Kutlehar

Godrej or Godrej

2011-04-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

Godrej or Godrej it used to be as simple as that but not anymore!

For the last week I have been trying to choose a fridge and am simply overwhelmed by the choices and reviews. Let me say this upfront, I love cooking and am in the kitchen nearly everyday and it obviously falls upon me to personally choose a cooling contraption, the requirements are rather long, starting with the most important, it must look good, none of the nonsensical box style rubbish at the same time not too gadgety so that the staff can use it nor so simple that the dogs can start opening it!

After bugging my friends over texts and emails the one name that kept coming up was Samsung and LG, personally I don't really have too high an opinion of Samsung and maybe a few years ago they did such a tacky job that the image has been ingrained into my system inspite of nearly everyone suggesting that they have changed and are amongst the best now. LG was another name that kept popping up so I went into a few showrooms and saw various refrigerators I really liked the Hitachi French Door but then everyone said 'no one buys Hitachi refrigerators only air conditioners' by the end of it was so bugged that I walked into a showroom promising myself "no more, I am going to buy the first one that is on display" and lo and behold which one would it be but a Samsung!!!

So now I am grinning with the new fridge in the kitchen if anything goes wrong with it all of you who said Samsung has changed its colours better watch out!!!!

Japan

2011-03-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

Being from the hills I know the enormous power that water in its numerous forms has, come rainy season and the rivulets turn to raging rivers and the rivers growl with a hunger that immediately instills respect for nature, but nothing, absolutely nothing prepared me for the scenes of the Tsunami in Japan, I sat dumbstruck as I watched the wrath of nature, feeling helpless as the television news showed car after car and house after house being engulfed by the black wave of debris pushed ahead by water, the most heart wrenching moments were as the water moved towards highways which still had cars moving on them.

I cannot even being to imagine what must have gone on with the people directly affected by this calamity, the pain of losing loved ones and all that one has with just a wave and as the Japanese people come to terms with what has happened I pray for the people of Japan, may God give them strength.

Archipelago Restaurant

2011-02-18T01:47:00.000-08:00

The greatest joy of the internet is the ability to find out where the latest and the weirdest is, so when I googled 'exotic foods in London' up popped Archipelago restaurant. One look at the online menu and I knew this was the perfect place for me.

Let me start by telling you this, life is short and we've got to squeeze in as much as we can in a span of a 60/70 years (for me 35 have already gone therefore there is a need to 'hurry') I am not going to look back at my life and say 'oops forgot to do THAT' and this restaurant did cover some of the things which would have made me look back and say 'why didn't I..........'

On a quite street in the West End of London is the Archipelago Restaurant, the entrance is nothing to go by for what waits for you inside, through the green door and a small seating outside, the inside is a riot of colours and objects, Buddha's, painting, plants, a zillion and one bric-a-bracs placed everywhere and the eye doesn't have a second of rest as with every glance the brain registers a new object.

My friends and I are an eccentric mix, out of the four one is French but horror of horrors, a vegetarian!! the other two, one an English non-vegetarian Brahmin and the other converted to non-vegetarianism not so long ago. We settle down and glance through the menu, the names of the dishes are interesting but what really matters are the two liners under them, on offer are Crocodile, Peafowl, Ostrich, Chocolate covered Scorpions, Wildebeest, Locust and Crickets sharing menu space with the more regular duck, chicken, mutton and there are dishes for the 'live and let live' kinds also.

I tell the waiter who is very pleasant and helpful for the "most exotic dishes on the menu" he suggests that we choose from the Ostrich, Croc on a Rock (Crocodile covered in Vine leaves) Wildebeest, the Love Bug Salad (Locusts & Crickets) we ask for each of these, unfortunately the peafowl and scorpion are not available.

The food arrives on our table, the non-vegetarian Brahmin gives a disgusted look as the crocodile and love bug salad are served, the recently turned non-vegetarian is not so sure if he would like to eat here at all and the vegetarian French has an impish smile which says 'This I am going to have fun watching'

The Croc on a Rock is crocodile covered in vine leaves alongwith a sweet sauce

Ostrich

Zebra served with noodles

Widebeest

And then there was the 'Love Bug Salad' Crickets and Locusts, served on a bed of salad leaves and covered with sweet chillie sauce, very crispy and crunchy.

While we were discussing the 'eatability quotient' of our food we heard a lot of 'oohs and aahs' on a table nearby and saw the waiter pouring something out of a bottle, well when that kind of a menu is on offer we had to ask what was in the bottle and the waiter appeared with a bottle of 'Absinthe' with a dead python in it!

Absinthe is an anise flavored drink and amongst the most alcoholic drinks in the world, it is also known as the 'Green Fairy' and this one had a dead snake in it, had to have a sip of that!! The waiter poured a small amount into a small glass and a sip went through like a bolt, felt it go down the food pipe and dissipate in the stomach cavity!

Honestly, the three of us (the fourth was a vegetarian) could only really manage to have a bite of each of the dishes, not because there was something wrong with the food, it was very well prepared and the service was excellent, helpful and courteous but the thought of 'what' it was didn't really allow us to take second bites, so after a lovely evening with great service and excellent food we headed to have a more 'conditioned' dinner of lamb chops.

Emirates A380

2011-02-16T13:53:00.000-08:00

I love flying, domestic or international, short or long haul, I am always ready and willing to take a flight and when the A380 came out I was ready to hop onto it and shortly Emirates announced showers onboard, it didn't get cooler than having a shower at 40,000 feet on the worlds largest commercial aircraft!

So I booked myself on the Delhi-Dubai-London and return sector.

The first surprise was the new airport at Delhi, two words come to mind, huge and clean and the second surprise was the massive duty free, those who've seen the old duty free will know exactly what I am talking about when I say my first reaction to the duty free was 'whoa!'

After a smooth check in, though I was surprised that Emirates didn't have a staff member to guide its passengers through immigration and a somewhat confused ground staff who could not make up their minds whether First and Business passengers or those with children board first which delayed the boarding by a few minutes, we were settled with champagne and a basket of chips, nuts and chocolates in our seats. The flight from Delhi to Dubai was regular, suites etc and nothing much to write about except that the tv screen kept showing Dubai-Delhi instead of Delhi-Dubai for more than half of the flight, Dubai airport was nice but the after effects of the grand Delhi airport were still strong enough to keep Dubai from surprising in anyway.

With a four hour stopover in Dubai I checked into the airport hotel and sank into the massage chair for an hour long massage while looking out the window at the passengers zipping to and fro, shortly boarding for London was announced and I made my way to the boarding gate, the first sightof the A380............really big, huge........H.U.G.E., but a beauty, elegant and breathtaking!

I settled into my suite which was more or less like all the suites on Emirates, seat with built-in massage system, 23 inch television, a minibar, vanity table, mirror, wardrobe, a touchscreen remote for controlling all the features of the suite and ofcourse the doors that close at the press of a button albeit very slowly, for privacy.

After what seemed like an eternity of taxing the plane took off, now this is where the A380 kicks in, as the aircraft ascends there are no rattles, no noise, none of the 'tremors' or jerks as in other aircrafts, just a self-assured, confident glide as land falls lower and lower from the windows. A hush that can seem a bit unsettling for those who are used to the take-off 'roars'.

I ask the attendent to book my 'spa appointment' that's what the shower is called, as soon as possible and she returns ten minutes later to inform me that the 'spa' is ready.

After the claustrophobic cupboard like loo's on all aircrafts, this is a pleasant surprise, not only can you stand and stretch out your arms to your either sides you could most probably have a jog in here!! Rolled towels with orchids on them, lots of toiletries, hair dryer, et all and the most important of them all, the shower cubicle!

Each passenger gets 5 minutes of shower time, it is on 40,000 feet so they have to ration it, can't have people singing entire songs in the shower here! But the thrill of knowing that one is bathing in an aircraft while airborne is ecstatic!

After the shower I head to the bar area to have a Champagne and canapes and after a few minutes of chitter chatter with my fellow passengers who too are marveling at the aircraft, I request that I am shown around the plane, two attendants immediately volunteer and escort me down the stairs, which are rather wide and walk me the entire length of the aircraft, the 'downstairs' is nice but as the seating is for so many passengers it does seem to be a bit overcrowded. The most interesting thing that I found on the tour was that the business class loo (which was a regular size) had a window in it!

After the in-depth tour I return to my suite to savor the foods Emirates is famous for.

A hearty meal later, my table is cleared away and my seat converted into a bed and I have a lovely nap and reach London fresh as a daisy! A wonderful flight with attentive staff and great food, the only thing is the stopover which can make the journey seem a bit long but hopefully the A380 will be flying from Indian airspace soon.

Punjab Grill Restaurant

2011-02-15T12:40:00.000-08:00

If there is one place which serves good north Indian cuisine in Chandigarh nowadays then that is Punjab Grill in sector 17, I love the atmosphere, the refined decor, the excellent semi-classical music and the attentive but non-intrusive service and ofcourse the excellent food.

In any restaurant I prefer to order as many starters as possible and then skip the main course, unless something really unusual is on the menu (like Alligator but more on that later) and straight onto the dessert, which again I order as many as I possibly can.

In Punjab Grill I always order the Non-Vegetarian

Platter in which out of the numerous items, the Chops, Seekh kebab and the Galauti Kebabs are the best, so I always order extra plates of the Chops and the Seekh kebabs and to wash it down, the Apple Mojito, which is surprisingly non-alcoholic (maybe the license to serve alcohol is still to come to the restaurant) but one of the best concoctions of mocktail I've ever had.

The Chops are succulent, very well flavored and perfectly shaped, the shape of the chops is something that usually 'makes or breaks' the kebab and in this case it perfectly 'makes it', the Seekh kebabs are of the right texture and flavor, they must never be dry to the palate nor overly creamy, a knife must not glide through them nor must there be an extra effort to slice them......sounds tough but then kebabs originated in kitchens whose houses have given 'tehzeeb, nazakat and adaa' to this country and in that context it's not much of a tall order.

The galauti kebabs, which are traditionally from Awadh and are also referred to as the 'Toothless Nawabs Kebabs' as they melt in the mouth and are served on a small roti, which I personally feel should be treated as a platter for the kebab and not eaten, are just as they should be, very fragile, creamy and leave an excellent fresh flavor in the mouth which flows through the nostrils.

Desserts there are just four, which makes it so simple for me, I always order all four and have a bite from all of them, the Gulab Jamun is delicious when had with a spoon of phirni and kheer with a slice of the kulfi over them, an amalgamation that turns out to be excellent.

And the 'Paan Shot' served after the dinner is very unusual but extremely delicious, it is paan leaf with crushed ice and I think, cream and a dash of vanilla ice-cream.

Overall excellent food and service, a place to go to again and again!!

Blogging is the name of the game...

2011-02-15T12:28:00.000-08:00

So some of my friends have been asking why I don't I blog, well it is for the simple reason that I don't really have the patience or the time for it but then who am I to argue with those I call my friends, so I am going to try and write every now and then and as much as I like to say 'atleast every...' I know it's never going to be, so as and when I can, I will that I can promise and about anything and everything that I feel is worth sharing.

Life and it's little joys of 'Barred Incoming Calls'

2011-02-09T17:58:00.000-08:00

I've never really enjoyed talking on the mobile phone infact I find all phone calls that are not to the point, precise and brief a complete waste of my time. I don't make 'just called to say Hi' calls nor do I expect to receive them, having said that there are still over half a dozen numbers you can leave messages for me and no important call would ever go unreturned by me.

So why have a mobile if I don't like talking on it?? I hear you ask, well for one simple reason, I like staying in touch but the time that is good for you might not, infact most probably is not good for me and I can't be distracted to even answer the phone to say that, add to that super fragile egos of a lot of people I know 'he didn't answer my call' 'he said he was busy' so what does one do? Must stay in touch still not be distracted by what one is doing therefore over the years I have become a prolific texter and love the convenience of it, even if I am in the middle of something and I am ALWAYS in the middle of something, a text is the perfect way of saying 'I know you value your time, I value mine too but here's something I'd like you to know....' can it get more civilized and 21st century than that??

But as time goes on one's number gets around and how many times can one change it? Suddenly people whom one hasn't seen for years call up (at their convenience! Hello? I might be busy and actually have a life!!) without so much as sending a text before saying, ' I need to speak to you, is now a good time?' So I've barred ALL incoming calls on my handset, ALL! No one can call me anymore, only send me texts which ofcourse I am thrilled about so if you've called me lately and heard 'Incoming call facility to this number is presently not available' it is not the network, its me!

Time stared back

2008-10-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

Time goes on and on and we too continue mechanically with our lives, but sometimes time stops, just stops and stares you in the face and everything freezes, revelations floating in the spaces between atoms speak loud and clear and for once the drama of our own lives ceases to be, today as I stepped out into my driveway this sight stopped everything, not the peafowl nor the fact that he was dancing but that he was dancing when he had no feathers to display!

How we do so many things for display and would not do them without an 'audience' and this peafowl was dancing, feathers or not, he danced the handsomest dance and what a beautiful lesson, spectators or not, situations of our liking or not, the dance must be danced.