Rain Rain

It goes like this..............Rain rain go away, come again another day, little Johnny wants to play........But these days Johnnies are praying a little differently.....It's become so hot everywhere that everyone wants rain, even people who hate rains.....

Places famous for good n pleasant weather throughout the year also are heating up immensely...........Am sure their prayers will be heard soon and let's sing together - Rain rain come again, little Johnnies wait for you, day after day, everyday :-) .....

Return

I am sure you must have guessed by now what I mean by my title of this post. It's been two and a half months exactly since my last post. Once in between my lawyer friend (M) had suggested that it's high time that I should post something new. I told her that maybe I am suffering from a writer's block, but offcourse she did not take me seriously and made fun of me. The number of people reading this would add to the already increasing number of people who know how bad she is (Done in view of creating this awareness).
Anyways I do not yet know what to write about today. This was just a note to inform that I am back yet again. I shall definitely post something in the coming few days. However, all those who reside in places like Delhi, Bombay (I still find it difficult to call it Mumbai) and similarly hot places, be pleased to know that I am no longer suffering in the extreme heat of summer as I was during the last month, because it has rained every evening for the last 2-3 days and it has become very pleasant.
With that note I shall take your leave now.......

Bookworm

I have book mania one can say and I also suffer from a variety of things as far as my reading goes. You must have guessed by now that I love reading and books. People who have a similar liking, it may be for anything, will be able to understand better about these things that I suffer from. It’s nothing bad or serious though. There will be times when I’ll completely go crazy about reading and will think about how to get back to my book. Other times, I’ll want to read but won’t be as desperate to take up a book and will read like a normal human being. Then there is also a third stage where I just won’t feel like reading at all and will be off books for a certain period. I do not know what this is called but it does happen to me at regular intervals. It seems like a migraine attack. When am reading a particular book, I’ll begin to live in that book and keep on living or imagining its characters and will come back to reality with a sharp jolt upon finishing it. Books have their own world and they can be replayed as many times as you want to. And that is the best part of it. I am very possessive about my books too. I do not like sharing them with others, other than few close people and especially not with some careless and negligent ones who will just not maintain them, they will also forget to return them. I don’t like food stains on my books which just shows how one has been treating them (They are not supposed to be used as coasters). So all you book lovers, and others too are most welcome to agree or disagree with my thoughts and also share you views.

Straight From the Chef's Kitchen

A La Capsicum Potato and Tomato-Dry
God alone knows what happened to me that I suddenly thought of posting this recipe. Yes, it so happened that I cooked this dish today and it looked extremely yummy to me just by the look of it. So I thought taking a picture to see how it looks (all the cookery books have such amazing photos). When I did that I was happy as my dish too looked nice, so I thought, great…another topic for my post :-).
Here we go…
a) 2 capsicum (shimla mirch)b) 1 potato (aaloo)c) 2 tomato (tamatar)d) 1 onion (pyaaz)e) 2 tbsp oil (tel)f) 1 tbsp cumin seeds (jeera)g) ½ tsp turmeric powder (haldi)h) 3 tsp coriander powder (dhania)

II) Method:Chop onion and capsicum thinly while potato and tomato in cubes. Heat oil. Add cumin seeds and then chopped onion. Then add potato, mix well n lower the heat. 2-3 minutes later add capsicum, mix well and let it cook. After 2-3 minutes add turmeric and coriander powder, mix well and let it fry. (The secret is in letting the spices fry well as uncooked or half cooked spices spoil your dishes (S’s tip)). Five to seven minutes later smell and check if it smells fried. Add tomato and salt and mix well. Cover it with a lid and let it cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes. (After adding tomato and salt you can also transfer the content to a microwave safe bowl and microwave it for five minutes).

If you want you can garnish it with freshly chopped coriander leaves.

Battered and Bruised......

After a tiring (physically+mentally) last week I still can feel its aftermath. It will take some time for me to recover.....That explains the delay in my posts....This post is dedicated to questions, a lot of them and if someone has answers to them please feel free to tell me......

a) Has anyone seen God? If yes, how exactly he/she looks like and is that any different from what we look like?
b) Do they also take regular bath, just like us?
c) Is God only in temples, mosques, church, gurudwara, etc.? Isn't he/she everywhere? That's what they teach us in school, right?
d) Does missing your bath sometimes render you unclean as compared to taking regular bath but staying unclean in other respects (like unhygienic habits and not having good thoughts, not helping people, not having concern for fellow human beings, not appreciating and acknowledging the good things of life, always having a negative approach towards everything).
e) Why only women are required to wear mangalsutra, sindoor or a bindi after their marriage? If they won't wear it, will it negate their marriage or they'll become bad, irrespective of the feelings that they have towards their matrimonial relationship? And despite having bad and negative feelings towards their marriage, if women wear mangalsutra and bindi, their bad and negative feelings will be condoned?
f) Does visiting a temple solve all your worries and problems, even though you fail to take steps to get rid of them?
g) If you belong to a certain religion, community or region, does it make you a lesser human being as compared to people of other religion, community or region?
h) Can you command respect just by being elder to someone and at the same time being mean and bad or do you actually need to work on commanding respect and deserve it?

I guess that's all can think of right now. But don't worry, I have a number of questions which I'll keep posting at regular intervals. Those are the things that I find difficult to accept as they are thrown at me. I need to know the answers before I do that. I know the answers too all my questions above, but I would also love to know your thoughts and opinion about them.

Until then...........

Helpless and Frustrated

Attempting to buy a decent centre table for a long time. Not finding one easily. Almost giving up hope. Coming across one that fulfills the criteria almost. Booking it by paying some advance as want it polished in a dark color to match the already existing furniture. Delivery being promised by the shopkeeper in the evening of the same day. Delivery complete but polish smudged in transit. Promise by the shopkeeper to get it done again the next day. Does not happen. Call to the shopkeeper and another promise to get it done next week on a fixed day. It still does not happen. Wait. Making another call in few days to check and another unfulfilled promise.

Getting very angry and reaching the shop. Telling him to either send someone to get it done right away or take the table back. Not happy with the incomplete shoddy work. Shopkeeper getting touchy at the word 'shoddy' and becoming very aggressive and rude. I becoming doubly rude and asking him to stay within his limits. Shopkeeper giving all lame excuses and refusing to take back the table. H not talking as H can not speak or understand hindi. Shopkeepers not understanding the reason why H not talking but only me. Coming down to their level and telling H to talk and not letting me talk. H completely confused understanding only that things not right. Asking me to keep my cool and leave. Shopkeeper having the guts to threaten me and talking rudely again. I getting pissed again and threatening him back. H ushering me away after shopkeeper promised to get the work done the next day. Becoming maddeningly angry and wanting to report about the hrassment and threat to the police.

Going to the nearest police chowky and three people directing us to another police station after listening and understanding to our entire story. Suspecting that the shopkeeper regularly paid something for running his shop. He boasting that he was not afraid. Complaining in this case yielding no result.

Increase in the level of frustration and helplessness but attempt at keeping cool in order to be practical. Considering it as a petty matter and trying to leave it behind. No use in engaging into fights with such people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Consoling..............

E-Regime

Well, I welcomed the new year (a week late) by beginning or rather continuing after a lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng gap my exercise regime. And believe me I wasn't the only one to do this.

First, my story - I began my yoga at home from last week and bravo to me I haven't missed even a single day!!! Today I completed one full week (anniversary day). From today I was also supposed to begin jogging along with H (check previous posts for reference). But that somehow did not work out given the extreme weather conditions and the fact that am not an early riser. But I wasn't the only one to be blamed. H also lazed and delayed in taking an initiative and by the time realisation struck it was too late. So we found solace in exercising at home only. But the resolve is stronger now for tomorrow especially after today's failure. Oh and I also go for my evening walk after I finish work which gets stretched at times and also takes form of grocery and vegetables shopping. That is also beneficial as lifting weight of purchased items also get included as another form of exercise. So I'm hoping for tremendous changes in the coming days (now that's being too optimistic, let me make it months). In my younger days (those were some days....sighhhhhhhhh) I somehow was under the (wrong) impression that whatever I eat irrespective of quantity, quality, texture, shape, size, I am incapable of putting weight. And I did try it too. My sister (S) would tell me, mind what you eat as some day all you are eating now will show. So now I am really confused and pondering if what she said then has come true now or ......

S's story - She was very very thin, thinner than me when we were in school. Gradually she gained weight due to several genuine reasons. She began her gym regime during the last few years sometime but discontinued it for some reason unknown to me. So now she too is amongst those who have decided to go through the year 2009, the slimmer way or atleast the healthier way. Hats off to her for her gym timing (5:15 a.m.)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

H's story - H always boasted of being the most healthy and having a perfect body. But in the last month (note it was the end of 2008) his tummy began showing much to his chagrin, even though he plays tennis (quite infrequently). So he was the one who resolved to begin jogging today and we met with failure. He's into meditating but I must warn him that it's not going to reduce his growing tummy!

My Bro--in-law's (J) story - He has been given warned several times by the doctor that he needs to lose weight (above 10) but he does not have time. All his time's taken up by his office. He too was supposed to join S but he accidentally pulled some muscle here n there and is waiting to recover.

My nephew's (A) story - Four years old and he knows that he's the strongest in the family - physically and mentally. Physically he's strong as he has to "become Spiderman when he grows up." He "can remember everything and does not forget things unlike his Mom (S) who keeps forgetting things and tires very easily."

This was my family saga, cut very short and did not include every member too, may be at a later time.