30 Minute Meal

Its been a while since I have blogged. Many things happened in this interim period to me. Oh! yes - I went to India, got married, came back to the same old Salt Lake City. Probably one of the many interests that my wife and I share is watching cookery shows in television. Be it vegetarian or non vegetarian, we watch both with a whole deal of interest. And this time we are all tuned up to watch Rachel Ray’s cookery show.

Rachel Ray participates in atleast 3 shows to my knowledge in Food Network including $40 a meal. But our favorite happens to be "Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals". The sheer concept of completing an entire meal in just 30 minutes makes this show unique and quite interesting. Can Rachel complete her menu in just 30 minutes? Will she run out of time? Will she? Can she? Well its not that nail biting, but it truly makes you watch your watch atleast a couple of times during this show.

The cool factor of this show is the one that my wife pointed out - which is more than apt - Rachel takes the required ingredients from her pantry/refrigerator etc and then she cuts the veggies/meat or whatever and she cleans the vegetable, puts the rubbish in the garbage - what I mean here is that she does everything from A to Zee and nothing is done prior to the show. This gives you the actual time for cooking any dish. What's the fun in saying that I can cook a meal in 30 minutes if you had already cut the vegetables, boiled some of them, cleaned them - come on...you just can't finish half your work and claim the time for the rest of the half. So that is the specialty of Rachel Ray's 30 minute meal which really is a 30 minute meal preparation program that is worth seeing.

Food Network is one channel that we check out regularly. Sometimes we see Emeril, sometimes we are glued watching Ina Garten's recipes. Well yes, we do also watch Sex and the City and Everybody Loves Raymond too, if you want to read a one liner in this section of blog that is not about food!

With more thoughts...

BLACK

What comes to your mind when I whisper the title of this blog in your ears? An artist and a fashion designer might tell about the color black. An old man, whose hair is graying, might think about a dye; A teacher might think about the black board. An entomologist might think of the spider “Black widow”; A racist might think about a Negro; A common man might think of darkness, night or perhaps even fear. "Black", reminds me of something new - something that I did not mention in the list above.

To Michelle, black meant her graduation gown and hat. When she was a child, it meant frustration, irritation and perhaps even life to her. She was the most adamant, unruly daughter of a rich couple, who also happened to be blind and deaf. Sounds familiar? - Well you must be an admirer of Helen Keller. She was the first blind deaf woman to obtain graduation in the world. Perhaps the source of hope to many many people across the globe.

It was Michelle’s teacher who taught her light, optimism, hope and above all – Of life. Michelle calls him "Tee" - the first syllable of the word teacher. Michelle gradually learns to read and write and after many an attempt, obtains graduation. Like Helen, Michelle's first word to learn was water. Michelle's vacant eyes were shining with the discovery of learning something new - she was thrilled and excited by something that never happened to her - she started to gain knowledge.

On her graduation day, Michelle explains her dear friends of what BLACK meant to her. It meant her, her graduation gown and hat. It meant life, ambition and undeterred will power. It meant an infinite strength and a synonym for life. Rani Mukerjee and Big B portrayed themselves as the blind student and her teacher in a wonderful movie named BLACK. This movie is what comes to my mind whenever I hear the word BLACK after I watched it with my dear cousins at my aunt’s place.

If you look for optimism in the movies and tear jerking dramas - Black is a wonderful choice. With more thoughts…

An aggregate Of the Past

So, how about giving a one word representation to a group of meaningful words as given in the title of this blog? Well, if you really are into one words and synonyms, I was referring to “History”. I was a little reluctant to keep the title as History, as I was not sure if that would entice even the bookworms. I was and still am a lover of History.

Thanks to my history teacher way back in my fourth grade, I just loved History. She made the class extremely interesting that you would expect that class eagerly. Now how many of you could say that? I was matter of fact lucky to get a person who taught history as if it were achievements of someone whom I knew well throughout my life.

Had it not been for History, we would be reinventing the wheel each day. Wouldn't we? We do need to know who gave us the comforts with which we are all living now. We need to know who ruled us, how people fought and how horrible were the aftermaths of such wars, so as to think twice before even dreaming of committing such horrid deeds.

So it was in this history class, our history teacher opened the doors to learn about some of my favorite personalities like Joan of Arc, Captain Roald Amundsen etcetera. In the years that went by, I learnt more about the rich history of South India and the wonderful kings who ruled it. Still further, I learnt some international history and I was intrigued by the happenings that lead to the world wars.

Some of my friends still consider history a boring subject and is fit to be studied if you want a good night's sleep! Perhaps they all did not start off with a wonderful teacher like the one I had! See, if it weren't for history I could not have made out this blog and you could not have read about a small aggregation of the Past!

With more thoughts...

Variety

In anything and almost everything it is the nature of man to crave for variety. Variety is the spice of life and there is no fun without this mirch masala! Right from the common middle class man to the ultra rich business tycoon dreams, thinks and wishes for varieties.

Let’s start with my blog itself. Had it contained the writings about the same topic, I wonder if it would be more interesting that the variety I try to provide. Fashion is the epitome of variety. Perhaps it is the mother of all varieties. We expect variety in films, variety in food, variety in amusements, entertainments etc. Food - my favorite subject is so interesting and it proves to be even more exciting when there is a new variety demonstrated. I used to ask my mom to prepare something new and she would try to recollect any least recently prepared dish and try to make me happy!

Well, we do expect more from films – don’t we? Even if it is a normal love story, we want that to be told in a different manner - a new variety. Though unaffordable by many people, men crave for variety in cars, bikes and the like, while women look out for a variety in vogue, home furnishing and likewise.

Kids too look out for variety. From Cartoons to toys, from chocolates to games, kids today expect a lot! There is variety in cats food and dogs food as well! Using the word "variety" throughout this blog itself is kind of boring. It would be interesting and efficient, if we used synonyms for varieties like multifarious and potpourri!

So much for variety, but ofcourse a wise man once said, "Necessity is the mother of all inventions" (A beautiful adage) and variety is an absolute necessity.

With more thoughts...

The American Roadways

If I were ever asked to give my "Top 10 that you like in the US of A", then, most definitely I will include the American Roadways in the top 3. “I like it”, is an understatement. "I admire it", is perhaps a better word. Whatever; the American Roadways are something that one should check it out! Transportation is a backbone for a country's economy. It is even its pride. There is always a healthy competition between communication and transportation - the net result; we get all that we want sooner and sooner!

Some of the best things about the American Roadways are the broad roads having a number of lanes, the traffic signs, the freeways and what not! There were so many "Roadway jargons" that I was not aware of, and I started to learn them and thereby got accustomed to them after coming to the US of A. My awe and wonder all increased when we went on a road trip from Salt Lake City to the Sin City - Las Vegas. About 650Km - rather a great deal of distance was covered comfortably in 5 hours. And my, my, the entire stretch of road was awesome.

Travel by roads is something that you will love it in the US of A, especially if you are neither the driver nor the navigator! There are specific rules for roadway construction and the rules for overlapping freeways are way too complex. That is perhaps the reason they are both confusing and frightening besides making you wonder, how on earth could they build something as planned as this one?

Being a very vast nation and the resources and manpower spread across it, the US is very well aware of the fact that connecting people is “the” most important thing. Both air and road transportation are so very advanced and long distances are common in both these modes. This is one area that I feel rather jealous about the US, as back home in India; the roadways are not as good as the US. Well, we are improving extremely fast and comparing with a giant is definitely a healthy way to grow and move forward. I hope to see equally good roads in my home country too – sooner though.

With more thoughts...

Reliving April

It is April again - And its the beginning of spring in Salt Lake. And I am reliving those good old "Not a long saunter" blog days. If there is one season of the year, spring is definitely the best. And you can give innumerable reasons to support the above statement! The birth of spring has brought agility back to my cells, which were refusing to budge during snowy winter.

Well, I was delighted to see a very early blossomed tulip. A lovely rosy tulip with strands of white is out there deciding when to fully blossom. It is looking for an auspicious day, perhaps. Its just not the flowers: the leaves of many tress have sprouted and there is a tinge of green on them - Well these are the colorful signs of spring.

Its just not me who welcomes spring - the entire country of China welcomes it with grandeur. The spring festival is celebrated in China and is as important as Christmas in the West. There is the St Patrick’s Day, celebrated in Ireland, welcoming the spring season. Even though spring is not so well marked or felt in my home country India, it is those few days where the climate is good enough to roam around. For Chennai's hot tropical climate, winter is more or less a spring!

Counting my days to go back to my mother land, this April is a month of expectations. A month in which we have a major release at work. A month to do a loooot of shopping. A month to sit and countdown for the day to travel back. Well these are the non reliving parts of April, that has provided more enthusiasm to an already bright April!

With more thoughts...

To Sir, With Love

After a long time, I happened to watch a movie which made me feel so glad that I had watched it. It was the same way I felt after watching “Erin Brockovich”. This time it was a movie from the UK and rather an old one. To Sir, With Love is definitely a movie worth watching. It is a heart warming drama that makes your heart filled with emotions.

It is the story of a young black man, who is an engineer, happens to join a school to teach, when he does not get a job in his stream of study. The school he joins is the school that is run for the kids who are not so privileged. They are kids who work in the evenings and come to school in the mornings despite many financial and personal problems. They definitely do not lead a life of luxury. In short, the school is run for such unattended kids, who are rough, indecent and unruly.

Sidney Poitier, the teacher, takes a new approach of giving and taking respect to these kids while teaching. He calls his male students by their surnames and the girls are addressed by "Miss". He gives them respect and self importance that are so very new to them. He talks to them about not geography or arts, but about real life. What is marriage? How should a man behave to gain respect? Who decides whom to give respect? His class is filled with questions and answers. Questions on how to lead a better life. And the answer brings in light to these kids.

Poitier also takes them to outings - museums etc, where the kids learn about art, history and also have their break from their routine life. He moves more personally with each student and wins their heart. During their last day in the school, the kids plan for a dance where Poitier and his favorite girl student have a fast dance and win an ovation. As an icing to the cake, one other girl student sings a song in praise of their "Sir". This song was a hit in those yester years and the lyrics are so powerful that you can make out from it, how wonderful a teacher was Sidney Poitier.

The Song:
The time has come for closing books and long last looks must end
And as I leave I know that I am leaving my best friend
A friend who taught me right from wrong and weak from strong
That's a lot to learn, but what can I give you in return?

If you wanted the moon
I would try to make a start
But I would rather you let me give my heart
`To Sir, With Love'

Well, I had such wonderful teachers too, who are indeed the ladders, making each of their students to climb up in life.

With more thoughts…

Home Beautiful Home!

There are times when we tidy up our sweet little homes. Times when guest comes by or when friends drop in. Better still, when your in-laws come in! There are some of these times when you land up cleaning, when you have had enough of dirt lying down, or when you have become wise to realize that your search for the most needful item of the minute will turn out not to be a search if you have kept it orderly - a little more to add, shall I say spick-and-span?

Besides the benefit of living in a house that is pleasant in appearance, that is clean and tidy and above all orderly, a clean house is considered to be a beauty in its simplest form! Oh! You need not be a decorator, an artist or a fashion pundit to keep your home the most beautiful and appreciated one. You ought to be however, a person who loves to admire beauty.

Innate talents are not needed to decorate or beautify. I am no pro and I fall under the admirers’ category and I land up in keeping a house clean. Atleast the portion of my bedroom and my bath is definitely clean and I really boast about it! When it comes to your own house, your responsibility and the tendency to beautify it, comes naturally. I have seen folks keeping their rented houses worse than dungeons. Ughh…

Having been checked into a new home back in Chennai, my interest to choose space saving multi-purpose furniture, mild, simple, yet fabulous curtains and sheets, vases, showcase items have topped my google search. The hair salon in Salt Lake that I go monthly provides me the time to browse the Beautiful Home magazines, which are my source of international interior decorations.

If you happen to be an admirer with a strict budget, get on to the local shops and look out for unique designs or items that will attract your guests. Right from bonsai to table top Zen fountains, miniature and affordable decorative pieces are lying down everywhere. It is up to us to choose the best ones and embellish our sweet homes!

With more thoughts…

Shopping Spree

It’s been more than a month and a half, since I have blogged. Its UAT time - ie. testing time here for our projects and I am way too busy to think about anything but issues! It's a lazy sunday evening and here I am watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, admiring Harry's courage, Hermoine's skills and Ron's altruistic nature. What a wonderful bunch of kids!

Well, we were not so lazy yesterday, as we did a non stop 5 hour shopping. It so happened that we went to this famous factory outlet store in Park City. Perhaps every Indian in Salt Lake goes to these outlets before their trip to India! Hmm, it has an array of shopping malls, from jewellery to watches, from clothes to cosmetics, from kitchen wares to what not.

Some of the shops that interested me and proved to be well within budget were the toy shop and the paper shop. The toy shop brought my age down atleast by 15 to 20 years and I got a car and a bike! It’s not for me to play, however for my showcase back home. So I went off in a shopping spree, trying to get many gifts and articles to decorate my home.

We had ceaser's salad for lunch and oh my! It left no space in my tummy after eating it. With more energy we shopped, shopped and shopped till we were tired. The drive back to Salt Lake from Park City is one of the picturesque drives, with mountains filled with snow, cute little house standing on those mountains and the roads that curve around them giving us all those delightful views.

So that was quite some initial level shopping done yesterday and it proved to be exciting and tiring!

With more thoughts…

Made in America?

Very recently I had been to a place called as "Valley Fair Mall" situated very near my home in Salt Lake City. Probably for my friends back home, if I say Valley Fair is something like a very mini Spensers Plaza, they will come to know that it is a "Many shops Shop"! So it was here, I was doing a good deal of window shopping while my friends seriously emptied their wallets depriving it of a few dollars and cents.

Well, I happened to go to a popular fashion mall and was casually going thru some t-shirts. One of my friends pointed out a t-shirt and said "Hey this is Made in India!" and Lo and Behold, in this popular trendy outlet was a dress made from my mother land. Out of interest and curiosity I went and checked about thirty and odd shirts and found them to be made from a variety of countries across earth - China, Columbia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia and so on. Much to my surprise, none was from America!

I then entered a gift shop which had a motley of items displayed for sale. Over here again I noticed that there were things brought in from places and lands near and far alike. It was so heartening to see the articles made by people belonging to various countries under one roof - Globalization perhaps? Yes - that is it. There is always a craze for imported goods. Seeing them make us feel as if we have come closer to that place.

I came back home and sat on my couch with no potatoes, nevertheless switched on the television. There was this Spanish Channel, Italian cuisine, a Korean soap besides the films made in Australia, England and America! Yet another Globalization? Whatever you call it or where ever you make and label it, here I am sitting in one corner in Salt Lake City and enjoying this global togetherness!

With more thoughts...