. There are too many...Too much of the time...And I want this blog to work as my Dumbeldore's Pensieve basin...To find words most alike my thoughts and let them swim in there...Maybe I or a Harry like you will come back to look at them, but maybe not. It is fine...I wonder if this could have been a dairy...But I have done that far too much in my adolescent years....And diaries have a limiting effect of being a record of actions and feelings and not thoughts...I feel in love with so-and-so today...Such-and-such said this to me, I felt so bad....This space is more for musings, very random and arbitrary, but mostly from the head...Plus I am allowing myself the vanity of keeping it on the worldwide net, where people, strangers might chance upon it and read it and become undying fans of me...I might be the next big thing....But if that never happens, I can always say I never told anyone about this blog...Haha...So I have made a moat as well to keep my dignity (ego?) intact. So here, this is my pensieve. You are most welcome to swim in it as long as my thoughts don't bite/ drown/ suffocate you!

Being an Indian

2009-05-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

When I was much younger, my father often encouraged me take up debating in school competitions. Though his attempt remained mostly unsuccessful at that, I do remember an anecdote of his till today, which is very important for my definition of being an Indian.

When my father was in college, he took part in a Punjabi debate competition the topic for which was - 'Rabba main nai jana swargan'ch apne Punjab nu chad ke'. This literally translates as 'God I don’t want to leave my Punjab even for the heavens'. Well, as the competition began, speakers started coming and enumerating the good qualities of Punjab. Some spoke about its green fields, some about its strong men, some about economic prosperity and some about the vibrant culture. Nobody wanted to leave a Punjab so in its glory. Then came another student, ordinary like all others and said - Yes, Punjab is beautiful and bountiful. Yes, it is rich in its finances and culture. Yes, its strength of men and community is unrivalled. But, nevertheless today Punjab is riddled with corruption, greed and nepotism. Drug and alcohol abuse is rampant and so is crime and violence. Female foeticide and illiteracy are on a never before high. And till the time I don't set these things right, O Lord, I am not going to leave my Punjab even for your heavens.

For me this speaker was the only one who knew what is the true meaning of loyalty/ patriotism. It is very easy to belong to groups, communities or nations who are doing well. It does not take much to sell up everything and get a Canadian or British Passport. If you do that, then lovely; I am glad you know your priorities. But do not call yourself an Indian then. You may wear saris and kurtas, eath pranthas and drink lassi and be a sucker for bollywood but this makes no one more an Indian than Tony Blair or Madonna. Britain’s most popular food is Indian 'curry', how many Brits can be called Indian because of that? Bhangra is a worldwide hit. Everyone who dances on its tune is not Punjabi/ Indian. To be Indian is to know that for better or worse this is my country. I am made up its soil. Come what may, all my efforts go towards the progress and development of my country. If my country is doing well, I will glorify it and if it is not, I will set things right. To the armchair critic who can only sit and complain about the politicians and the bureaucracy, I can only repeat what our ex-Prez A P J Kalam had said- Don't ask what has your country given you, ask what have you given to your country! See the entire message - http://knol.google.com/k/tarun-kumar-jaiswal/dr-a-p-j-abdul-kalam/1btwx9eo0j9p3/9#

So today, after you have read this, do stand in front of the mirror, look into your own eyes and ask yourself-

Am I actually an Indian or do I simply like Indianess?

If your hair stands on its ends at the question and gooseflesh spreads, you will know what I mean and everything will illuminate itself then.

Angels in my Garden

2008-11-04T09:27:00.000-08:00

Hey! This is a picture of my garden in India. And the angels in it.The pictures were taken during a rainy night with a flash camera. If you don't know what the angels part means read this.

And now, as a spoof of 'Which one is the angel?',I present to you

Where is the angel?

Racism

2008-09-26T04:16:00.000-07:00

I have not been posting much since month as I was very busy in packing and leaving for Bristol. Now that I am here, let me start. Firstly Bristol is nice and pretty. I don't know why but the word beautiful does not seem fit here. It is a great city to walk about, enjoy the weather and cozy up with some loved one(s). But, exactly that makes it such an unlikely place to bury yourself in books. Anyways, I will leave myself to discover the fine balance between the two polarities for later on. Before coming here I was really worried about racism. I talked to a few people about it and here is what we came up with.

MOM : I think you study hard and become the monitor of your class. People will respect you and be attracted towards you.

Umm thanks Mom! That is a great idea for Utopia but not Bristolia.

Now Ali and I spoke about this, and he give alot of ideas. All his replies are to if some Brit says ' You bloody Paki!' or something similar.

ALI : Yes, Darth Vader!

ALI: Yes, you bloody German!

ALI : I am Paki and you are Potty!

I loved Ali's ideas and I think I should try them just to see the look on the racist's face.

Last I spoke to Ramnik Sir about it. He said first thing don't bother about all this. But never take any disrespect. So when someone says ' We ruled your country!'

RAMNIK : ' Actually, you struggled to rule us for 300 years but failed and went away at last!'

He said it with such pride, I instantly knew what it meant. Nothing in the world beats being an Indian. And the more time I spend abroad, the more it becomes apparent. The feeling is entirely experential. Nothing I say can make you feel what I have.

But back to the point, yes these are some nice healthy ways of responding when faced with racism. Have you any other ideas?

Five Great Date Ideas

2008-09-14T00:49:00.000-07:00

Get Your Feet Scrubbed!I mean get a pedicure, or another such relaxing beauty treatment. A head massage, back/ body massage for a couple can be good substitutes, depending on your level of intimacy. But a pedicure tops my list for it not only allows you to get relaxed and clean but also talk simultaneously which is an important ingredient of a good date.

Breathe!The logic behind this is if you are happy with yourselves, you will be happy with each other. So light up a few nice candles, put up a nice meditation CD and both of relax into divine bliss. If you are particularly experimental you can try chanting or dancing meditations as well. But remember, all of this happens with eyes closed.

Go Back to School!Take a class together. Find a short course which is either a couple of hours or if you think you can bear it, a couple of days. In the honeymoon period, a good idea is to take a class which interests both partners. Later on, to spice up things learn something about which none of you have a clue . Few fun ideas are pottery,chocolate making,wine tasting, salsa, photography, vegan cooking, yoga.

See the Unseen!Buy a Traveler’s Guide about your own city. Then, mark out the things both of you haven’t seen. Make it adate by visiting all those places in your city you have never visited. Trust me, you will be surprised at the hidden treasures in your city.

Blind your double!This one is for the daring adventure seekers. Fix you partner with a blind date and let him/her do the same for you. Then all of go out together for a double date. Don’t let the blind dates know that you guys are already together. Enjoy the comedy (or the tragedy) that ensues. Caution : Doing this too often can lead to pre-mature breakup.

My UP Story

2008-09-14T00:40:00.000-07:00

As per Bawa's Weekend Competition, this is my entry. He has not declared the winner yet, so I have my fingers crossed.

The sun had been UP for hours. As he woke UP after midday, he could not make UP his mind about what to do next. Life was all UP and around him still he felt left out, unable to keep UP with it. He got UP, fiddled around for a while and then went UP the stairs to watch some television. As raised UP the volume he saw his favorite team was winning by being 57 runs UP. Yet, this brought him satisfaction only UP to an extent. He had a nagging doubt in his mind that his life was UP. He could add UP all he had done till today in a nanosecond. And the total was only something which brought UP his despair more explicitly in front of his eyes. He felt that UP till now, his life had been a mere zilch. Being born and brought UP in an obscenely rich family which way was way too UP in society, he never was given the encouragement to stand UP on his own feet. Leaving the thought of his uselessness he strolled UP to the kitchen. He saw the cook lying on the shelves with his face UP. He suddenly spoke UP, "Oi! Why are you always UP to nothing? Get your butt UP before I beat you UP. Get UP before my temper flares UP and I hang you on the road UP some street light." The cook being used to such impotent threats took his pleasant time in getting UP. He yelled again, "Oi! Hurry UP and make me some eggs! Sunnyside UP!"The cook took no notice. The sudden UPs and downs in his master's behavior were not new to him. He had given UP any hope for change and had learnt to put UP with him. As he gobbled UP his eggs and toast, he felt a sudden urge to do something today. It had been very long since a desire to be in useful in any way had reared UP its head. But he decided to go with it and not stand UP against it. After all, sometimes even million dollar babies want to face UP the biting realities of life. He hurriedly climbed UP the stairs again and took a shower. He got dressed UP and gelled his hair to stay UP in a stylish Mohawk. As he strode UP to his sports car, he noticed that the sun was high UP in the sky. Not being used to such bright sunshine, he covered UP his eyes with his hand. He drove UP to his father's office at a leisurely pace. As he reached the street of the office, he realized it packed with cars UP to limit. For a moment, he thought of turning around and giving UP this being a good-boy-today, but then he churned UP his brain again and decided to stay. He parked the car UP on the footpath and got out and walked UP the road. When he stopped, he looked UP the street to see the towering office, standing UP alone, one of its kinds UP north. A sudden pride surged UP in him. He felt that if he came UP here every day, things may begin to look UP. Of course, he was not UP for everything that happened inside the office. Things needed to be stirred UP. To be set UP in a new, more him-friendly atmosphere. He realized if that was ever done and worse kept UP with, this large family business would die out in a year. He had put UP no lies about himself in his mind. He knew he was a lazy loser. Again throwing UP his vestigial thoughts into the air for no one particular to catch he walked UP to the office door. The gateman for a moment froze UP to see the important yet infrequent visitor. He relaxed after a few seconds and opened UP the gate for the visitor. As he marched inside he noticed like always the office was UP to the mark. Suddenly his gazed got fixed UP on the ceiling. UP there was a tiny lizard. It was running UP and down, shooting UP its tail now and then. Gazing fixedly UPon the lizard, a new analogy to his previous realization crept UP, slowly rising in him. He was like this little lizard, UP on the ceiling of the world, thinking it was all UP to him to hold the ceiling. If he ever moved, the ceiling would fall and break UP into a million pieces. Poor misled lizard and poor misled him! But it was all his own doing. He had blown UP this bubble of the lizard world. And now he had to live UP to it before someone came UP and burst it UP. Time was UP. Today he will do something definite. He took a deep breath. He could not sometimes surface UP in the clutter of his own mind. The confusion in his mind left him all roiled UP. He just wanted to shove these thoughts UP somewhere once and for all. Unable to keep UP with his mess of a brain, he walked towards the elevator and pressed the UP button. As the elevator door opened UP, he saw inside the face of his cousin- the very same one who had beaten him UP black and blue as a child and now had lapped UP his father and become his favorite. He walked UP to his cousin and shook hands. The door closed UP and the elevator began to go UP. The boys first kept quiet and then managed to start UP a polite conversation. As the elevator reached UP to the top floor, they sighed with relief for none of them was being able to keep UP the conversation. They both walked UP to his father's office. The father too was shaken UP to see his son. All three men whipped UP the same old pleasantries. The cousin left the office, lest he blends UP things to become more awkward. The father gave him a complete UP and down look. Finally he asked him, "What's UP? What brings you UP here today?" He stayed muted UP for a few minutes. Then he moved UP to his father and looked into his eyes and said, "You know what is UP. Please stop pumping UP this big ball of pretense. You know things are so mixed UP between us that if we don't fix them UP now, we never may again." The father was again shaken UP. Not in long time had such emotions been tossed UP inside of him. Instinctively, he went UP to his son and hugged him. The son looked too placid all of a sudden. He drew UP a dagger from his hip pocket and thrust it inside his father's guts.
At night, when the moon was UP, he slept silently covered UP with his blanket. Tonight was different. He won't be UP till early hours. The insomnia was gone. Softly he dreamed of the old man lying on the floor, spewing UP blood.

Satvic Burritos

2008-08-31T04:05:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody! Today was my last day of Ayurveda Cooking Course. And we had a cooking competition. We had to make any dish prepared with ayurvedic methods and keep it satvic. So I made these burritos with red beans and Pico de Gallo. Guess who won the competition! :) So here is the prize winning recipe for all of you.

You will need:

For Pico de Gallo

½ cup fresh coriander

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp garlic, minced

1 green chili

Juice of ½ a lemon

Salt

For the Beans

I cup red beans, soaked overnight

1 cup tomato puree, made by steamed tomatoes

Oregano

Salt

For the tortillas

1 cup Whole wheat flour

½ tsp Chili flakes

½ tsp Oregano

Water

You will have to:

1. Take all the ingredients of Pico de Gallo and put them in a mixer. Mix till it becomes thick, chunky paste. Check the taste. If it is too sour you can add a bit of crushed jaggery.

2. Take your soaked beans and add salt. Steam till cooked. Add tomato puree, salt and oregano and run in the mixer for a few seconds, just to have the beans and puree mixed well.

3. Take the flour. Add chili flakes and oregano. Add water and make dough. Now, make balls of the dough the size of balls of chappatis. Roll out the balls as thin as possible and prick it with a fork to prevent inflation while heating. Cook them like chapatti.

4. To serve,take the tortilla. Put a layer of Pico de Gallo. Add the beans. Roll the tortilla. Put a toothpick to secure it into place.

The recipe ensures satva as it is steamed and not pressure cooked or fried. Also you may have noticed we have used NO oil at all.

Pull me a Face!

2008-08-29T03:22:00.000-07:00

Some teachers pride themselves for teaching and some pride themselves for getting a salary. They are easily distinguishable from the way they teach, their strictness in punishment and tolerance of humour in classroom. The former are obviously much agreeable. But the problem is that you may not like to attend classes of either or for that matter any classes at all. So to save you from the dungeons of hell, I have come out with my first hand experience of facial expressions which when pulled will help you go through these classes unnoticed, undisturbed.

Teaching teachersFor them you ought to look pleasantly interested. A slight smile, eyes a little wide open and nodding gently now and then.

The other kind
A look that says I am seriously interested. A decent frown, eyes small as if narrowed with concentration. If you can manage to look totally non-kissable while pouting, then pout.

Golden Rule
Practice at home in front of a mirror before trying the face in front of a prof.
Best of Luck!

Special thanks to Ali for being the great model for these pictures.

Ayurvedic Cooking

2008-08-29T02:36:00.000-07:00

Today is my Day 4 at the Ayurvedic Cooking Course. The name being a misnomer, for cooking is only the tip of the iceberg. The workshop is about cooking, eating, thinking – basically living the Ayurveda way.

But, for me this course was actually about being amazed. Firstly, at the recklessness and disregard we show for our bodies. Next, at our absolute ignorance or neglect of fundamental principles of healthy living and eating. Then I was amazed in a good way when I witnessed the most hideous (my personal prejudice against pumpkin, okra etc) being transformed into the most delectable of dishes. The wafting concoction of flavors and aromas has never been so sensuous before. And yes, at the most unconventional, the most healthy and by the mysterious ways of God the most easy methods of preparation and cooking.

At the level of learning, the course illuminates the basic principles of Ayurveda so as to enable out of (good) shape people like me to become healthy.

Happy Janamashtmi!

2008-08-25T03:21:00.000-07:00

I danced before my Giridhara.
Again and again I dance
To please that discerning critic,
And put His former love to the test.
I put on the anklets
Of the love of Shyam,
And behold! My Mohan stays true.
Worldly shame and family custom
I have cast to the winds.
I do not forget the beauty of the Beloved
Even for an instant.
Mira is dyed deeply in the dye of Hari

-Mirabai

Hung Curd Sandwiches

2008-08-19T09:54:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite fillings for a sandwich is hung curd. I always feel I don’t use it frequently enough. So here are a few ideas for using hung curd as a sandwich spread.

Ground Work
The basic thing to do in any of these recipes is to hang some curd. So, take a muslin cloth (a handkerchief, mom’s dupatta all work just fine) and put the curd into it. Now tie up your cloth and hand it up. Please put a bowl beneath the hanging curd so you can collect the whey and use it later on. Ideally, the curd should hang about for 12 hours but anything after 4 hours suffices. In very hot summers, the curd may become a little sour as well due to not being refrigerated, so you may need to add little bit of powdered sugar to suit your taste. Click here to see Bawa’s photo by photo version of hanging curds.

The Hungarian Sandwich
This one I have altered from Nigella Lawson’s recipe. Take your hung curd. Add equal amounts of cream (malai does the job) and grated paneer. Take a slice of some nice whole grain bread. Put a thick layer of the spread. Now spread a layer of any flavored jam you like. Try cherry, strawberry and blueberry. Put another slice of the bread, cut in half and enjoy!

Easy Teasy Sandwich
Divide your hung curd into two parts. In one part add mint chutney. In the other add tomato ketchup and jeera powder. Layer the two spreads on two slices of bread. Add a third slice to complete the sandwich. You can try interesting shapes like the pinwheel with this.

The Veggie Filler
Mix some grated carrot into your hung curd. Spread this on one slice of nice sandwich bread. Put a leaf of lettuce. Add slices of tomatoes and cucumbers. Add some slices of olives (for that matter any other veggie) if you like. Sprinkle some salt and pepper. Add the second slice of bread.

Honey Chunks Sandwich
Take the hung curd. Add a little honey, chopped walnuts, grated orange rind and salt and pepper. Spread on a slice of bread and munch. You can use this one as a dip as well.

Dupatta Tera Sat Rang Da

2008-08-08T03:50:00.000-07:00

Hello! I am bringing to you another translation of a superhit Punjabi song. It is Dupatta Tera Sat Rang Da by Surjit Bindrakhiya. The lyricist is Shemsher Sandhu (and hence the reference in the last stanza) . The song has a very rustic feel to it with traditional Punjabi lyrics. You will find conventional style of poetry (danna danna danna and taiyaan taiyaan taiyaan).

Also I have not translated the word Dupatta. If you don't know what that means (gasp!), then well let this whole song be a puzzle for you to solve. And yes also, the word Heer. First, I thought I should translate it as Juliet, but decided against it for once again I expect everyone to know who Heer was. (Hint - Her boyfriend was called Ranjha) If you want to hear the song click here If you want to watch the video (which I recommend) click here

Modhe ton tilkda jave
Sataraa wal khave
Dupatta tera satrang da,
Sohniye
Dupatta tera satrang da,
Mundeyan nu barda tardpave
Seene agh lave
Dupatta tera satrang da

Heeriye

It keeps slipping away from your shoulder
Twisting itself 17 times
Your Dupatta of seven colours
O gorgeous
Your Dupatta of seven colours
It stirs up the boys
Igniting their bosoms with passion
Your Dupatta of seven colours
O Heer

Oh sakhiyan che rehaniyan tu rani ban ke
Oh sath wich lange patrani ban ke
Peeng ambharaan de wich ehe pave
Ni jadon leherave
Dupatta tera satrang da

You behave like a queen with your girlfriends
With me, you walk past like some hotshot
Forms a swing in the skies
When it flutters
Your Dupatta of seven colours

Kehande he jawani hundi pukhi pyaar di
Taang ehnu rahe sada dildar di
Taiyan taiyan taiyan
Dupatte utte morniyan
Dus kede shownk nu paiyan
Sajana noo piya eh bulave
Na bhora sharmave
Dupatta tera satrang da

They say youth is hungry for love
Always yearning for a beloved
Taiyan Taiyan taiyan
These peacocks on the duppata
Were embroidered out of what inspiration
Saying sweet nothings
Without a trace of bashfulness
Your Dupatta of seven Colours

Mirgan ne tor hey udhari tethon mangi
Mitran dee jaan ni toon
sooli utte tangi
Danna, danna, danna
Dupateyah sach das ve,
Mein kehrde pind muklave jana?
Kittey chan na koi nava hee chadave
Kasoota jabh pave
Dupatta tera satrang da

The deer have borrowed their gait from you
The life of your suitors you have hanged on the gallows
Danna Daana Daana
Tell me the truth oh Dupatta
Which village will my husband be from
Hope it does not do any new mischief
Creating trouble
Your Dupatta of seven colours

Sandhu dekh hoya nee shudayee phirda
Photo teri batuey che payee phirda
Geet teri hee dupatte de oh gave
Nee man lalchave,
Dupatta tera sat rang da

Look! Sandhu has gone crazy
Roams around with your picture in his wallet
Sings now only of your dupatta
Tempting his heart
Your Dupatta of seven colours

The Guru of Joy

2008-08-04T03:36:00.000-07:00

A few days back I read The Guru of Joy. It is Guruji’s biography penned down by Francois Gautier. Well first things first – it has the best cover jacket in the world. There is a picture of Guruji and it just compels you to pick the book up and read it cover to cover. Second thing that really impressed me was how well Mr. Gautier wrote. Unlike the disdaining francophone, Gautier writes English effortlessly (I would like to think he thinks bilingually.)

Now coming to the book, it is amazing. It is a biography but only of sorts. It really has no more than one out of its 13 chapters on Guruji’s life. Rather, it narrates personal experiences, anecdotes from other teachers, and other Guru stories from devotees far and wide. It’s actually a delicious melting pot of devotion.

His prologue is excellent. Further into the text, he maintains the tenderness of new love, respect of an oriental student and yet the mind of a modern critic. Gautier weaves yarn after yarn of tales of Guru love, miracles and faith. And also the tooting of his own critical somewhere in the background. I believe that is what makes The Guru of Joy such a fine book. The ‘Testing the Guru’ Stage is part of every disciple’s life. And that is why any devote can relate to Gautier.

The book is mostly enchanting, especially when Guru Stories are being related. Also, my heart was overwhelmed with joy at the idea of little Guruji and his divinely cute mischief. But at the end, I found it a little dawdling when it spoke about all the AOL courses at length.

All in all, it is a great handbook for any devote.

Rating- 4 / 5

Hello There

2008-07-31T07:43:00.000-07:00

So this is my new blog! I like this so much better than msn live spaces. Firstly it takes so much lesser time to load. It is easier to use and is definitely much better looking as well. Yes, so being a student of literature (techno n0t-savy), I tried my best to import my previous blog. But all in vain! So I have just copy pasted the blog entries. The photos of course are missing. But if you really want to see them, which I whole heartedly doubt, just visit- www.waamed.spaces.live.com

Well, now keep reading my blogs!

Bye

NACHOS AND SALSA

2008-07-31T07:16:00.001-07:00

Hello, everyone. I took a Mexican cooking class a few weeks back and the lady taught us very nice nachos and salsa, besides other things. So, I tried the recipe a few days back. It came out very well. The nachos which could last for 10 days in an air-tight jar were gone within two. So, I am sharing this recipe with all of you. Hopefully, my teacher will never read this, she might just dies of shock to see that I have posted her prized recipes on the net for free.

YOU WILL NEED
For the nachos
1 ½ cup Maize Flour ( Makki ka Atta)

1 cup wheat flour (Atta)

3 tsp oil

¾ tsp salt

1 tsp chilly flakes

1 tsp oregano

For the Salsa
3 tomatoes chopped finely

1 freshly chopped green chili

1 spring onion chopped finely

2-3 tbsp fresh coriander

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

1 tbsp chili sauce

Juice of 1-2 lemons

Salt and pepper

YOU WILL HAVE TO
1. Make the dough for the nachos using all the ingredients and water.

Make small balls of the dough (approximately the size of the ball for a chappati). Roll out the balls into thin circles (the size of chappatis) and prick with a fork.
2. Cook on both sides on a non stick pan. Don’t cook it properly. Make sure it is a little raw.
3. Cut these circles into halves. Cut the halves further into halves. And now cut these quarters into 3 pieces. They should be all triangles like pizza slices.
4. Deep fry them and spread on paper napkins. Store in air tight containers.
5. For the salsa, mix everything together. Adjust ingredients according to your taste.

TIPS
1. For a low fat version, brush the triangles with olive oil and bake them instead of frying.
2. If using red onions, soak them in water for 10 minutes and squeeze them to take out the pungent flavor.
3. Add capsicum to the salsa for a slightly different flavor
4. Replace mangoes with tomatoes for an entirely different flavor

A STORY ABOUT DEVOTION

2008-07-31T07:16:00.000-07:00

This is a story I heard from Pankaj Bhaiya at the Punjab AMC in the Bangalore Ashram.

Nizam ud-Din Auliya, a great Sufi saint was being visited by a man whose daughter was getting married. He asked Nizam ud-Din for gifts for his daughter's marriage. The Nizam said he had nothing to give, but whatever offerings any devote brought, the Nizam would give it to the man. Thus, the man started waiting, waiting for a devote to come by with gifts. A day passed, but no gifts came by. Disappointed, the man asked the saint for the permission to leave. The saint asked him to wait some more. Yet another day passed and there was no sign of any gifts. The man finally told the Nizam that he had to leave now, for otherwise he would be late for his daughter's wedding. It did not matter if there were no gifts. The saint's blessings were enough for him. But the Nizam said that he could not send the man home empty-handed. Saying that his slippers were all he had, the man could take his slippers. The man felt less than excited at the sight of Nizam ud-Din's old tattered slippers. Nevertheless, he took them along for he wished not to disrespect the saint.

On the way home, the man saw a huge caravan with queues of camels, laden with gold and jewels and riches. The caravan owner came up to the other one and asked for the slippers. The man refused saying that these slippers were given to him and thus he would not give them away. The caravan owner was desperate and kept on persuading the other one for the slippers. Finally, the caravan owner offered his entire caravan, loaded with wealth in exchange of the slippers. The man instantly agreed and was overjoyed to be taking home such riches for his daughter's marriage.

The caravan owner took the slippers reverently and went to the Nizam. And he placed the slippers down and said, "My beloved teacher, someone was taking away these slippers of yours. I gave him all I had and have got them back to you."
And you know who was the caravan owner. He was Amir Khusro.

And you know what did the Nizam say? "Still, it was a bargain.

Ah!

2008-07-31T07:15:00.000-07:00

July 03

One of my most loved poets is Jelal-ud-din Muhammad Rumi. A 13th century Persian sufi poet, he has written the most beautiful potry. He wrote his poems for his Guruji - Shamsuddin Muhammad of Tabriz. Since I can not read persian, I have to settle for the English translations by Coleman Barks. Below is a small poem which sometimes comes to me when I think of Guruji.

"I am so small I can barely be seen.
How can this great love be inside me?
Look at your eyes.
They are small, but they see enormous things."

Gur Nalo Ishq Mitha

2008-07-31T07:13:00.000-07:00

July 02

A PUNJABI SONG INTO ENGLISH

I often feel that many non Punjabi people love Punjabi music . Yet they cannot sustain their interest for the lack of understanding of Punjabi lyrics. And there is another group of people who feel Punjabi music is all just some Balle Balle chants and random noise and nothing more. Both these things pain me a lot. And thus, I have decided to translate Punjabi songs into English in here for the benefit of both these groups and everybody else too.

The first one I am doing is Gur Nalo Ishq Mitha by Malkit Singh .

It was made popular in the 90’s with the music of Bally Sagoo and the faces ( and the bodies?) of Jas Arora and Mallika Arora.
Click here to hear it. Click here to see it as well.

Punjabi Lyrics
English Lyrics
Chorus:
Gur nalo ishq mitha O ho
Gur nalo ishq mitha Ai hai
O rabba lag na kise nu jaave
Gur nalo ishq mitha

Chorus:
Love is sweeter than jaggery
”
O God, let is strike no one
This love, sweeter than jaggery
Meri pave jind kad le O ho
Meri pave jind kad leAi hai
Mere yaar nu manda na boli
Meri pave jind kad le

You may take my life away
”
But don’t speak a word against my beloved
You may take my life away
Ladoo khala baniye de O ho
Ladoo khala baniye de Ai hai
Ganne choop le jattan de pole
Ladoo khala baniye de

Eat ladoos from the baniya sweetseller
”
And suck sugarcanes of the jatt farmers as they are soft
Eat ladoos from the baniya sweetseller
Kale nu na kali takri O ho
Kale nu na kali takri Ai hai
Meri jeb ladooan ne paadi
Kale nu na kali takri

I could not bump into her alone
”
My pocket got torn with the weight of ladoos
For I could not bump into her alone
Phul te tarel pe gayiO ho
Phul te tarel pe gayiAi hai
Tenu nachdi nu mudka aaya
Phul te tarel pe gayi

Dew drops appeared on the flower
”
As sweat appeared on you while you were dancing
Dew drops appeared on the flower
Sharabiyan de paise bach gaye O ho
Sharabiyan de paise bach gaye Ai hai
Sohni akhan wich akhan paake takeya
Sharabiyan de paise bach gaye

The drunkards saved their money
”
As they looked into your beautiful eyes
The drunkards saved their money
Chorus

Chorus
Akhiyan ‘ch wass mitra O ho
Akhiyan ‘ch wass mitra Ai hai
Tenu chal palkan di maaran
Akhiyan ‘ch wass mitra

Come and live in my eyes my beloved
”
I will fan you with my eyelashes
Come and live in my eyes my beloved
Akh naal gal kargi O ho
Akh naal gal kargi Ai hai
Palla maar ke buja gi deeva
Akh naal gal kargi

She spoke with her eye
”
Blowing away the candle with the edge of her duppata
She spoke with her eye

THE 3 MISTAKES OF MY LIFE

2008-07-31T07:10:00.000-07:00

Just today I read the latest book by Chetan Bhagat- The 3 Mistakes of My Life. Now, if you have read him before you know what his style is. I would call it the male equivalent of a chick flick. The protagonist is a young man whose brain is hard-wired for logic, numbers, science, of course women and other stereo typically male dominated areas (just as a chick flick heroine would be all about beauty and romance). So I found this repetition to be a bit tedious in the third one as well. It is like this one character was first in IIT, then went to a call centre and now is a businessman in Ahmedabad. Maybe it is just Bhagat doing character-hopping himself. Nonetheless, the claim that the book is based upon real events, just makes it much more real-life and interesting.

I am skipping giving you a quick synopsis of the book as you can read it off Bhagat’s Site . Now, coming to the actual review of the novel, the best thing about any work of Bhagat’s is the fluidity in his words. You can pick up any of his books and lick it off within a few hours. For most urban Indians he writes in the language we think in. so obviously, 3 Mistakes too scores for being an easy, comfortable read. I like his absolutely natural humor, which really takes you by surprise and actually makes you Laugh Out Loud. 3 Mistakes too contains a few such great moments. To share a couple with you:
“I think it is only in my generation that Indian women started slamming their husbands.”
“Yes, the cover was scary and dull at the same time, something possible only in physics books.”
“There is an unspoken rule among Indian men…..You don’t hit upon your best friend’s sister. You just don’t.”
“Why does every male in the family of the girl you care about instill a fear in your soul?”

Another great thing about the book is the subject matter. I feel Bhagat with each book is dealing with more pertinent issues. Better still, he manages to keep his style and attitude of that of a member of the Gen X (or are we Gen Y?). Religion, politics, money and friendship are the major themes of the novel, all experienced through the senses of a youth.
The book is very Indian, yet thankfully lacks the sanskritized texture of the language which Indian authors tend to give to English. Though I found the climax a little too filmy for my taste, yet I am giving it benefit of doubt for being based on real events. The end is nice and happy, maybe not as happy as a chick flick, yet happy enough.
To end, I would say, it’s a very decent Indian summer read.
Ratings - ***/*****

THE SUMMER FEAST

2008-07-31T07:09:00.000-07:00

June 28
Banglore AMC

I went to Banglore Ashram for a four day advanced meditation course. It was a Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, J & K special AMC but that’s really besides the point. The point is how much I enjoyed it. It was pure, concentrated bliss. Absolutely amazing!
As soon as I reached the Ashram the joy started running through me. We took a few pictures that day of the VM and all but nothing much. Now you come to the ashram and are tottering around, feeling at home and smiling away to glory and then- you see GURUJI in his car going past waving at you! Now that’s like joy raised to power infinity. After that you see him in the satsang- beautiful and divine. Of course, not forgetting accompanied with a dash of the most innocent sense of humour.

Next morning our course started. God save these Punjabis! It does not matter that I was one myself, but we are superb at making noise, distracting sincere participants, doing bhangra at all the wrong times and most importantly saying ‘Jo Bole So Nihaal- Sat Sri Akal’ for absolutely any or no reason. And the frequency of all these things only increased as the course proceeded. Well, to my most pleasant surprise our teachers were Bharat Bhaiya and Pankaj Bhaiya who kept smiling through the painful ordeal of making out of control Panjabis meditate! JJJ First day was great.

The same night we went into silence. (I have no pictures for that period as Dinesh Bhaiya said no photography once we start our silence.) The days in silence were the most beautiful days of my life. There was a nerve in my body which wasn’t relaxed. Each atom of me was smiling! Ah! The delightful sessions with Pankaj Bhaiya, Bharat Bhaiya and Akash Bhaiya. And the lovely meditations in Guruji’s honey voice. He even came personally to take one meditation session with us. Needless to say, it rocked my world.
I loved the satsangs every evening. I wholly followed Dinesh Bhaiya’s advice of only looking at Guruji during the satsang. The greatest darshan is when with your eyes open you see Guruji and as you close your eyes, you see Guruji inside them.
Before I knew silence was over. We had met him in our darshan lines once, and many more times before, during and after the satsang. I had barely any time to complete my long list of shopping I had prepared but managed to scrape through somehow without money and time.
Next morning as our flight took off for back home, the sun started rising. As soon as we we were in air I sat in Sahaj Samadhi. After 20 minutes when I opened my eyes, there was an endless expanse of white clouds, shimmering in the sun’s glow before me. Heaven is a place just a little above the earth.

SARKAR RAJ REIGNS

2008-07-31T07:05:00.000-07:00

I went for First Day- First Show today after a long time. The movie was Sarkar Raj. A power packed political drama with superb performances from the Bachchan family. The movie starts from exactly where Sarkar left. Shankar Nagre has now succeeded his father Subhash Nagre and plans to build a power project for the development of Maharashtra. But of course, it is not a piece of cake and a lot of political serpents come creeping in, power hungry and vengeful. This launches a series of brutal attacks for the Nagre family which has to face a lot of losses. In the climax of the film, when the actual mastermind behind all the political turmoil is unveiled, you suddenly are hit by the true genius of the movie. SR is mainly on a political thread but with very strong undercurrents of personal and family issues.

Undoubtedly, Big B tops the list as far as performance is concerned. The intensity of his performance grows with the story of the film and by the time it reaches climax, Amitabh Bachchan is ferocious. Abhishek and Aishwarya are a close second. Both are perfectly cut for their roles. Abhi is suave yet with strong rustic streaks. And for the first time Rai can be complimented for her acting and not just for her looks. Ram Gopal Verma deserves credit for brilliant direction. I loved the background score especially the song ‘Govinda, Govinda’. To conclude,if you liked Sarkar, you will love Sarkar Raj!
Ranking ****

THE SUMMER VACATIONS APPETIZER

2008-07-31T07:03:00.000-07:00

Trip to UP and MP
DAY 1 -23rd May 2008
Travelled by train for the first time today. Ambala to Mathura . If I had known that railway stations are so stinky , this first time would have never come. Met this interesting gentleman on board who was engaged in the shoe industry. Nonetheless I found the seven hour train journey very tedious and tiresome.

We went straight to Bankey Bihariji temple from Mathura. You have to see the little bazaar on the way to the temple. Full of bright colors and hues and so crowded. The temple is beautiful! Just beautiful the whole of it was adorned with flowers. We got a VVVVVIP darshan and the idol of Krishanji was beautiful beyond imagination. The pandit sprayed a lot of holy water on us. We were given these beautiful garlands. I got one of roses and knew that I am a pilgrim of Sri Sri and him alone. After about five minutes ( I think that’s the typical duration) the curtain was drawn lest Bankey Bihariji should go home with a devotee. Later got VIP prasad and more flowers and bouquets. (Saw a cow who was burping. Finally we know what is North Indian overeating all about.) The place was brimming with people and apparently it was closing time. During the day, the temple is much more crowded which I find really hard to imagine. Now am at Hotel Radha Ashok which is quite luxurious, waiting for dinner.

DAY 2- 24th May 2008
It does not feel as if I arrived last night. Early morning we went to Akshay Patram – an ISKCON temples’ branch. A beautiful, serene place. We attended the aarti there and met this amazing person with super glowing skin called Mr. Hari KrishanJ.(What a co-incidence!) We had breakfast at their restaurant called Gopala’s. The entire place was pure sattva. Then we went Krishan Janam Bhumi. A huge mosque is there. All thanks to Aurangzeb L.Anyways we saw the exact place where Lord K was born. A nice place. Then took off to Agra. Went to this place called Kalakriti-an emporium of mainly marble inlay work. Lovely stuff though the pieces were prices were sky high.

Later in the afternoon, went to Sikandra- Mausoleum of Akbar. Beautiful architecture. Very Taj style. The gardens were full of deer, langoors and peacocks. Then, went to this great place called Kohinoor Jewelers. Well, what we saw there were real gems! These were what they call needle paintings by this extraordinary artist- craftsman called Shamsudin. The work is absolutely lifelike and totally beyond imagination. O God! You have to see it to believe it. Roamed around in Sadar Bazaar for a while. Picked a few things from the only bookstore in the city. Went for dinner at a south Indian restaurant called Dasaprakash. The ice-cream was delicious! That’s till tonight.

DAY 3- 25th May 2008
Reached Gwalior by Shatabdi today. Our route did not prescribe any breakfast but a very kind chap next to me got it ‘smuggled’ for himself and me. Very nice Aloo Poranthas. Anyways the best thing I like about Gwalior is the hotel we are staying in- Usha Kiran Palace. It was the guesthouse of the lovely Palace of the Scindia dynasty but now its managed by Taj and trust me it shows! A beautiful building with courtyards, fountains, lawns and lovely interiors. Our room is sort if a suite. I love every bit of it. Enough about the hotel! We went to the Museum of the Scindia Palace. I did not find anything interesting but the great drawing room. Rest of the palace lacked a royal elegance and was rather shabbily kept. Lunch was at Usha Kiran- very bad. Though the dessert was a nice change(warm dark chocolate tart). In the evening we went to see the Gwalior Fort. The main palace is grand. Majestic architecture! Made of dusty-red colored walls with blue tiles. Has all those ancient air conditioning type of things. Later we saw a light-and-sound show about the history of the fort. Also, visited this ancient temple locally known as the ‘saas-bahu’ temple. Apparently, a misnomer for the ‘che-baju’ (six-armed) temple. Very Indian architecture and astonishing craftsmanship once again. All vandalized and disfigured by Aurangzeb the Religious-Tolerant-NOT! Also went to the Gurudwara called Data-Bandhi-chodd Sahib. Nice place. Kada parsad was tasty. Went to this popular dhaba of Gwalior for dinner called Rituraj. Food was comci comca. Came back to Usha Kiran and took a walk in its lawns. Divine mélange of scents of grass, rajnigandha, amaltass and other aromatic plants. Will take shots of it in the morning. Slipping in for a hot bubble bath and that ends my day today.

DAY 4 and DAY 5- 26th May and 27th May 2008
Reached Jhansi in the morning and straightaway went to Orchha- the abandoned capital. Stayed in the resort all day for it was too hot to go outside. It hasn’t rained in this area for 4 years! (maybe Guruji needs to pay a visit here). In the evening, went for aarti at the Raja Ram Temple. The Prasad was interesting. Mithai, paan and itar (perfume). At night we went for a dinner party with Uncle’s Income Tax officers at Amar Palace. Bad bad food. Met an interesting girl Ashima who was an alumni of LSR and DU. Next morning saw the palaces or Orchha- The Jehangir Palace and the Raj Mahal. Both are magnificent but in ruinous condition. I think like the Usha Kiran at Gwalior, these should be made into hotels to maintain their beauty and also make them useful. Now after breakfast we will proceed to Jhansi and take a look at the fort there and then take off in the train for home.

PIZZA FOR ONE

2008-07-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

May 12

A healthy, yummy treat for one person.

You will need:
1 whole wheat pizza base

4 tablespoons melted butter/ olive oil

4 tablespoons tomato pizza sauce, heaped

1 tomato, seeds removed and chopped

1/2 capsicum, chopped

1/4 cup paneer, diced

2 tablespoons corn

1/2 cup grated mozzrella cheese

You will have to:

1. Butter the whole base with 3 spoons of butter/ oil.

2. Spread the pizza sauce over the base leave a thin margin along the circumfrence.

3. Heap cheese on the pizza sauce.

4. Arrange your veggies on the cheese.

5. Sprinkle a little butter and some more cheese.

6. Put it in the oven/ grill/ microwave and bake till the the cheese melts and becomes golden brown. I think it takes about 15 mins in the last 2.

7. Take it out (Be careful! Its hot) . Add oregano/chili flakes or nothing. Cut into slices if you like.

COMMENTS

JiviteshMay 17 1:24 AM
(http://lookinfordeath.spaces.live.com/)
Yummy...
and the pizza tastes very good too

(no name)May 12 11:55 PM
(http://cid-86f9e47e2a1607ca.spaces.live.com/)
I have eaten that pizza and it reaaaaaaly is very tasty , dont know if its the recipe or the cook, i like to think its the cook though

MY 10 ALL TIME FAVORITE CHICK FLICKS

2008-07-31T06:53:00.000-07:00

May 11 2008

10. JAB WE MET
A romantic comedy about a depressed millionaire kid and a fun loving, happy-go-lucky girl. The movie is cheerful and youthful all thanks to Kareenas brilliant role portrayal as Geet. Shahid is cute as ever. The music is great too. Maujan hi muajan by Mika Singh rocked the clubs for quite a while.

9. KABHI KABHI
A film of broken hearts, old memories and two generations of love affairs. Great cast of Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, Waheeda Rahmna, Rakhi, Shashi Kapoor and Neetu Singh. Once again a film with brilliant music. Has the soulful ‘kabhi kabhi’, ‘main pal do pal ka shayar’ and ‘sada chidyan da chamba’. Yash Raj Films at their best!

8. PRETTY WOMAN
Ah! Richard Gere looking drop dead gorgeous! Such a gentleman! So Mr. Darcy! That’s why every girl must watch it! Also, cause it’s a typical fairy tale, where everything becomes alright in the end and love prevails.

7. BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM
Ah! Desi girl kicking arse in gora-land is the top most reason why you should watch it (Please excuse my racism). Besides that, it’s a very well made story about love and friendship. And the typecasts girls anywhere in the world face involving vocations in men-dominated spheres like sports. Has a great Punjabi feel to it as well.

6. TITANIC
If you have ever been a little girl and seen Leonardo di Caprio in Titanic, you knew right away what was love and had your first heart break when Jack Dawson dies! Sigh! The first tragedy in my list, but worth its place for its romance and drama.

5. HUM AAPKE HAIN KAUN
This four hour long very musical film is a staple for any Bollywood fan. The greatest hit of the careers of Salman Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Sooraj Barjatya. A story which dramatizes the tender love between Prem and Nisha and reinforces what families means to us Indians.

4. ROMY AND MICHELE'S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION
It is a great flick to pick when you are feeling blue. All about being yourself and knowing that you rock! Very power-puff-girls feel in the climax with the girl power action.

3. MONSOON WEDDING
A great Indian wedding full of fun and frolic, yet with some grey undertones. A brilliant story and wonderful performances. Eespesal mensun- Dubey ji of the flower eating fame

2. CHOCOLAT
Chocolate + Johnny Depp = Happiness of entire female species! ‘Nuff said.

1. LAMHE
Another Yashraj classic. A love story of a younger man and an older woman and then an older man and younger woman. Superb performances by Anil Kapoor and Sri Devi. Waheeda Rahman and Anil Kapoor also remarkable in their supporting roles. Brilliant screenplay, touching dialogues and the most timeless love story.

MY FIRST EVER YES! +

2008-07-31T06:50:00.000-07:00

September 14 2006
AOL Day 5, 6 and 7
it gets harder to distinguish events daywise
yeah but on the whole what what n what fun we had:):):)
im still in the same state
it doesnt feel like i dont have to go n meet those 100 people and my dear bhaiya today
oh yeah bhaiya.....i made him a card ....painted n stuff
but felt so shy while giving it that i asked him to open it later
that doesnt happen very often ....me feeling shy
and then ajit has got me hooked to the song bidi jaleile (omkara)(http://www2.dishant.com/search/omkara-in-ALBUM.html)
by singing again n again n making rajat n dhirwesh do a bips on it
lol
sigh! what fun!
while we did the final 'i belong to you' s.... everyone was just so happy and so in love, no hestitations no barriers
ah!
but yes what i really did learn is that its only fun outside with other people, when its fun inside alone with yourself .
JAI GURUDEV

September 10
AOL Day 2, 3 and 4
Jai Gurudev!
hehehhehehe
yeah thats more or less what i want say
its amazing.....bhaiya, participants and guruji!
:):):):):):):)
v all r just crazy happy all day long
rajat, eklavaya, manvir, manit, dhirwish, me....
yeah tahts all!

September 08
Art of Living YES+ Day 1

I finally have myself enrolled in a youth course....The part 1s were fab but it is a nicer feeling( u know what i mean by nice here, dont u) to be with 104 youngsters
my chaddi buddy( or you could say chadha badda) manvir is there, besides him manit, ajitraj, himanshi and rajat, and ofcourse akash is there but as a volunteer
our teacher is mindblowing, has a degree from iit and iim to his credit and still so chilled out he is
:):):)
hmmm....besides that i saw a lot of pairs of beautiful eyes while ' i belong to you'
and yes after the pranayams i felt as if i was flyyyyyyiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnggggggggg!!!!!!!!
yah man who needs dope! lets do some oxygen
hehe

yeah thats it for day 1, except have homework....make 3 new friends and come......where in the hell from???????

FIND ME SLEEP

2008-07-31T06:49:00.000-07:00

August 29 2006

well the clocks showing 3 40 am..and i just can not have myself to fall asleep
aarrrrrrggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!
i wish i could call this insomnia for insomnia sounds so elite....
but i just snored the whole day through n thus now i am being punished
thanks God of Sleep....you are one kind one!
hmph!
oh to hell with it all!
this stupid fever and sore throat
and this sleepless night!
damned be those who wish evil for me!
damned be them all!

now i was just going through some blogs and i fail to understand why people write abstractly
(just read my first entry 'ummm' and you will know what i am talking about)
i mean whats all this pretence of abstracting the mundane
stupid busters all of them!
(i mean yes i did it too but hell! that was more than a year back...so u see it does not apply anymore)
i mean good writing is not about just throwing a few whiffs of vague crap into air wrapped in ordinary sentiment
gawd no!
that is just so indicative of evasion and irritatio toward real life!
and how annoying are those abstract poems
solemn night,
stars met
moon shone
on ur fagged potty so damn wet!
directionless poetry has really no place in a time like todays
i mean people do not have time to read smss, honestly see the probability of going through ryhmes without sense
lord ! the nonsense of it all.....

hmm...its close to 4 o clock n no signs of slumber yet
i guess i should just carry on this post
atleast the person who reads it will be able to sleep....haha

anyways i just vandalised a lot of accounts on orkut
hehe!
i scrapped my friends how happy i was on them getting engaged
no points for guessing none of them are
hoping this will start an vile series of rumours in each of thier lives
its so great to feel possesed by calvin!!!
woo-hoo!
(the horns are being polished and the tail sharpend)

ok here i go my final prayer to God of Sleep

oh thou great creater of sleep
fill my eyes wd slumber
pour some drowsiness into them
make them dull make them number

take away my vibrant libido
make me yawn , once and again
make me yearn bedding and soft pillows
and movement and activity disdain

embrace me infold me
let me not abscond
tie me tight tie me hard
in your snoozorama bond
amen

now im off to hit the sack because
bhagwan ke ghar main der hai andher nahi

(4 15 am)

I REMEMBER

2008-07-31T06:39:00.000-07:00

July 01 2006

whenever i think about days back at carmel, i start smiling reflexively. school days are really awesome! even though i used to crib crazy then about getting up early morning and having school on saturdays and all that insignificant jing-bang, i know those times were heaven.
i remember how when i was quite younger (like from kindergarten till second grade) my tummy would hurt every morning inevitably.my brother makes fun of me still but apparently it really is a medical condition which is called RAP, abbreviated for recurrent abdominal pain. (so farts to you ali.)
i remember how easy it was to bunk amrita ma'ams class
i remember then how great we became at bunking any teachers class. with our mighty skill of persuasion and sympathy attracting babmi eyes, we once managed to get all 8 class free....yes i know, we ruled.( i need to mention here it was a class effort).
i remember Lovey Ma'am suspending me from her geography class for one week when i began to laugh hysterically in the chapter about indian fauna for it mentioned wild asses.
i remember Neeti and mine 'cap-and-pen-follow-me' dandia ( don't ask what it was) in Verma Ma'am's class which had us laughing till she threw us out.
i remember how Nilofer ma'am on the last day of school banged her forehead into mine and said," Ana, I banged my head into you three years back and I have been sorry ever since" when i was apologising to her for something.
i remember the harry potter frenzy and the recesses we spent discussing the books which were yet to come. proudly i claim we had developed a series of events involoving draco and harry which is rumoured to be in the 7th book.
i remember me being hit by a basketball straight on the nose on a chilly winter morning. i have a phobia for oncoming airborne things and reflexsively i close my eyes.( but now you know why my nose looks odd. lol)
i remember how Alipt's exam papers would be retarded with things from hindi movies recommendations to the teacher to outlandish definations like a crowbar is the BECK OF THE CROW. not even the beak.....
i remember how sukhman would treat me with a sprite after every class, and for that reason i love the drink to this day.
i remember how once i pinned down a classmate. not really sr oleen's ideal young ladies.
i remember value ed lessons with sr oleen.what a hoot they were! give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning....
n i remember how simple and boy-free our lives were, devoid of any heartache or tears. Alipt and I would giggle ourselves insane over stories of ahem...Nibor I and Nibor II( No questions shall be entertained about their true identities). They were truly school girl crushes which kept our conversations spicy but never had ability to hurt us in any way.
theres tons more i remember and even more that i have forgotten
perhaps thats why school days rock so much!