Piece of my mind.....

3 recipes

2011-09-07T02:00:00.000-07:00

i was feeling so lost after not having posted for such a long time...it was a mixture of laziness, bad mood, being busy and just not posting as didnt know what to write...

today i am going to post 3 recipes I have tried recently and were super successes....and very simple to make....and they are stuffed mushrooms, uckdiche modak, and sambar...

so here is recipe no 1: Stuffed Mushrooms
mushrooms are one of my favourite vegetables...and I love experimenting with them and trying every new recipe I set my eyes on....this recipe I found on 28 cooks...i love her recipes, and the best part is that she has many vegetarian recipes....

ingredients

8 to 10 medium to big size mushrooms
1/2 cup grated cheese
italian seasoning
4 cloves of garlic (crushed)
1 green chilly (crushed)
5-6 olives finely chopped
olive oil/ regular oil
salt
pepper
rawa (semolina) / bread crumbs for rolling the mushrooms

Method:

wash mushrooms thoroughly and remove the stem of mushroom, and remove the mushroom gills, i just scraped them off using back of a flat spoon...stem can be used in any other mushroom preparation....throw the gills...
mix cheese, italian herbs, garlic chilly paste, salt and pepper....now stuff the mix into the mushrooms..
roll it in rawa or just stick some of it on the mix side..
drizzle with olive oil and bake for 20-25 min at 375 F (till bread crumbs are golden brown and cheese is bubbly) or shallow fry in mixture of olive oil and regular oil
ENJOY :)

Also read the 28 Cooks Recipe if confused or for more creative stuffing ideas

2. Uckdiche Modak

well they are one of my favourite sweets, I tried making them for the first time on occasion of ganesh chaturthi this year....here is the recipe I learnt step by step from....the lady has shown really well in pictures...the only thing different I did was I halved the quantity as I wasn't sure if I was doing it right...

making the stuffing is really easy, making the dough little tricky, and the trickiest part is making the modaks...

the best part is that the rice flour dough is very pliable and forgiving, hence without tearing you can just reshape it or reseal it....the rice dough is just like the clay we played as kids....so have fun with it!!

3. Sambar:
Ingredients:

1 cup Toor Dal (or red lentils)
2 teaspoons oil
Salt to taste
5 small dry red chilies (or to taste)
8 Curry Leaves
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons sambar powder
1 medium chopped onion
1 medium chopped tomato
1 cup veggies of ur choice (potato, brinjal, drumstick, carrots etc)

for sambar powder

1/2 cups coriander seeds (dhana)
1/2 cups red chillies or red chilly powder (or to taste)
1/8 cup chana dal or chana dal aata (besan aata)
1 Tbsp. cumin seeds
1 Tbsp. pepper corn
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 pinch of cinnamon
1 pinch ground clove
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

roast the seeds on small flame, add turmeric, chilly powder and besan last...powder everything in chutney mixture. store the powder in cool dry place

Method for sambar:

in a pressure cooker, cook the dal and grind it in a blender
take some oil in thick bottomed pan, add mustard let it sputter, add cumin and fenugreek seeds, once they are light brown, add curry leaves, chopped garlic, asofetida and chopped onion.
once onion is translucent, add chopped potato (optional) and drumsticks as they take maximum time to cook.
once they are semicooked, add dal, and rest veggies (brinjal, carrots), one cup additional water and 1 tbsp sambar powder..add salt to taste
let it boil till all veggies are cooked, add more water if it is too thick...

tamarind is one of important ingredients in sambar....but i didnt use it as I didnt have it....and my sambar was just as fine....so dont fret if you dont have one or two ingredients...just go ahead and make this delicious soup and relish with idli and vada or dosa :)

i have another trio ready kadai bhindi, stuffed baigan and saute mushrooms....

wow such a lot to write about....now that I know what to write maybe i ll write again soon!!

why do we

2011-06-26T15:17:00.000-07:00

why do we,
we listen to the same song but hear different words
look at the same painting, but see different colours
react differently, when exposed to same situation

why cant we behave similarly,
even when we know how the other would behave
we know each other so well,
that we know what the other thinks,
what the other feels,
yet we cant feel differently ourselves
and we cant agree to disagree.

yet we walk together, hands in hand
with the knowledge in our heart
that we are together
no matter what :)

this is the beauty of writing my mind...i myself dont know whats in it at times...and how i am going to end a post when i begin writing it...and at times such as this..i surprise myself, and bring a smile on my face and hopefully yours too :)

song of the day: har dil jo pyaar karega...

heart n sweetheart

2011-06-24T18:39:00.000-07:00

today a thought struck me...it began with the word "sweetheart" commonly used while addressing your girlfriend/ boyfriend, husband/ wife...i wondered who came up with this word...and was it a medical person or non medical...and if a medical person, did he purposely choose heart because of its varied characteristics....

of course, heart has nothing to do with emotion....it is just a pump which pumps blood to rest of the body...yes it is indispensable organ, without which we would die...but so is brain, lung, liver, spleen, skin etc they are all single indispensible organs with certain very important fucntions and if those functions were not performed we would die....i know there are two lungs but here i am treating them as one organ...

also, i thought, if important people had to be given an analogy with an organ in ur body, what would your parents, siblings, husband/wife, and best friends be....

well i dont know about other important people, but i guess ur sweetheart is indeed ur heart....and you might agree with me if you consider the structure and function of heart....

structurally, cardiac muscle fiber, is different from skeletal muscle and smooth muscle in a way that it has properties of both the fibers...so your sweetheart is indeed a unique person in ur life, who is different from rest of ur relations...as he/ she is one who wud understand you like your best friend and love u selflessly like ur family......he/ she is both the one you choose for yourself but at the same time bonded by destiny

unlike brain, which controls ur body...heart doesnt...and ideally that should be the case with ur sweetheart too...maybe thats the reason brain isnt likened to ur better half....

liver, pancreas, kidneys very important, but can be shared with someone....a part can be donated and in case of kidney whole can be donated....heart sure cant be shared...

skin, the single, largest organ of our body, serves important function of protection...but i guess its a little bit too fragile, of course it braves the harm and protect...but it does bruise a bit too easily...the relation with ur special one has to be definitely tougher than that

heart is the last organ to stop and when it stops you declare a person dead......so basically, its the heart that sticks it out till the end....and the one that doesnt give up...the one that can be stimulated to function when it stops....maybe thats the reason that person is likened to your heart...

the body is perfect example how all different organs though indispensable work together smoothly for a healthy body...similarly, there are numerous relations in our life, they all are indispensable and important....you have build them and maintain them through out our life for a healthy life....and yes, whoever coined the word "sweetheart" made a right choice :)

song of the day: ajnabi......miss u hubby..

garlic rolls

2011-06-23T23:34:00.000-07:00

ever since my friend gauri posted this recipe on her blog i was dying to making it....the only thing that kept me from making was i thought it was a super complex thing....i mean how could a person make such professional looking bread rolls at home...i thought this rolls were beyond my scope...anyways, this monday i told myself to give it a shot...after all the recipe was right there...i just had to follow it...and LO BEHOLD, i managed to make it...i cudnt believe it, i made those rolls....i think my fairy godmother dusted some of her magical fairy dust on them.....well, here is the recipe, and if u follow them am sure my fairy godmother would be generous with you too and your rolls will be super as well

Ingredients:

for the dough:

3 cups whole wheat flour
3 and 3/4 tbsp melted butter (45 gm)
1 egg (1/2 for dough, 1/2 for glaze)
2 and 3/4 tsp sugar
1 n 1/2 cup warm milk
1/2 tsp yeast
1 tsp oil
salt to taste

for the garlic spread

1 tbsp garlic paste
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp parmesan cheese (any shredded cheese)
1/2 tbsp italian seasoning
salt to taste

Method:

mix yeast in one cup warm milk and keep it aside for 10 min.
in a bowl, take flour, sugar, salt, butter and 1/2 egg and mix it together, once ten minutes are up add in the milk and yeast, now knead the dough as you knead to make chapatis, the dough should be kneaded soft, so if it isnt soft add half cup milk and knead it till the dough is soft and pliant and non sticky...
grease the vessel with some oil punch some so that there is oil coating all over the dough.
cover the vessel with a lid and let the dough rise till its twice its size or around 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Meanwhile mix the ingredients of the spread together.
punch the dough so that all the air escapes, divide the dough into half and roll the dough into a huge chapati (try to make it rectangular) till it is 1/4 of inch thick...if the dough is sticking too much to the base then sprinkle some dry flour and roll

once rolled out spread the garlic mix all over the chapati.
now cut it in strips and knot it up...anyway u want to.
arrange them in baking tray and keep the knots aside for 30 min.
brush some beaten egg (the other half) on the knots before putting them in oven for an amazing glaze.
preheat the oven at 400 F and place the baking tray in oven.

bake for 20 min or little longer till u see the knots brown nicely and you get some amazing aroma of freshly baked garlic rolls.

it takes some time, so just plan it ahead of time....its very easy to make with great results...you ll be so proud of yourself....

song of the day: dhadak dhadak from BNB :) dreams unlimited

chocolate crepe

2011-06-20T00:02:00.000-07:00

i had chocolate crepe at a french restaurant...and i am totally hooked to it...one of my favorite desserts...and its really simple to make too...and i like to call it the chocolate dosa :)

i made them following this chocolate crepe recipe.

my tips: use non stick pan to make it...put batter on pan and spread it like u wud spread a dosa, and then once it is semi cooked apply butter to sides and spread little all over the crepe too...if its spread thin enough then u dont need to flip it and cook...if its thick u might need to do it

when the crepe is cooked, it will automatically separate from the pan, so u just have to lift from edges...

do not lose hope if u spoil initial 2 or 3 crepes....it might take a while till u get the hang of making them...be patient and make the next crepe...

its super delicious when u spread in nutella or chocolate sauce, and add chopped strawberries or banana....and garnish it with some cream.....serve them hot for best taste....so serve as u make...

i just had some, and my mouth is watering again!!!!

u have to try this french dessert...

song of the day: jaane nahi denge tujhe...dedicated to all my friends...love the emotion in this song...three cheers to friendship

good bye

2011-06-11T17:18:00.000-07:00

loved this take on the fairy tale

A fairy tale always have a happy ending but does it have a perfect start? And what about the parts unseen and undiscovered.

This is the story of a simple girl. She lived with her sweet parents. One day she went to the woods playing around and made a new friend. They became best of the friends and started hanging out together everyday. Soon they grew up and their silly games started turning into realities. From friends they became lovers but they still loved playing games with each other. At the end that was the thing that always connected them... They were great lovers but they always brought out the darker side of each other. One day while playing the game of their life they both lost and that was it... they parted ways... The story does not end here...

This is the time her mother died and her father got her a step mother and two step sisters. They used to treat her like maid... This girl was Cinderella...whose story we all know... who met her Prince and then lived happily ever after. But who was the Prince? Her childhood sweetheart? Lets find out...

After the ball and his successful search with her glass shoe,Prince finds Cinderella and proposes her. She now had Prince in her life who would love her, understands her and wants her as no1 else would ever want ...yet she could not forget her love. Yes... He was not the Prince...

One day She goes back and tells her lover

"lets get back together. Happiness is not everything... The great loves are the crazy ones"

He replies,"There's a difference between a great love and the right love. I left you last year after two minutes when you didn't show. Prince waited for you all night. He searched for you and found you. This is your chance at happiness. You think you shouldn't want it 'cause you've never had it and it scares you. But you deserve your fairytale."

Cinderella: We make our own fairytales.

He says, "Only when we have to."

SILENCE

He holds her " I bring out your darker side and you shine with your Prince, you deserve him. " and kisses her forehead and says I will always love you.

She turns around and goes away... And it was happily NEVER after for them...

Transitions in life are usually marked by major events, birthdays, graduations, weddings; but the greater transition often come out of smaller moments, when we stop and look at who we are, because each time we see how far we have come, we also see how far we still have to go. Like her lover did...he transformed and did what is right. He made Cinderella do what is right for her and yet again proved that his love is indeed great!

Cinderella realizes that in order to fully transform, we might need to free ourselves of everything we’ve been holding on to, to send us on our new path, the right one.

CINDERELLA MARRIES THE PRINCE AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVERY AFTER

Rushika Maniar

(inspired by a tv show)

song of the day: when you say nothing at all from notting hill sung by ronan keating

mix veg paratha

2011-06-01T22:47:00.000-07:00

parathas are one of the most widely loved north indian food preparation....the best part is once u learn to make one type of paratha u can make all kinds :) :)

the most difficult part of paratha is rolling it out...but let me assure u that with some very simple tips, u can make them easily (provided u know how to knead the dough and make regular chapatis or rotis or tortillas ;)

Ingredients

for the dough:
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp oil
water (as needed to make a soft dough)
salt as per taste

for the stuffing

finely chopped mix vegetables (cauliflower, peas, beans, carrot, corn)
finely chopped onion
finely chopped cilantro
green chilly paste
ginger paste
garlic paste
red chilly powder
turmeric powder (haldi)
cumin and coriander powder (dhaniya jeera)
pinch of garam masala
salt
sugar (just for sweet touch)
lemon juice

Method:

for the dough

in a bowl mix flour salt and oil....add water in small quantities and knead the dough till the flour doesnt stick to sides is soft to touch....coat the bowl with little oil and then again knead the dough for a min or two...cover the bowl and let the dough sit for 15 to 20 minutes.

one of the tricks of making a good paratha is having perfectly kneaded dough....the consistency of the dough should match the consistency of the filling, so that the filling spreads evenly in the dough when you roll it and doesnt collect to one end...

in this case, of course the filling is little coarse as no potatoes were added...you may add a potato to the filling so that the filling has a consistency comparable to the dough.

for the filling:

chop or grate the veggies, believe it or not i chopped the mixed vegetables in the mixture to form a coarse powder. add the rest of the ingredients as per taste...there is no fixed protocol...mix it well.....

just one pointer, add salt last, and just before you are actually going to roll the parathas, because once u add the salt, the vegetables start to sweat and so your filling becomes wet making it diffcult to roll...

making the paratha:

take a portion of the dough (it should be at least 2 times what u normally take to make one roti or chapati)
make the chapati from the dough....
roll it such a way that the central portion is thicker than the sides...make a big chapati
take 2 table spoonful (heapful) of the filling and place it in the center of the chapati...take the edges upward so that it looks like the purse string bag....stick the edges of the dough together by pressing them together....
cut the excess of the dough....the dough ball should not be too tight...it should be loose enough for the filling to spread....now gently with very little pressure roll the dough into a paratha..
cook it on a pan with very little oil till brown spots are seen..

enjoy with yogurt pickle and butter :)

my apologies for not clicking pics of every step....if my post seems confusing, please also refer my friend gauri's post on peas paratha, i think she has explained the method lot better than i have...

pineapple upside down cake

2011-05-30T12:08:00.000-07:00

my mom made this cake for my birthday when i was a little girl...and this weekend as i was debating what to make for the dessert my friend suggested i make this cake...and just the name brought back tons of wonderful memories, and so i decided to make it without thinking twice...and it was indeed delicious
this is the recipe i followed : pineapple upside down (betty crocker recipe)

Ingredients

6 pineapple slices (if canned, drain them)
cherries optional
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter (i used more butter as i didnt have shortening)
1 1/3 cup flour (i used whole wheat all purpose flour)

Method:

start with ingredient no 4 egg and beat it....then all rest ingredients one by one, constantly mixing the batter, to get a smooth batter....use melted butter for ease of mixing..and add flour last in small portions to prevent lumps..scrape the bottom and sides of vessel while mixing so to ensure that none of the flour has stuck to bottom....once the batter is all smooth and mixed well keep it at the side

preheat the oven to 350 deg F

butter the baking tray, sprinkle brown sugar on the buttered tray...arrange pineapple slices on the tray over the sugar..if you dont have brown sugar u can use white sugar instead....brown sugar basically gives a nice caramelized look....if you wish to use cherries, place them in the center of the pineapple

pour the batter on the pineapples...

place in the oven for 50 to 55 min or till the surface is nice golden brown and the knife comes out clean at the center too...

remove the tray from the oven...cover it with a serving plate...and turn the plate and tray upside down...ur cake will come out nice and clean in the plate..let it be covered with the tray for a min or two so that the melted sugar drizzles down on cake...remove the baking tray and ENJOY THE CAKE!!!

trust me the cake was awesome!!!!!

song of the day: ladka yeh kehta hai ladki se from mein prem ki diwani hoon..

just for this weekend

2011-05-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

just for this weekend..
i want to lay my tensions aside...

i promise to enjoy the days to the fullest
without worrying about tasks to be completed

i promise to let my hair down
and laugh without care

i wont worry about
what could have been.....and what actually is..

i dont want to feel helpless today

and think whether it was my fault or it was fate

i want to dance..till i drop down
i dont want to think about what and who i miss...

i want to be free from myself....

just for this weekend

song of the week: teri mehfil kismat aazamakar.....qawali from Mughal E Azam....love the words

dear mom,

2011-04-29T15:31:00.000-07:00

dear mom,
i am still your little princess mom
there are times i still wanna hold ur hand
i still need you to tell me to eat
and force one more morsel down my mouth
i miss u mom
when i dont know what to eat
i miss u when i go to sleep
and i want to feel u patting me
i have grown, but my needs are the same,
i want to hug u tight and lay in ur lap
through the night
i miss u, when i open the door
and i am greeted by a dark, cold flat
i miss u in all my victories
when i try out new recipes
i want u to be by my side and
pat my back with great pride
i need u here when i celebrate
to cheer for me when i graduate
i need u here, with me, forever and always...
in all my highs plateaus and low,
coz highs are not high enough without u
and lows seem lower than they are...
i miss u mom...i love u..
life just isn't the same without u here..

song of the day: one of my mom's favourite song...and mine too...hum aapki aankhon me...love the banter! :)

strawberry meringue pie

2011-04-17T14:32:00.000-07:00

so this weekends delight was strawberry meringue pie.....more than the pie i was challenged to do the meringue....and i wanted to know if i got it right....well i did get it right for the most part....and yes as usual i did make some changes in the recipe and method....so i am giving u the original links too...i need more practice setting meringue on the pie.....so it can be more decorative! other than that the pie taste fabulous :)

Ingredients
for the pie crust

one cup wheat flour
1/2 cup solid butter (cut it into cubes)
2 tablespoons sugar

for the filling

1 1/2 cup strawberries
1 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cream (i used whipped, but heavy is better)
2tbsp + 2 tsp wheat flour

for the meringue

2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp corn flour
3 egg whites
5 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
little more than 1/2 cup water

first of all i wanna tell u....dont get intimidated by the name of the dish or number of ingredients!!! is a very simple dish to make.....almost all the ingredients are going to be there in ur kitchen year round

Method

for the crust: Mix all the ingredients in a bowl with a spatula or spoon till its all combined well and has a texture similar to bread crumbs.....press it down on the baking dish...preheat the oven at 350 deg F (175 deg C) and bake it for 20 min or till you feel that the crust is baked well..this is post baking pic...so yes my crust looked white only..

for the filling: while the crust is getting baked....whisk together the cream, egg yolk, flour, sugar, salt.....once its well mixed...add chopped strawberries...once the crust is done...pour in the filling on the crust and put it in oven again...

bake at 350 deg F for 35 to 40 min...till the top is golden brown....mine is little bit darker brown than it should be...i think...taste wise its good..i dont know exactly how much to bake the pie...coz it does remain little soft and knife doesnt really come out clean...u might want to do some research...or just bake it for this much time...one thing i can tell u is mine is not under baked at the center or anything like that..

for the meringue: while the pie is getting baked....put together the egg whites, vanilla essence, and salt in a large bowl and beat the eggs till soft peaks are formed.....if u use a electric appliance it will be easier for u...else u have to beat it for at least 20 min till u see the soft peaks rise in the eggs....add sugar one table spoon at a time and mix it well...

in a saucepan, take take water, add 2 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp corn flour...and stir it continuously...till the mix gets thick and transparent....ask some to add the mix to the eggs while you beat them....I wasnt able to pour it....i had to take in spoon and add to the eggs...so thats how thick it was....

continue beating the eggs till stiff shiny peaks are formed....this will take 10 to 15 more min...

so if you are doing it by hand its 30 min of beating....yes your muscles might ache but the results are worth it...

by now the pie is done....so get it out of oven and top it off with the meringue...you can make nice design with the spatula or the beater...i did it with the beater...and mine wasn't as good as the pic i saw on web....but it was a good result considering it was my first time :)

bake it in oven for 10 min....once u see the meringue turning golden brown, take it off from the oven....

it can be served warm or at room temperature....dont refrigerate it if possible as the crust gets too hard to break...yes i am saying this from experience and search on the internet....and this pie should be consumed immediately or in 2 days time...so dont keep it for many days...and i am sure it wont last that long...coz it is indeed very very tasty!!!

it takes an hour to be made....but trust me, its so yummy...and u ll be so proud of yourself at the end of it...the result is way better than the effort put in...coz only the meringue takes some work...rest of stuff is super easy....go ahead and give it a shot!

song of the day: hum hai rahi pyaar ke phir milenge chalte chalte....love this medley :)

lessons learned

2011-04-15T01:15:00.000-07:00

today i had a fantastic day....i attended couple of lectures....and there were so many take home messages that were spoken in context of career or work but could be applied to personal life (relationships, family interactions) too....
i wont waster time writing prologue to it.....here we are...capsules of knowledge :)

5 important things to take care of so u DONT mess your CAREER

Quality of service you provide: of course superior quality will result in better profits and prevent loss of customers.
Know your customers: its wise to know who you are actually serving...take time out..get to know them....ultimately they are the reason why you have your bread butter jam cheese etc etc :)
Love your work: take interest in whatever you are doing, and do it at the best of your ability.
Dont talk ill about your BOSS: yes...this ones a biggie...after all he is the one with more say than u !
dont belittle your employees: they should love working for you, only then will they put in their 100%

now are some more bullet points that are worth thinking about:

No one got hurt coz they didnt say something (esp wen that something is bad or hurtful) avoid saying things wen you are angry....
you are never secure; just know about your insecurities!
"It depends" everything has reference to context and your views change once you know an extra bit of information......never judge....most situations/ actions can be looked at objectively....and always the answer to the question is "IT DEPENDS on.......................or.................."
layers of protection and back up plans: how many layers are enough??? sometimes its better to keep the shield aside and face the situation.......similarly how many back ups are enough??? who decides this??? YOU....accept situation as it comes....soemtimes you can never have enough back ups.
Transform yourself as per situation/ people, rather than trying vice versa....
Little problems turn into big problems if you dont face them, they dont go away......
know your weak spots
biggest security concern : identity....who are you...know yourself...

these are some interesting things i learnt today and all this had to do with IT SECURITY...and how people mess their careers......got lots of material to think and learn from..

felt good writing something after a long long time......ciao guys.....

song of the day: janam dekhlo mit gayi dooriyaan......miss u ravi..

World Cup 2011...the nation celebrates!!!

2011-04-02T20:14:00.000-07:00

India has won the world cup....We are the world champs...the feeling is not yet sinking in....i didnt know how much this meant to me till i finished watching the highlights....till i heaved the sigh of relief....i didnt know there was so much pent up tension within me.....

as far as i remember, it was 1996 world cup, when i understood the importance of it...i remember going to see the match in a new york theater with family...it was india-australia match....and we lost the game....thats all i remember about it...

next was 1999 world cup..it was being played in england, and there was so much hype about it....media hyping india as the defending champions as per the venue.....but i dont really remember any of the tournament...i was in 10th then...i think the tournament happened during my board exams....whatever......

i followed 2003 world cup quite religiously....i remember being super excited about india- australia finals....seeing it and watching india lose.....

2007, i followed it....but india's performance was dismal.....

so well in 2011, i didnt really know what to expect...and yes, i did believe by then that i was jinxed for india...that if i saw the match india wouldnt win....the only match i saw was against south africa....and we lost...so I didnt want to take any further chances.....i vowed not to see a single match from then on....thats why i saw the highlights now and not the match even though i was up till 5 am....

i was definitely concerned about the quarterfinals, coz as you can see, we didnt have a great track record against the aussies....but with that hurdle down...i was very much confident of a win against Pakistan...coz even though they are a formidable team, most matches of india and pakistan that i remember, india has won....but yes, sri lanka was a difficult team to beat...so again in finals i was a nervous wreak.....

anyways, so here we are seeing our favourite cricketers or as we like to call them MEN IN BLUE lifting the coveted trophy.....and i had tears in my eyes.....i didnt know sub consciously i was waiting for this moment...yes i had seen the hysteria with a 20-20 world cup win....but this was different....this time it was for the players i wanted us to win....

the T 20 world cup win was about celebrating the youth....it was about boys who had never played before to go out there and to prove themselves....and showing that yes there could be a team without the cricketing greats....all of them have a long way to go yet....they are going to be around for sometime

the world cup 2011 was about seniors.....it was about they guiding the youth to the win....they being there for the team.....and i always thought about wanting this for SACHIN TENDULKAR more than anything else....coz i thought 6 world cups is long enough a wait....if he was to be a part of world cup winning team it was NOW....

only after the match i realized though that this cup meant a lot more for almost all players....coz they have been around for a while...some of them have been a part of losing side of 2003...as Harbhajan Singh said that he had waited 3 world cups for this dream to come true....and if he waited for 3 i am sure there are others like Yuvraj Singh, Nehra, Sehwag, Zaheer Khan who have been part of 3 world cups...this being their third world cup.....no wonder they got so emotional, and had tears in their eyes....

I loved them all for dedicating this victory to sachin....loved virat kohli's words about sachin "he has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years, its high time we carried him on our shoulders now"...Yuvi choked as he was getting his man of the series award...I am happy that Dhoni played a captain's knock, that too in the finals....that when the stalwarts faltered, Gambhir and Dhoni showed their mettle......loved the team carrying sachin around the ground....then the lifting Gary Kirsten too....sachin acknowledging the efforts of support staff...Yuvi and Harbhajan paying respects to their respective Gurus......loved the way the entire team hugged each other........Dhoni's calmness and sturdiness showed as he spoke....his explanation for not performing well enough in the tournament...(makes us realize they are normal human beings too)....loved everything about the game....

loved that there was no clear cut winner at the start...that there was no under dog...this was a game of two equals...and the game was to go in the favour of those who showed the nerves of steel....who played excellent in all three aspects...that there was a fight from the first ball to the last ball bowled....that it was a team effort and not one man show....

sri lanka was gracious in their defeat...they played well, and showed great sportsman spirit....i didnt feel any kind of animosity or bad vibes on the ground even as we inched towards victory....loved the way the entire team shook hands with Dhoni and Yuvi.,....i loved what kumar sangakara said at the end of the game....

It was indeed a great game.....And the Celebrations have Begun!!! 28 years is surely a long wait for the country...Thank you Men in Blue....

song of the day: chak de india......perfect song

lebanese dinner

2011-04-02T04:31:00.000-07:00

well my blog is turning out to be a food blog more than anything...but then, this is about my interests and i love cooking....so there sure is gonna be lots of recipes on it..and these days as i have time on my hand, trying new cuizines is something i am doing at the moment...and well, i am finding out that its turning really good...thats the process i am enjoying right now....making exotic sounding dishes at home....and i hope to incorporate it on a day to day basis....there is nothing exotic about the ingredients!!! trust me, most of the stuff will be in your home daily...and the taste is out of this world...having satisfaction of being able to cook some awesome dishes in the same time is something you have to do to feel......

and imagine the variety u get sitting in ur home!! all u people out there....have to try making these dishes at home and enjoy the feeling it gives :) :)

so today for dinner i had: hummus, baba ghanoush, pita bread and salad

hummus:
ingredients:

2 cups boiled kabuli chana (garbanzo beans)
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp tahini sauce
4 tbsp lemon juice
salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

blend everything in a mixture/ blender to form a smooth creamy paste...

enjoy!!!!

baba ghanoush:

ingredients:

1 pound eggplant (bharte vala baigan)
3 tbsp tahini sauce
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Roast the egg plant on flame till the skin is charred.
let it cool....then peel the skin...chop into big pieces
add all the ingredients to the eggplant and blend it in a blender (if u like it in paste) or else finely chop the eggplant like in bharta and then add everything and mix well.

Pita bread

I made the bread exactly following this recipe...PITA BREAD RECIPE....so please check that out...i just added 1 tbsp vegetable oil to it...and the other difference was in cooking...i didnt bake it in oven but cooked it on iron pan (tava) which we use for chapatis...also, please roll the pita bread as we would roll the chapati...dont keep it too thick...if its too thick it tends to become rubbery...

Steps in pita bread making

stage 1

Stage 2: after fermentating (1 and half hour)

Step 3: Cut into small pieces with a knife and then rolled into balls- allow to sit for ten minutes before rolling out the dough
Step 4: roll into a chapati, sorry dont have a pic for it

Step 5: nicely puffed up pita bread....cook it till brown spots seen

Salad

I just chopped some cabbage, one tomato, half onion, some coriander (cilantro)....added some salt, pepper a dash of lime, some cheese, one tbsp olive oil and mixed them all well together....and trust me it was yummy!!

with this your meal is ready!!!! and trust me, this wrap is so tasty...just spread hummus on ur pita bread, put on some baba ghanoush, top it off with salad....and bite into this delicious wrap.....its simply awesome :)

song of the day: tum mile..

cheese cake

2011-03-23T22:40:00.000-07:00

well i do like to challenge my culinary skills every now and again....and a couple of weeks back, i decided to make the seemingly impossible cheese cake....little bit of research on google and i realized that the task wasnt as difficult as i had anticipated...even then i was nervous if i would get the consistency and texture right..well i did get it right..and so here is the recipe :)

for the base:

1 1/2 cup honeymaid cracker crumbs (u can grind Parle G or marie...be sure to add more sugar if u are using marie biscuit)
3 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup butter
cinnamon powder (for flavor)

Method:

mix the crumbs, sugar, cinnamon powder and melted butter till is form an even consistency mix....then using a spoon press the mixture in the baking dish..it should be 1/2 " thickness...pre heat the oven at 325 degree F....bake the crust for ten min........

for the filling:

16 ounces (2 packet) cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
4 eggs
1 pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla

Method

Beat eggs, add sugar, vanilla, salt, lemon juice, mix well....add cheese and blend everything well...if u not using an electric beater u can use ur mixture as well (i used it)
Pour it over the crust and Bake for 55 min at 325 deg F or until the knife comes clean at the sides
you notice that the middle is still loose but that will set when cooled.
After 55 switch the oven off...but keep the cake in the oven till it cools down..if u remove it out immediately it might crack....(mine did..) once it is room temperature, refrigerate it for 4 hours or overnight...
decorate with strawberries or fresh fruits while serving...you can add strawberry topping

Its really easy to make this...and very very tasty....trust me...everyone loved it :)

Song of the day: ainvayi ainvayi from band baaja baraat...love the music, words and dance...

Leaf, Wind, Tree

2011-03-15T16:58:00.001-07:00

Leaf departure is because of Wind pursuit. Or because Tree didn't ask her to stay Leaf departure is because of Wind pursuit. Or because Tree didn't ask her to stay Let us see what they have to say...

Tree People call me "Tree".I had dated 5 girls when I was in Pre-U. There is one girl who I love a lot but never dared to go after. She didn't have a pretty face, good figure or an outstanding charm. She was just a very ordinary girl. I liked her. I really liked her. I liked her innocence, her frankness, her intelligence and her fragility. Reason for not going after her was that I felt somebody so ordinary like her was not a good match for me. I was also afraid that after we were together all the feelings would vanish. I was also afraid other's gossip would hurt her. I felt that if she were my girl, she'd be mine ultimately & I didn't have to give up everything just for her. The last reason, made her accompanying me for 3 years. She watched me chase other girls, and I have made her heart cry for 3 years.She was a good actor, and me a demanding director. When I kissed my second girlfriend, she bumped into us. She was embarrassed but smiled & said, "Go on!" before running off. The next day, her eyes were swollen like a walnut. I did not want to know what caused her to cry. Later that day, I returned from soccer training to get something &; watched her cry in the classroom for an hour or so. My fourth girlfriend did not like her. There was once when both of them quarreled. I know that based on her character she is not the type that will start the quarrel. However, I still sided my girlfriend. I shouted at her & ignored her feelings and walked off with my
girlfriend. The next day, she was laughing & joking with me like nothing happened. I know she was hurt but she did not know deep down inside I was hurt too.When I broke up with my fifth girlfriend, I asked her out. Later that day, I told her I had something to tell her. I told her about my break up. Coincidentally, she has something
to tell me too, about her getting together. I knew who the person was. His pursuit for her had been the talk of the School. I did not show her my heartache, just smiles & best wishes. Once I reached home, I could not breathe. Tears rolled & I broke down. How many >times have I seen her cry for the man who did not acknowledge her
presence? During graduation, I read a SMS in my hp. It said, "Leaf's departure is because of Wind's pursuit. Or because Tree didn't ask her to stay"

Leaf People call me Leaf. During the years of Pre-U, I was on very close terms with a guy as buddy kind. However, when he had his first girlfriend, I learnt a feeling I never should have learnt - Jealousy. Sourness to the extreme limit. They were only together for 2 months. When they broke up, I hid my happiness. But after a month, he got together with another girl. I liked him & I know he liked me. But why won't he pursue me? Since he loves me why he didn't he make the first move? Whenever he had a new girlfriend, my heart would hurt. After some time, I began to suspect that this was one-sided love. If he didn't like me, why did he treat me so well? It's beyond what you will normally do for a friend. I know his likes, his habits. But his feelings towards me I can never figure out. You can't expect me a girl, to ask him. Despite that, I still wanted to be by his side. Care for him, accompany him, and love him. Hoping that one day, he will come to love me. Because of this, I waited for him. Sometimes, I wondered if I should continue waiting. The pain, the dilemma accompanied me for 3 years. At the end of my
3rd year, a junior pursues me. Everyday he pursues me. He's like the cool & gentle wind, trying to blow off a leaf from a tree. In the end, I realized that I wanted to give this wind a small footing in my heart. I know the wind will bring the leaf to a better land. Finally, leaf left the tree, but the tree only smiled & didn't ask me to stay. Leaf's departure is because of Wind's pursuit. Or cause Tree didn't ask her to stay.

Wind Because I like a girl called leaf. Because she's so dependent on tree, so I have to be a gust wind. A wind that will blow her away. When I first met her, it was 1 month after I was transferred to this new school. I saw a petite person looking at my seniors & me playing soccer. During ECA time, she will always be sitting there. Be it alone or with her friends, looking at him. When he talks with girls, there's jealousy in her eyes. When he looked at her, there's a smile in her eyes. Looking at her became my habit. Just like, she likes to look at him. One day, she didn't appear. I felt something missing. I can't explain the feeling except it's a kind of uneasiness. The senior was also not there as well. I went to their classroom, hid outside and saw my senior scolding her. Tears were in her eyes while he left. The next day, I saw her at her usual place, looking at him. I walked over and smiled to her. Took out a note & gave to her. She was surprised. She looked at me, smiled & accepts the note. The next day, she appeared & passes me a note and left.It read, "Leaf's heart is too heavy and wind couldn't blow her away." "It's not that leaf heart is too heavy. It because leaf never want to leave tree." I replied her note with this statement and slowly she started to talk to me & accept my presents & phone calls. I know that the person she loves is not me. But I have this perseverance that one day I will make her like me. Within 4 months, I have declared my love for her no less than 20 times. Every time, she will divert away from the topic. But I never give up. If I decide I
want her to be mine, I will definitely use all means to >win her over. I can't remember how many times I have declared my love to her. Although I know, she will try to divert but I still bear a small ray of hope.Hoping that she will agree to be my girlfriend. I didn't hear any reply from her over the phone. I asked, "What are you doing? How come you didn't want to reply?" She said, "I'm nodding my head". "Ah?" I could n't believe my ears. "I'm nodding my head" She replied loudly. I hang up the phone, quickly changed and took a taxi and rush to her place & press her doorbell. During the moment when she opens the door, I hugged her tightly. Leaf departure is because of Wind pursuit. Or because Tree didn't ask her to stay...

First of all...let me clarify i did not write this...but thought it was very meaningful...as most things/ situations in life happen due to multiple etiology (causes)...and we must always try to see what part have we played in whats happening to ourselves or to our loved ones...how there are so many perspectives to one situation...this also tells us how we must not take anything/ anybody for granted...more dissection of this post later :)

song of the day: will put it up later!

pad thai and stir fry tofu

2011-03-11T19:38:00.000-08:00

almost every weekend I try to make something interesting I have never made before. and since I am especially partial to thai cuisine I felt like going beyond the thai curries and tried to take up a seemingly tough task to making pad thai noodles (restaurant style) and of course I decided to try making stir fry tofu as there was some tofu in the house....

well well, what can I say....the result (at least the pic) is for all to see...and I assure u and I am sure rushika will vouch for it too, that it was indeed super tasty, restaurant style pad thai noodles...and of course, let me tell you, it was surprisingly easy and quick....so now here is the recipe for all you thai food fans (even chinese food fans) to give it a shot....

Pad Thai noodles
Ingredients:

Pad thai Rice Noodles
2 spring onions
1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic
ginger
1/4th cabbage
2 eggs (optional)
2 tbsp soysauce
1 tbsp stirfry sauce
1 tbsp chilly sauce
2 tbsp vegetable broth (optional)
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp sugar
salt to taste
2 tbsp oil
chopped coriander/ cilantro for garnishing
1 tbsp roasted powdered peanuts (optional)

Method

saute onion, garlic, ginger in oil. Once onions are tender, add spring onions (if you like it raw, you can save some for garnishing, else add all of them). let it cook for a min, then add chopped cabbage. To the cabbage add chilly sauce, stir fry sauce, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar. add the vegetable broth and let everything cook
simultaneously, keep water for boiling on other stove, once water comes to boil, shut the stove and add noodles to it and cover. Noodles will cook in 10 min. (see instructions on packet for exact quantity of water)
If you are adding eggs, in a pan scramble the eggs. and then add the scrambled eggs to the veggies and add noodles too once they are cooked and mix well.
Add salt last, as all the sauces have some bit of salt to them, so if u add it before, u ll make it too salty.
garnish with coriander and/or spring onions and powdered peanuts.
ENJOY!

Stir fry tofu

Ingredients:

1 packet tofu
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp chilly sauce
1tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp stir fry sauce
1 cup vegetable broth/water
1 tsp corn starch (optional)
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp cooking oil
salt to taste

Method:

saute chopped garlic in cooking oil, once they turn golden, add chilly sauce, to this add tofu, soy sauce, stir fry sauce, sugar and 1cup vegetable broth.
if you wish to add corn starch, dissolve 1 tsp corn starch in minimum water and add to the mixture.
let the entire gravy simmer on low flame, till desired consistency is achieved. taste and then add salt as needed.

the best part is that both these recipes are really quick...the pad thai takes around 15 min and tofu less than 10 min.and can be made with everyday ingredients, as usual i substituted some ingredients with what I had at home.you can use tamarind paste instead of vinegar for pad thai, and I substituted chinese cabbage (baby bok choy) with regular cabbage. tofu with broccoli, so in the same gravy you can add instead of tofu, mushrooms, baby corn, broccoli and a make very tasty side dish along with pad thai.

you can google and have multiple sites give you the recipe (thats what I do) but if you just decide to stick by this recipe I guarantee you are going to have a very tasty authentic thai food :)

song of the day: dheere jalna from paheli...one of my all time favourites..love the lyrics...and the music

tortellini

2011-02-23T20:13:00.000-08:00

today I tried my hand at making tortellini....n yes it was indeed delicious...at least I loved it, and lots of my friends loved it too....one of them being Italian, so I conclude that it was a successful experiment :)

Ingredients:

1 packet cheese tortellini (19 ounces)
3 tablespoon Parmesan cheese (or any cheese u have)
1 large onion
1 tomato
3 to 4 mushrooms
some olives with pimentos (depending on your taste for olives, you may increase or decrease the number)
1 tablespoon olive oil / cooking oil
1 green chilly
3 cloves of garlic
salt to taste.
dried herbs and italian seasoning

Method:

chop all the veggies and saute onion, chilly, garlic, mushroom in oil till onions are golden brown.
add salt and herbs and seasoning powder to the veggies, let the herbs blend with the veggies for 1 min add chopped tomatoes and olives, saute for 1 to 2 min...
simultaneously, boil the tortellini as per instructions on the packet.....I just boiled one packet (19 ounces) in 3 quartz (12 cups) water as per the cooking instructions for 4 min then drained it and sprinkled some oil on it so they didn't stick to each other.
Once the veggies are cooked nicely, toss the tortellinis with the veggies and mix it well.
Sprinkle the parmesan cheese and mix it....sprinkle some more on the top...
serve hot... :)

this is a very nice dish....cooks quickly and tasty...and I made it little different (i didnt add any sauce to it )coz i didnt want the same taste as the pasta and ravioli....u can add marinara sauce or white sauce or pesto sauce with the veggies for a totally different taste and feel.....

song of the day: mujhse juda hokar...from hum aapke hai kaun...love madhuri..love the words..

Love Story

2011-02-15T15:37:00.003-08:00

i love this book...and the movie...
what more can i say about this beautiful book, that has not been said already...
for those who have not read it, all i can say is, read this book and you ll be happy that you did....

this is a story about a boy and a girl, oliver and jenny...who come from diverse backgrounds, and who fall in love, get married against all odds and strive to make a life together......sounds very routine and run of the mill story right.....well this is where the book gets to you as there is nothing run of the mill about it....

it is a simple story told in a simple way...yet it tugs at ur heart, and makes u laugh and cry at the same time....when u read the book, u wish u had conversations like oliver and jenny with your better half....again some being very witty and some full of understanding......the beauty of the book is, neither of them are ideal people, they are very normal people like u and me.....they have fights with each other just like everyone...and then how they deal with it is inspiring without being idealistic......

and its such a small book...even non readers can venture into this book and get done with it before they realize.

movie is just as good as the book i must say....though the end in the book is better than the movie....movie is just as u imagined when u read the book...maybe because erich segal wrote the book when he was working on the screenplay of the movie.......

I love both this book and movie and wud urge one and all to read it/ see it....

song of the day: tere bina from guru......love the dance!!

journey

2011-02-13T16:06:00.000-08:00

life has come to a full circle now..

with lots of ups n downs and twists and turns

life has brought me where I always wanted to be.....

this is just a milestone achieved.....

i know but its a milestone nevertheless...

one which was never in sight.....

it was just a matter of a twist

and lo behold, what a sight to see

all the pain forgotten and legs stop hurting

coz this is where i always wanted to be...

as i take in the beauty and catch my breath..

speechless i wonder, whats further next

smiles and laughter i hear all around

and i know this is how its always gonna be...

i pack my bag and start again

energized to reach the next milestone...

who knows where the next turn lies

and its just a matter of time

till life gives me a new surprise

enthused i start the climb

coz i know now there is someone behind

to catch me if i fall, to hold me if i slip

this journey is ours now..

and this is how it was meant to be..

well well well....didnt know i had this within me!!!!!!!!!! i was just gonna write a nice n sweet valentine day post and look what i got instead!!!! anyways guess i ll write one more post in a short time........guess have lots buried within me....

song of the day: kabhi phool dena from rules pyar ka superhit formula...love the words!!!!!!!

the wait

2010-12-05T19:04:00.001-08:00

waiting for the phone to ring...
waiting for a new mail in my inbox
waiting for a new comment on my FB pics....

the wait seems interminable...
each sec seems like ages...
when will i c the name flashing on my phone that i long to see...
when will the i hear the voice i need to hear...

these are lives complexities...
that even in this super connected world...
there are times u long for someone to near...
they make you even more lonely..
as u know they are a phone call away...
but you are not sure if indeed they are a phone call away...

these mental distances may break us...
wen you see them everywhere in the virtual world
but still are unable to reach the person u long to reach...

man has conquered physical distances...
he has made the smaller place...where every corner of the world can be reached..
when will man conquer the mind...
when will man be able to abolish the deep chasms that develop..
wish there was a technology that would fill in the chasms or direct us towards a easier solution
than waiting and watching...
its a tough tough wait....

song of the day: ektara from wake up sid

panang curry

2010-10-31T18:24:00.000-07:00

after repeated success of my green curry, i was motivated to try something new...n of course panang curry is the curry i love to order wen in restaurants so i was like....lemme give it a shot.....i did substitute some ingredients with what was available in my kitchen...but the results were fabulous...so here I proudly present to u "PANANG CURRY"..

ingredients: (for the paste)

3 red chillies (fresh or dry)
1 medium sized onion
1tbsp ginger
1 tbsp garlic
1 tbsp fresh cilantro (coriander)
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
1 tsp lemon juice
1tsp coriander-cumin powder
1 tsp black pepper
red chilly powder (if u like it more spicy or if u dont have red chillies)
salt to taste
pinch of sugar and
pinch of black rock salt ie sanchal (instead of soysauce which is a substitute for shrimp paste )

mix all the ingredients in a chopper to make a thick paste....

for curry:

1/2 chopped onion
chopped mushrooms (optional)
mix vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, french beans etc)
tofu
2 (500 ml) can coconut milk
1tbsp vegetable oil

method:
saute mushroom and onions in oil....once they are cooked add the curry paste....let it cook for two minutes...then add tofu and 1 can coconut milk....once it starts boiling add second can...once that comes to boil, add vegetables...cook till vegetables are cooked to ur satisfaction...(you can add water if the curry is too thick or spicy or the vegetables are taking time to cook....)

enjoy ur panang curry with simple rice or fried rice....this curry is little bit on spicy side...so if u dont eat very spicy food...u can reduce the number of chillies...or not add red chilly powder.....

generally the veg form of this curry is made with tofu only.... in restaurants they dont add veggies to panang curry maybe coz its generally made with meat, so all u folks who eat meat, u can add chicken fish etc to this curry...i guess u have to cook the meat before......so u can eat it any way you like it :)

all those who loved the thai green curry are surely gonna love this curry too...
so noella n anu.....get ur kitchen apron on n try this..
ravi u surely are gonna get this curry when u come here in long beach...now u cant complain that ur fiancee knows to cook only green curry...now she knows panang curry as well :)

song of the day: been on my lips since yesterday...chod aye hum wo galiyaan from machis

dear ravi

2010-10-17T19:23:00.002-07:00

You are not the air that I breathe,
you are the sweet scent that drifts upon it

You are not the sounds that I hear,
you are the music of my life

You are not the food that I need,
you are the nourishment of my soul

You are not my will to survive,
you are my reason for living

It is with you that I experience
the wonders of the world

It is with you that I triumph
over the challenges in my path

It is your partnership that will lead me
to the fulfillment of my dreams

It is your friendship that guides me
as I grow and learn

It is your patience and wisdom
that calms my restless nature

It is through you that I know my true self

I do not take you for granted,
I cherish you

I do not need you
I choose you

I choose you today in witness
of all the people who love us

I choose you tomorrow
in the privacy of our hearts

I choose you in strength and weakness

I choose you in health and sickness

I choose you in joy and sorrow

I will choose you, over all others, every day
for all the days of my life

- Rebecca W.

i know this post is couple months early...but cant help it :)
came across this and loved it....

song of the day: tum jo aaye from once upon a time in mumbai :)

my 60 hour long bday begins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-10-06T18:54:00.000-07:00

well well well...what can i say..this is true...my bday has begun in India 7th oct midnight!! got phone call from my better half and his friends who were together celebrating anshu's bday....so the wishes have started...
I am officially celebrating my bday till 8th oct midnight in LA!!!!!!!! feel like on top of the world right now....totally lucky...of course there are always BUTs N IFs and this birthday is no different...missing mom dad mitu ravi and all my wonderful friends....but there us always a silver lining too...m happy m with rushika :) gonna make most of it...
n again there is a BUT...have a complex submission tomo...so m busy trying to study, thinking a topic for my thesis (depending on which is gonna be the literature search which is due tomo) and put a rein on my mind not imagining all sorts of things i should be doing or would have done if I was in india or if I didnt have this submission to be completed....also there is a midterm exam to be completed...but thats due on sunday midnight so i guess i ll have a full on blast between the submission and the mid term......

will keep u guys posted on what i am upto :) ohh yes i ll be busy shifting my apt between the submission and the blast so i guess the blast is gonna be something small....

ohhh yess...n if u wondering how is it that my bday is gonna last 60 hours straight non stop...well lemme clear it up for u...my indian calendar birthday is on 1st day of navratri...(ghat sthapna day)..n this yr as it so happens that ghat sthapna is on 8th oct...so my birthday goes on for 2 consecutive days :) :) and with LA being one of the western most parts of the world, my birthday just goes on n on n on :)

and the best part is....coz of this combination, mine n ravi's birthday coincide....something that happens once in 19yrs......so well....m just super excited about it.....

let the celebrations begin!!!!!!!!

song of the day: keeping in tune with my mood its gonna be "soniyo" my all time fav romantic song...ENJOY :)

india trip

2010-07-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

The trip to india has been most eventful till now….i have not been able to post more on my blog coz I have been busy meeting relatives friends, shopping, doing some or the other wedding related work, working in the clinic… its been fun so far…just now the fun is reducing as ravi’s return date is getting delayed….n now somehow after all these months, m falling short of patience….the wait is tougher than I anticipated…n I m somehow finding it irritating that almost anyone I meet has met ravi…be it some far off cousin, or family friends even our bai…n they all say such wonderful things to say..n kind of sympathize with me that I have not met him that it gets irritating…..

Shopping was fun in amdavad…especially coz rushika was there too…that made wedding shopping easier n more fun…almost done with most shopping….spending time with mom…meeting masi n noella…n meeting most of ravi’s relatives n friends….it was a fun filled hectic ten days, with lots of wonderful moments to cherish n remember :)

Moving past all these…I had a great time going to pune….met a lot of old friends n class mates…I must say here that the trip was more fun than I thought it wud be….coz a lot of people I met were not best of my friends back in college…nevertheless, it was good to see them…it was good to see almost all were doing well professionally, socially, n in their family life….it was good to see guys of my class handling vivek’s son….saying kaka n stuff….just a reminder of how far we had come since college days…but it felt real good to witness this transition…all of them took care of him alternately, n were actually good handling him…gone were the immature boys as I had known n remembered them as….

Now all the fun part seems to be over…n the difficult wait begins....

song of the day : ek do teen from tezaab..love the song, the fabulous dance by madhuri...n it fits my situation perfectly

memories

2010-04-21T23:16:00.000-07:00

memories are wonderful...in a moment they transport us back in time, and have the ability to turn the worst day into a bearable one, making us smile when nothing seems to be going our way....n the best thing is one thing leads to other...n one memory to other.....something about the present links to the past and reminds us of the beautiful days spent with our family and friends :)

pav bhaji: one of my favourite dishes...and each time i eat it, it reminds me of my dad's hand made pav bhaji and pav bhaji from vaishali in jam nagar, with amazing chutney...just loved it..enjoyed it with ronak didi n namrata...

with ronakdidi and namrata : reminds me of the amazing time we spent on the two wheeler....eating all junk food...masala soda, chocolate milkshake and sandwich....searching for egg (coz not all shops sold eggs) to make bhurji for dinner....amazing time i had only thanks two these two wonderful friends :)

movies: reminds me of all the fun time i had in pune n pimpri n jamnagar with my roomies....all of us were movie buffs...n i have had some of the best times in theaters.....watching bewafaa with rehana and tearing the movie apart....though loved akshay kumar in the movie....watching movies like plan, masti, fida, tumko na bhul payenge, and having fun with friends.,....getting stuck outside the hostel after coming back after the night show of jaan e man in jam nagar...wow those were the days...finally the watchman did get up n let me in...but i was indeed nervous for sometime...as i was alone in the hostel....for a couple of nights...just i think a couple more girls were there but they were not even on my floor,....so i was almost alone in the hostel...

rains: reminds me of the 26/7 rains.....final yr final exams were going on, n the schedule kept changing....and exams kept getting postponed or something and we cud not make a proper study schedule....rains also reminds me of getting stuck at dadar, agarwal classes being left early...sagar sudeep mayur n me going to bandra by bus and then waiting endlessly for the train...and then all of us travelling in the ladies compartment of the train coz the male compartment was just too full......

agarwal classes: reminds me of the best time i had travelling in train...fun with mayur sagar sudeep....standing in the train corridor, enjoying the breeze.....solving probabilty problems in the train....waiting for each other when the classes leave and then running to station to catch the 8 41 train, as the next train was at 9 directly...but never leaving before all the friends gathered, and never missing the train....still remember how we used to run to catch the train...the guys getting there ahead of me, but not climbing in the train till i got in the compartment....made some best friends there, nidhi and payal....remember nidhi comign to drop me home when my fever escalated to 106, because of sitting in the AC of the classes....

the scar on my hand: reminds me of the first denture i made...even remember the patient roopa gadkar...her face flashes before my eyes even today.....and i still remember how i worked overtime, with vivek to help me thru....remember i had even gone to her house to meet her when she failed to show up at the appointment i was so nervous when she missed a couple of appointments towards the end of denture making process....

pune: reminds me of the best time of my life.....the dental school....was just discussing with anchal (who also studied in pune) how fun pune life was....discussed about Horn ok Please, CCD on FC road, E Square, Inox, Smokin Joes on JM road and kulfi wala in deccan....how can forget the best gulab jamuns i have eaten at shagun chowk.......

pune also reminded me of the fun I rehana chitra and mohini had at teja's wedding...n how sad we were wen we were finally leaving pune, we cud not bear to look outside the windows and c the city pass so we had drawn the curtains of the volvo....we thought we wud not have a reason enuf to visit our favourite city again...but thankfully before coming to USA i did go to pune for mandar's wedding.....felt real good to be able to meet arshad, nitin, vivek before leaving india.....

today was listening to the song JAI HO, n it reminded me of the wonderful drive to nashik with arvind and sachin...Slumdog millionare had just been nominated for the oscars i think, n so every radio station was playing it constantly....and we were singing it almost the entire way.....it was FUN!!!!!! ...mom had packed some perfect picnic dishes...and the entire trip was so memorable, the drive was wonderful

wow.......feel so nostalgic!!!

song of the day: pehla pehla pyaar from HAHK...love this song, and it adds to the nostalgic mood...love madhuri...they dont make them like her anymore

vegetable thai red curry

2010-04-21T00:32:00.000-07:00

after successfully making thai green curry, I decided to try my hand at thai red curry.....n well once again, it was a really simple dish..made with ingredients present in our homes on a daily basis, n it turned out quite tasty...m just proud of myself :)
it is quite similar to thai green curry with the some changes in the making of the curry paste...

for making the red curry paste u need:
1 medium sized onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp hot chilli sauce
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1/2 tomato
250 ml coconut milk
1 tbsp dania jeera powder (ground coriander and cumin seeds)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste

method
mix all the ingredients in the food processor.

for the curry (serves 6)
1 medium chopped onion
mushrooms
tofu
red bell pepper
mixed vegetables
750 ml coconut milk
oil to cook
salt to taste.

method:
saute onions mushrooms and red bell pepper in oil, add salt to taste...
once tender, add the curry paste and allow it to cook for a couple of minutes..add tofu
then add 250 ml coconut milk...allow it to boil and once it boils add 500 ml coconut milk..
and once that too starts boiling add mixed veggies and allow it to cook on a slow flame till its cooked how much u desire...
NJOY!!!!!!!

song of the day: vienna waits for you by billy joel..

Is this my life???

2010-04-11T21:57:00.000-07:00

life's totally topsy turvy...
soon m gonna be someone's wife...
i cant believe
that is this is actually my life

a week before...
life was different..
just had to study n work...
n wish for somebody near...

now actually someones around
and i cant stop smiling...
unexpected stuff happens
heard all the time...

this is the first time
unexpected happiness falls my way...
now i believe in serendipity!!!!
believe that there is a rainbow....
and a pot of gold at the end of it too....

i believe as in movies....
its not the end until its happy :)
feel like i m hallucinating
or m dreaming..
my feet dont touch the ground...
m floating in my own world...
totally carefree...totally unconcerned

all i had wished for..
is suddenly coming true...
years of patience now bearing fruit...
could not have expected for anything better..
and m glad someone up there thinks i do deserve this

my life was never this joyous or this happy...
and i keep wondering..
is this actually my life...
every day is a better day...
each day i think "it cant get better than this"
but the next day proves me wrong..
and something better turns up....

the sun has thawed the snow...
it has provided energy and nourished the seed
encouraged it to grow...
showed it the potential
to develop into a rose..
spread the fragrance all around....

thank you god....
for everything...n now i dont have any complain with u :)
so i guess we are friends again...lol...
my fight with u is over.....
now u can throw anything my way...
n m totally ready for it...
n i ll smile all along..
nothing can erase my smile now...

m so happy...my heart is gonna burst
got something wonderful to share with the world
dont know how to sign off right now...
so just gonna say " I LOVE YOU" :)

song of the day: hey ya from karthik calling karthik.....our song :)

childhood friends

2010-03-16T15:06:00.003-07:00

As childhood friends we grew up together,
Swearing to be friends forever and ever.
Sometimes we would argue and fight,
other times we would laugh and stay up all night.

we went from playing with games and toys,
to talking and dreaming about different boys.
my thoughts and feelings to you i would confide,
never having anything to hide

friends we do remain,
things changing and things staying the same.
to each other we still listen and share,
about each other, we will always care.
- mindy carpenter

this is dedicated to all my friends :)
m sorry i didnt have pics of all of u..else i wud have put all of the pics on the collage
love u all..each one of u has made a difference to my life in ur own sweet way...and has a special place in my heart which is specially reserved for u...now n always..

song of the day : I ll be there for you...Friends title track... NJOY!!

hope..

2010-03-09T22:47:00.000-08:00

HOPE- a very strong four letter word...keeps us going even under the worst circumstances....the only thing we have when nothing goes right.... this word gives us the strength to keep moving on, courage to fight for ourselves when we dotn even know who are we fighting against, Hope makes a army of 300 fight against 30,000....hoping that storm destroyed half the enemies fleet....when our loved ones are away, we can do nothing but hope they are alright....when our exam doesnt go well....we just hope all our guesses are correct....how many times a day do we hope.....is there even a second when we leave it....got late for a bus, hope its 5 min late too!

going out to shop, hope it does not rain.....getting married, hope all works well....recently broke up, hope that we can move on.......

What happens when this word gives way......too much on stake on this mere four lettered word....sometimes its just not strong enough to shoulder the responsibility.......is there an alternative???? i dont know, no other feeling comes to my mind that can share the burden with hope....but at the same time, I am too afraid to even keep the hope up........its better to be numb n not feel anything rather than hope n feel the agony..

song of the day: this is your song by ronan keating

thai vegetable green curry

2010-03-08T00:44:00.000-08:00

Since the day toby got rushika and me the thai green curry last week, I wanted to make some....well the lack of time proved to the biggest hurdle till now....today i was at home, and decided to make it...when i did not find the thai curry paste at the grocery store, i was dejected but then i thought, lemme check how exactly do they make the paste and how easy or difficult it is to find the necessary ingredients for it.....and as it turned out...its very easy to make the thai curry paste...all the ingredients are present in our homes almost 365 days a yr....no special, typical ingredient is needed!!!!!!!!!!!!
so here is the simple and yummy (my roommates n friends were the judges) the vegetable thai green curry:
the thai green curry paste:

2 green chillies.
1/2 tbsp ginger.
1/2 medium sized onion
1 cup chopped coriander
2-3 cloves of garlic
4-5 tbsp coconut milk
1/2 tsp ground cumin (jeera)
1/2 tsp ground coriander (dhania)
1/2 tsp white/black pepper
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp lime juice

crush all the ingredients in the food processor (the chutney mixer) to make a nice paste.....easy right :)
I used all of the above mentioned ingredients in exact quantity and proportion and it just turned out to be great......you can store the green curry paste in the freezer and use it later if u making less quantity of curry...

for the vegetable curry: (serves 8)

2 can (500 ml each) coconut milk
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 chopped capsicum (bell pepper)
all the curry paste u made in the above mentioned quantity and proportion
mixed vegetables L cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, beans, peas etc
2 tbsp soy sauce
salt to taste
1 tbsp sugar, u can add more if u like it sweet :)
soft tofu, mushroom (optional)
1 cup vegetable broth (optional)/ water
cooking oil

method:

saute onions, capsicum and mushrooms in oil till they are little tender, add salt to taste...
add the green curry paste to the sauteed veggies, let it cook for 1 min...add soy sauce and sugar
add 1 can coconut milk....once it starts to boil, add the second can...when the coconut milk starts boiling add the mix vegetables and tofu to the coconut milk, and add 1 cup vegetable broth/water ( you can add 2nd cup of water if u feel the mixed vegetables are not cooked as much u liked and the curry is getting very thick)...add salt as per taste
(tofu can be marinated in the green curry paste and sauteed initially with the onions....i just added them to the curry at the end....)

if u like thai food...this is indeed a very tasty dish....and the best part is, even though we almost use all the ingredients that we normally use in indian cooking, the taste is totally different and unique as we use very little spices...whatever spices we use are in the paste...in the curry we hardly add any masala....and the coconut milk gives it own natural rich flavour and texture to the curry...my mouth is watering again as i write this post even though i have had my fill of thai curry and rice!!
will put the pic soon...

song of the day: honey i am home by shania twain ;)

Religion..

2010-03-03T00:12:00.000-08:00

this is in response to vishal's post "NO FAITH".
I dont quite agree to some points he has made in his post, n i would like to give my opinion on the topic he has written. My opinions have come around from what I have seen, and heard for better part of my life.
   One of the things he mentions is that, religion was created for power. I kind of have a different opinion of it. I believe religions were created for finding the peace of mind (i know, its ironical, that in todays times the very purpose of how the religion might have come in existence is lost, but i believe that this is the reason it came about to be). I dont know about hinduism, how it came about to be, n i believe no one does, thats why its called "sanatan dharma" meaning, it was always there, no one knows who started it. But as far as most other religions go we do know a particular who was an inspiration to it. But my question is, did Jesus say follow me, or i want to start a religion called christianity....did Gautam Buddha say, let me start a religion called Buddism, so on and so forth....the answer is NO...these great people did not start religions. they had a way of life, and they had something to teach to their fellowmen.They were highly learned people, who lived an exemplary life, and they had no ill will for anyone. Being with them gave other people peace of mind, being in their company made other people happy. And they were such wonderful people, that more and more people started coming to them, to learn from them, how to get happiness in life, to learn how to live a happy and fulfilling life. The vision of these people was so great and the teaching so effective, that more and more people were drawn to them and then it was the followers, who made the religion, said that whoever wish to spread the message of this great men should join in....or that whoever wishes to follow the principles this person lived on and wishes to be call himself as a his follower can call him self a christian or a buddhist etc.....
   Religion is essentially a way of life. A path to climb on the spiritual ladder...without religion u can climb on the path of spirituality, its just a lot tougher....religion simply cuts out a route for us, gives us options that u can do this or that to achieve moksha or nirvana (thats the ultimate goal to be achieved) as per the hindu scriptures.....Bhagwad geeta is not a book about god or religion....if u try and read it, and see what it says, its just about learning how to achieve happiness in life....again i ll say it talks about how to live a good life....thats what is religion....
   but yes, it does bring in power, coz when a person is able to command someone else, not one or two but hundreds of them, yes there is power, and though the founders of religion didnt want the power it was given to them willingly and coz they were so great they were not affected by it, coz they were the knowers of the truth, they never got blinded by the power or wealth....but not everyone is great and not all the followers have reached the same level spiritually as their master. This brings in the imperfection, NO RELIGION IS PERFECT, COZ MAN IS NOT PERFECT.....not because of the founder or because of the teachings....what is taught or told by any religion, or a scripture, was/is unfortunately not in a language understood by common people, and so the common man had to rely on other so called learned people to know what was told by the scriptures.....and some of these people in their hunger for power or just out of lack of understanding, misinterpreted the scriptures....
   religion is important...it is like the banks of the rivers, keeps the water within...and till the water remains within the banks, it is nurturing, useful but when the water overflows the banks, it becomes destructive, causing calamity....
   misinterpretation of the religion, has caused a lot of problems which we are facing today....and common man even today is ignorant of true teachings of religion..and this is true, i believe for most religions, but is true for hinduism for sure......and as far as my knowledge goes in history, it all started with Aurangzeb who broke temples, and forcefully converted people in his kingdom to adopt islam.....and in todays times, whatever goes on in name of religion is totally unexplainable....and yes, if u have been a victim to it, if u have lost ur near n dear ones in a riot or in terror attack, u tend to develop hatred for those people...
   but all i can say is, its better if we don't generalize anything.....each individual is different, lets not punish the majority for the crimes committed by minority.....it is indeed sad if we in our day to day dealings discriminate against people solely coz of his/her religious practices.....
   lastly, all i can say is, the only way to know what is told in actually in religion, is to read the scriptures....read the interpretation of the scriptures by great people.....there is no easy route...knowledge alone can dispel the ignorance....darkness is not an entity by itself.....darkness is merely absence of light...similarly, ignorance is jus absence of knowledge...

song of the day: rind posh mal from mission kashmir...just love this song and hrithik's dance :)

Tribute to Masterblaster!!!!!!!

2010-02-25T20:17:00.000-08:00

SACHIN TENDULKAR made a world record when he scored 200* at 2nd one day international against South Africa at Gwalior....it took 442 matches in 20 years of his cricketing career to reach this stage..and yet he played more like a 20 yr old than a 36 yr old....he was simply awesome....the feeling u get when u see him get the 200th run cannot be described...it has to be experienced...and all those who have not seen the game are missing something big!!
I saw the match albeit late...and still was biting my nails watching the highlights wondering when he was gonna take that 200th run.....it was a treat to watch the master batsman....maybe I am gonna overuse adjectives coz any number of adjectives will fall short of describing the man, the occasion, the moment in history of cricket!
I dont know much about the techniques in batting so I am not gonna say he batted flawlessly....or that the technique was superb...but I am going to say about the man...how he kept his calm....how he batted tirelessly...he literally fought with his own body to reach the final mark....told himself he was not gonna give in to the cramps....the way he played like a team player....when dhoni was hitting all over the place, i was getting nervous as to when sachin will reach his double century, but i don't think the thought crossed sachin's mind, as he inched slowly and steadily towards 200....it took him forever to get to 200 from 190....but he let dhoni play his natural game...
and let me not forget the three men behind this historic achievement dinesh karthik, yusuf pathan and ms dhoni who provided support to sachin, so that he could play his best without worrying about anything.....
to all my friends who are wondering how come I am praising sachin so much...lemme add...i still love rahul dravid as much i did ten yrs back....and thats not gonna change no matter what...but that doesn't mean i cant acknowledge and appreciate sachin tendulkar or the rest of the team :)
kudos to the masterblaster! thank u :) and wish u continue to play like this for a long long time....

glimpse of sachin's batting.....hats off to u

song of the day : Aashayein from Iqbal.....

Congratulations my darling sis

2010-02-16T20:54:00.000-08:00

My todays post is dedicated to the newest Dr Fadia...yup..my little sister mithila....m just so proud of her...cant believe it...my baby sis is a doctor! been a long route no doubt...living in karad for 5 n 1/2 yrs is no mean feet...all the students of KIMS must be given additional marks just for living in that place without losing their heads...
as i write this post, she must be standing there in auditorium full of people wearing the black robe taking the hippocrates oath....m so missing not being there, seeing her graduate....there are tears of joy welling up just imagining the situation...i dont know how i wud be reacting if i were there in person.....anu n ushma are gonna be there with mom n dad....m so jealous of both of u...but am happy she has u guys to share her happy moment with....two sisters required to compensate for the absence of one.....
she is gonna make a perfect doctor...the way she is a perfect sister, n perfect daughter.......Way to go yet i know till she achieves whats the final mark...but this is an important milestone nevertheless.....and something thats gonne stick by her all her life...no matter what happens in the future....All the best, darling....miss u...n love u big time :)

song of the day : I am the best from the movie phir bhi dil hai hindustani, coz my sister is the best....muah

5 point someone VS 3 idiots

2010-02-15T22:41:00.002-08:00

lemme first say...both are gr8 works of art....in their own areas they both are great...but if i have to pick one of the two...i will pick 5 point someone...

why i like 5 point someone over 3 idiots

the subplots in the book are amazing...love the amazing ideas Ryan comes up with, esp the C2D (co operate to dominate)..i was in splits when i read about it....
loved the neha - hari love story...the love story unfolds very well...and all the dates are sweet and funny...
Ryan's idea about making lip stick holder is just so sweet !
the idea that the main characters in the story are 5 point someones....thats unique..
the vodka party over the water tank..
prof veera with his faith in ryan's abilities..Ryan's successful experimentation with the lubricating engine oil..
the manner in which Prof Cherian realizes about his son's death
longest day of my life part one n two :) just too good....u just cant keep the book down till the end

In 3 idiots :
well the filmmakers still cant believe that the hero can be a normal average person....so even though farhan and raju are at the bottom...rancho has to be a topper...why????? Why does rancho get a love story?? n not farhan...i wonder did aamir khan demand for the changes in the plot or was it mr hirani's idea....
   Ryan's character is changed...where did the entire story abt he not caring for his parents vanish
   in the book they steal question paper for all of them, n the episode abt how hari gets the keys from neha too is funny...and the subsequent DISCO...everything fitted perfectly....
   as i write this post, i realize the movie is just so much different than the book...where did mona's character come from....what abt pia's fiance? they just added so much drama at the end....bride running from th alter...mona's delivery....n wow...they made rancho a big time scientist.....n the fake identity issue...where did all this come from...
   lot of changes....in the main story..in the sub plots....well, 3 idiots is a good movie no doubt...but i wonder when will the cinema break free of the norms......and make a movie from a book, the way its written

song of the day : gimme some sunshine, give me some rain from the movie 3 idiots

happy valentines day

2010-02-14T00:16:00.000-08:00

on the eve of this valentines day.....just one thought crosses my mind...

बस अब बहोत हुआ... तुम जहां भी हो...जो भी हो...मेरे सामने आ जाओ.....मैं थक गयी इंतज़ार करते करते... मेरा विश्वास मेरे नसीब से उठ जाये उसके पहले आ जाओ....मेरे भरोसे को टूटने मत दो...मेरे सामने हो तोह...मुझे अपने दिल की बात कह दो...बहोत miss किया है मैंने तुम्हे......पिछले दस सालों में .....अभी तोह आ जाओ...अपना चेहरा दिखाओ मुझे बस....

song of the day: yeh duriyaan from love aaj kal

just m so tired today....was a very busy day at the restaurant...i don't know...each valentines day i feel happy despite no one being there in my life that every yr i am going closer to the one am gonna meet....but somehow this time hope eludes me...i don't know if m low or just tired...bye good night...

apology..

2010-02-10T17:00:00.000-08:00

one of the most underestimated weapon (for the lack of a better word)...its hard to be angry on someone after hearing a heartfelt apology...and the best part is, the words are so powerful and healing that most of the bitter and harsh words are forgotten...and both the people feel better, the one who apologizes and the who is the receiver of the apology...
   i heard somewhere, a lot of law suits can be avoided by something as simple as saying "you are sorry"
it might take a toll on people's ego though...coz a lot of people believe that they never make a mistake...and apologizing also means that you admit you made a mistake...accepting their mistake is what hurts most people more than saying sorry...
   but isnt accepting mistake, saying sorry, and moving beyond a issue better and more fun that ruminating some unpleasant event in your life..and why is saying sorry more difficult to people who know you and are close to u...you dont mind saying sorry to a stranger on the street u accidently bump into...but you certainly have a problem when its your family or close friend..coz you expect them to understand you and your actions....so even if you knew you made a mistake, you expect them to understand you made a mistake coz had a bad day at work or study or whatever....
   but instead of assuming they know why you yelled..you can say sorry and that i had a problem at work and so i yelled at u...this is gonna make everyones life simpler.....look within yourself..introspect.... dont u feel a lot better when your friend apologized....and most times u too say sorry for reacting badly...
   all in all...heard this nice quote somewhere "apologizing doesnt always mean you are wrong, it just means you value the person more than your ego"

song of the day: Hard to say I am sorry by westlife

I Wonder

2010-02-05T17:24:00.000-08:00

I wonder..
if you think about me..what do u think
if you miss me...do u do something about it
if you wish i was there next to u, holding your hand when you are down..
if you can imagine a life without me..
if you can imagine me with someone else..
if you feel the terror that something might be going wrong somewhere and you are too far to do anything about it.
if you feel you made a mistake somewhere down the line
if you wake up in middle of night thinking about me..
if you feel like seeing me smile would erase all your worries..
if you would cross the ocean for me
if you feel you could face anything if i were by your side

I wonder, if you wonder that do I have these thoughts too..

Song of the day: you raise me up by westlife

mayonise jar and some coffee

2010-01-25T13:29:00.001-08:00

When things in your life seem, almost too much to handle,
When 24 Hours in a day is not enough,
Remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class
and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly,
He picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar
And proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students, if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured
them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open Areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively
filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided,
'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things - family,
children, health, Friends, and Favorite passions –
Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, Your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else --The small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' He continued,
there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,
You will never have room for the things that are important to you.

So...

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play With your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

'Take care of the golf balls first --
The things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled.
'I'm glad you asked'.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

song of the day : I hope you dance by ronan keating

26/11...didnt forget..didnt forgive

2009-11-25T22:12:00.004-08:00

remembering the week where we sat glued to tv, watching our brave commandos policemen soldiers and fireman save people adn risk their lives....cant forget the horror and the fear...the first time when the city that never stops halted for almost a week....praying for those who lost their lives...

love is...

2009-11-05T23:58:00.001-08:00

love is always patient and kind

it is never jealous

love is never boastful or conceited

it is not rude or selfish

it does not take offense & is not resentful

Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins

but delights in truth

it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope & to endure whatever comes....

taken from movie : a walk to remember

song of the day : the rose...perfect for the post!!!!

eggplant lasagna

2009-11-02T23:53:00.000-08:00

this is recipe from one of the cookbooks given to me by karthik.......n yes he guided me thru the steps of making it over the weekend wen i was at work...so thanks to him, i made this very tasty dish i never i cud make :)...its quite simple considering the amazing taste!!!!!!! took me an hour to make...so for a novice i think it was good...n its gonna take u even less time m sure...try it...its amazing :)

ingredients :

1 medium size onion (finely chopped)

8 ounces mushrooms (sliced)

1 can pasta sauce (26 ounces)

8 ounces lasagna sheets (cooked and drained)

1 small eggplant (sliced in 1/2 inch rounds)

8 ounces cheddar cheese

8 ounces monterey jack cheese

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoon olive oil (if u dont have olive oil any cooking oil will do)

salt to taste.

Method : cook and drain the lasagna sheets as per instructions on the packetsprinkle salt on eggplant, let it stand for 10 -15 min. rinse of excess salt & dry the slices of eggplant, apply olive oil and saute the eggplant till brown on both sides. keep it aside on plate.

take 2 tablespoon oil in pan and saute mushroom and onion till they soften. once they are soft put in can of pasta sauce ,basil and oregano and allow it to cook for ten min, keep aside.

mix both the cheese in a bowl and keep aside

In a baking tray, grease the tray with butter, put a layer of 1/3 pasta sauce,1/3 lasagna noodles,1/3 eggplant,1/3 cheese, repeat the entire sequence 3 times (i made only 2 layers as the pan was too big)...bake in oven at 300 degrees for ten min...NJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sorry folks...the formatting is bad........cant make it right :(
song of the day : crash and burn by savage garden

diwali 09

2009-10-29T00:12:00.000-07:00

finally my exams and assignments r over!!!!!!! n i m free to write about my unique diwali!!!

well i dont know if u guys know or not....that i have got a job for weekends at a south indian restaurant..bhimas...n my luck as it is diwali was on a saturday!!!!!!!!! so essentially what i am trying to say is i was working at bhimas on saturday...

well initially i was not at all happy.....i was like...yeh kya hai!!!!!!!! diwali ke din kaam karneka!!!!!! n i was really missing home n family....so i was feeling little bad.......but as the day progressed....it was fun...watching families come (remembered our families get together at tunga...the only difference was that this time around i was at the other side of the table...i was serving not ordering food)...big groups of people coming....so many groups of indians n non indians...it was nice to see non indians with a red teeka on the forhead...i was like it "sab mandir jaake aaye hai lagta hai :)"

to each guest we all would go n wish them......happy diwali......happy new yr....with a big smile...it was fun to be around indians...i was just exactly at the right place i think.....coz everyone who was celebrating diwali was at artesia...the mood was infectious :)

where else in long beach would i find so many indians at one place....the atmosphere was wonderful at artesia...the next day of diwali...we had a dinner of all the employees at bhimas...which was fun too...had thums up :)...we all had a good interactive session....people i work with are good :) more about it in some post!!!!!! will have to dedicate an entire post to it.....

well so coming back to diwali....at the end of the day...i was very tired...after a very hectic day we went for geeta's bday celebration, cake was very tasty.....at pranav et al's home they had kept 27 bhog prasad....i had vada pav after a long long time....it was a fun filled day...lots of laughter....lots of interaction....good people coming....apart from missing crackers n rangoli n everyone from my big noisy family.....the weekend went quite well!!!!!!!!! had a fun filled, unique diwali :) :)

song of the day : nickelback, far away....loved the lyrics....very beautiful

happy diwali!!!!!!!!!!! n saal mubarak :) :) :)

2009-10-17T00:15:00.000-07:00

jus want to wish all of u a very happy diwali and a prosperous new yr!!!!!!

happy diwali to one n all......not a lot to write at the moment...

bhalera bhinda (stuffed okra)

2009-10-10T01:38:00.003-07:00

ingredients :

washed and dry okra, chopped into 2 big pieces and a vertical slit made (to fill the filling)

for the filling :

roasted and crushed peanuts 1 cup

chopped cilantro and crushed coconuts 1 cup

green chilly paste, garlic paste, ginger paste

red chilly powder, turmeric powder, cumin-coriander powder,

salt to taste, lemon juice ( 2 teaspoon) , pinch of sugar.

oil (1 tablespoon for binding)
Optional : chickpea floor (besan) 2 table spoons

Oil for cooking 2 tablespoon

Method:

if u using chickpea flour then u need to roast it first and add red chilly powder, turmeric and cumin- coriander powder while it is getting roasted. once it turns dark yellow and u get the aroma of roasted flour stop it and remove it in a plate (coz other wise the flour will get burnt even if u turn off the stove coz the vessel will still be hot)

for the filling :

mix ground peanuts, ground coconut, chopped cilantro.

add red chilly powder, turmeric powder, cumin cilantro powder, salt, lemon juice, sugar, ginger garlic n chilly paste.mix everything nicely.

now fill the stuffing in the okra.

take some oil in a pan, add hing (asofoetida one pinch) to the oil and add the stuffed okra to the oil.

stir it every five to ten min so that okra does not get stuck to the pan. add some oil if u feel the okra is too dry.

cover the pan with a lid with water so that okra gets cooked in steam if you feel its taking longer than necessary to cook. Ideally it should be ready in 20 - 25 min.

once the okra is cooked, you can add the roasted chickpea flour n stir the okra while it is getting cooked..

optional : u can add potatoes to the okra...if u do first saute the sliced patatoes in oil (add salt chilly powder n turmeric powder to potatoes as its getting cooked)

the only reason chickpea flour is optional is it soaks up a lot of oil...so if u using it in stuffing then u ll use oil four times more than u do for the stuffing without the flour...so its a good idea to sprinkle some after the okra is cooked.

song of the day :

from my bday in india- to my bday in california....7th oct 2009

2009-10-08T10:47:00.002-07:00

well this yr that was a new experience....my bday celebrations began much earlier than usual n lasted much later than usual....my bday lasted for more than 24 hours...thanks to being in california!!!!!!

i received my first bday wish at 12 pm 6th oct...as it was 12 am 7th in india...n the first poeple to wish me were anu, mitu n mayur...thank u so much folks :) :) you began my bday with a bang!!!!!!!

then as the history goes i have some or the other exam on my bday...nt his one was no exception!!!!! i had a biostat quiz, so i was studing for it on the eve of my bday....

then my as the clock stuck 12...my friends from LB came to our apt with cake n gifts!!!! was a very pleasant surprise :) :) had fun with chintan sunil naimish rakesh ravi pranav darshit....n of course my dear roommates rushika teju krishma n bhoomi...

calls form india had begun from 11 30 pm only!!!!! spoke with mom dad mitu devang (he is in san diego though) ushma, aniket (he sure called dot at 12 :) perfect timing )n sunjyot.....clicked pics...ate cake!!!!!

chatted with friends almost thru the night :) :)

got up arnd 11...studied for the quiz.....went for lecture wearing my fav salwar khameez....

quiz went well (as expected....lol) splurged on snickers n mini pretzels...have been wanting to eat them since some time...n i thought wat better day than bday to buy it!!!!!!

calls kept coming thru the day...received calls from chitra mohini raja sachin bamasi ba palakididi rushi sudeep mayur sujalben....cud not take some calls as i was in lecture....sorry folks...will call u back over the weekend surely.....got some scraps on orkut...these were very special coz i had deleted my bday from orkut...n i got some very pleasant surprises...some of my old school friends actually remembered my bday!!!!!!!! got scraps from prassana himali arshad lynette pallavi shravanthi atul n jaimin...u all guys rock!!!!! u dont know how special i felt that u rememebered my bday n wished me....

also on FB friends sent wall posts....arvind adarsh shikha vikjiju sujalben ishan geeta teja payal n chintan...thanks u people too :)

got emails from aditya n macwin...n lots of sweet cards from chitra...n chits loved ur gift...its very special :)

all in all turning 26 was fun...had a very nice bday...now how i feel being 26 is another question.....lol...sure got to write an entire post abt it !!!!!!!!!!!

love this song....hopefully someday someone will play this song for me :)

dont know....

2009-09-28T02:28:00.001-07:00

dont know why i think abt u..

dont know why u can make me smile

dont know why i feel like i feel

dont know why i remember u wen i am happy

dont know why i remember wen u sad
dont know why i wanna share everything with u
dont know why i feel i have a right on u

dont know why i see u in my dreams

dont know why the i wish the dreams i saw came true

dont know why u cant feel the same

dont know why i cant be ur stressbuster

dont know why i cant make u smile

dont know why i cant talk wit u
dont know why i worry
dont know why am afraid of u
dont know if being away is fine

dont know if not talking helps
dont know how much distance is fine
dont know if its good to be jealous
dont know if its good to express my mind
dont know if its good to care

dont know what creates the distances

dont know what erases the distance

dont know what am going to do tomorrow
dont know whats good for health
dont know what makes me ME

dont know why i am writing this!!!!!!

lol....heard the song dont know why i love u....n i thought lemme see...how many "dont knows" can i come up with....not a bad try i think :) :)

song of the day:

vicky cristina barcelona

2009-09-24T16:58:00.007-07:00

i saw this movie soemtime back. ideally i should be writing this post in the movie review...but i am writing this here because i have more to say abt the theme of the movie rather than the movie itself!!!!

i didnt like this movie as a movie!!!!! what i want to say it is, it was not entertaining in anyway nor we feel that the movie makes a lot of sense while watching it...and neither can we gather where is it leading to...and if u dont give the movie a second thought u ll jus forget u ever saw it....

many of u might want to watch the movie for Penelope Cruz (she got an oscar for this one)...

well as the story goes, vicki and christina are childhood friends...they are best friends and love and care for each other a lot...but besides their friendship they have nothing in common...

vicky (rebecca hall) is a grounded, practical girl who is stable, happy in the life she has chosen (meaning the job she does and with regards to the fiance (doug) she has chosen), cristina (scarlett johannson) is more of risk taker and believing in everlasting romantic love types....and she feels she has shd explore her artistic talent (she has made a 12 min movie abt love!!!!!!)

so now vicky is invited by a relative (or friend) to visit barcelona n stay with them for the summer....n she takes along cristina too...this is a good break from routine for both these girls who are looking forward to spending a quite summer....

the summer gets interesting when the girls meet juan antonio (javier bardem) who is an artist who has been in limelight in the art world for his nasty divorce with maria elena (penelope cruz) at an art gallery.It so happens that juan is in the same restaurant as vicky and cristina for dinner later in evening and he walks up to them and invites both of them for a weekend of sightseeing, wine and making love to oviedo....

cristina who is getting out of an old relationship agrees easily and overrides vicki's words of caution and pulls her along with her to oviedo....there cristina falls ill and so vicki is left to do sightseeing with juan....after an initial coldness she gets to see juan and develops liking for him...and at the end of the evening, she makes love with him and after that she feels she missed something in life till now, which she never realized and that juan is her love not her doug!!!but of course vicky being vicky that she cant leave doug and she does not even get a chance to speak anything with juan the next day as they return to barcelona....

cristina has no idea what went on between juan and vicky, and she agrees to meet juan wen he asks her out after returning to barcelona....slowly they both like each other a lot and she moves with into his house with him...she enjoys being with juan, his art circle friends and she feels she has found what she was looking for, her love, her way of expressing her artistic side, her freedom etc etc...around this time vicky remains out of touch with juan never even telling him how she feels for him until they meet accidently at library and he tells her she never sought her after returning to barcelona coz he thought she might not want him and that he was not her type of guy and coz she was engaged...and he also tells her that now after getting to knwo cristina he really likes her...so now vicky keeps her mouth shut abt her feelings...

problem brews for cristina and juan when maria elena, juan;s psychotic ex wife tries to commit suicide and juan has to get her home and take care of her as she has no one to take care of her in the world....christina is very supportive and does not mind it...slowly as she gets to know maria elena she finds out that she is in fact quite a nice person and they become good friends....and so much so that she does not mind intimacy growing between juan and maria elena as well...and as maria elena says "juan and i love each other a lot.....but there is something missing in the relationship that keeps them apart" (something to this effect) and that something is fulfilled by cristina so as long as cristina is with them they dont fight and all 3 develop a mutually satisfying relationship....

this is jus half the movie story.......and i dont wanna spoil it for u by telling the second half....well what interested me was the end!!!!!! which had a lot of ideas we cud take home with us if we thought enuf....the movie ends with vicky getting married to doug, cristina returning to usa with vicky and juan and maria elena fighting and going apart once again....basically they all return to where it began!!!!!! square one...with vicky feeling it was practical not to be too demanding of life and to accept things that naturally comes ur way.,....cristina not knowing what she exactly wanted out of life...and juan and maria elena not developing a mutually satisfying relationship....

what i take home is, if u want to make any change in ur life, you gotta be the one making it....here vicky thinks getting juan into her life is gonna change it (make it more interesting and adventurous!!!!), juan and maria think cristina can make their relationship better....and cristina thinks being with juan and in spain where she has her freedom etc etc can make her life better, where she can express herself...

but as they all find out, thats not the case...other person or situation cannot change ur life..these are all extrinsic factors...unless u take it up to urself to change ur attitude in life and towards life, things are not gonna be any different even if u r in a situation u think is best for u!!! coz in sometime the questions are going to return.....what am i doing....something is missing....why do i u feel trapped....and makes u wonder why is ur life the way it is...why cant it be other way round....and again u ll pack ur bags and look for some new adventure!!!!!!

So let us not waste time in asking these questions....let us not wait for someone else to change our life for us....introspect...let us know our own weakness...try and rectify it....let us know where we need to change our point of view...sometimes is better to accept things, and sometimes its better to fight for what we want...so let us keep our discrimination power with us...let us try to make the best of the situation we are in...dont be afraid to speak our mind, express ourselves...dont be afraid to take risk....just take our life in our hands...be in charge of the situation...and most of all keep the key of happiness in our hands!!!!!

song of the day

once again...its greys anatomy time :) :)

2009-09-22T22:58:00.005-07:00

today rushika and i started watching the the greys anatomy season 1 episode 1 again......well enjoyed it even though i have seen the entire series twice already....n i owe it big time to aniket for making the cds for me....at times when the days seem long...wen i have nothing to do...and when no one is around, these cds sure get me thru :) :) :)

well well...i think i wud love to write the review for each episode...lemme start with the first one and lets see how i follow it up or not!!!!!!!!!

so now as the first episode goes...the interns get introduced to each other and dr bailey!!!!! (love her 5 rules)

meredith realizes that her one night stand derek, is actually her boss and that she is not gonna get rid of him easily....

cristina and meredith begin their acquantaince with sharing secret, bugging each other, and then sorting it out!!!! wow an awful lot to happen within first 48 hours of meeting each other.....

george has managed to rub dr burke the wrong way.....almost killed a patient and earned the title of 007 (licensed to kill) which is gonna stick to him forever now......

meredith and george have begun to face what its like to become a surgeon...saving a life...telling the family that their loved one didnt make it etc etc...

and we learn that, meredith mom the great ellis grey, has alzeimer's disease which has advanced quite a bit.....

my favourite dialogues are :

burke to george "you never promise a family member a good result, the only one who can do that is GOD and i have not seen him hold a scalpel lately".

meredith to derek "that was wonderful, you cut cadavers.....but u dont know whats its like to do such a procedure.....its such a high!!!!! i dont know why people do drugs" (these are not the exact wordings but i guess u got the meaning)

song of the day :

As I've Matured...

2009-09-21T17:08:00.006-07:00

As I've Matured...

I've learned to not sweat the petty things, and not pet the sweaty things.

I've learned age is a very high price to pay for maturity.

I've learned that I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it.

I've learned that the people you care most about in life are taken from you too soon and

all the less important ones just never go away.

And the real pains in the ass are permanent.

I've learned that we are responsible for what we do,

unless we are celebrities.

I've learned that 99% of the time when something isn't working

in your house, one of your kids did it

I've learned that there is a fine line between genius and insanity.

I've learned that artificial intelligence is no match for natural

stupidity.

I've learned that no matter how much I care, some people are just

jackasses.

I've learned that whatever hits the fan will not be evenly distributed.

I've learned that it is not what you wear; it is how you take it off.

I've learned that you can keep vomiting long after you think you're finished.

I've learned that depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.

I've learned that you shouldn't compare yourself to others -

they are more screwed up than you think.

I've learned that one good turn gets most of the blankets.

I've learned that you cannot make someone love you. All you can do is

stalk them and hope they panic and give in...

I've learned that it takes years to build up trust, and it only takes suspicion, not proof, to destroy it.

this beautiful forward made me smile.....simple words with deep meanings...n some funny too...

loved it...its not my brain child!!!!!!!!!! dont think i cud write something so profound so simply....

musings of a tired mind.......

2009-09-20T18:28:00.004-07:00

sometimes i wonder why dont we fall in love with a photograph.....

photograph is so soothing to the eye....

so pleasant on the eye..

our days get brightened and clouds of despair shy away

makes us smile wen we are depressed

we can talk with it for hours and it wud jus listen,

we cud hold out our heart and it wud not reject,

jus keeps on smiling...as if it can see u too

as if it understands what we are saying

why is man so complex

turns simplest of situation into a nightmare

always runnnign after whats not to be found

and dont value what we have got,

why are we like the musk dear, running all around for the musk

not realizing that the fragrance comes from within

why dont we value what we have got,

whats the difference between the animals and us!!!!!

does elephant realize the value of ivory,

do the sheep know the value of the wool,

have the bees ever tasted honey???

we wander for love and peace and happiness....

but we fail to recognise it even when handed on the platter,

no wonder we are the smartest creatures on the planet..

we plan, plan and plan some more...

after all thats all we can ever do!!!!!!!

try and plan for an imaginary wonderful tomorrow

and hope that tomorrow comes soon enough.....

jus dont knwo what went thru me now!!!!!!!!but m feelign good after this :) :)

distant dream...

2009-09-18T15:44:00.004-07:00

its nice to hear ur voice,

feels good to hear u laugh,

its difficult not being able to hold ur hand.....

its very difficult when i cant reach out to u...

never imagined life could be so cruel....

but if u promise u there at the end of tunnel..

i can walk thru the storm n face the thunder to come to u..

i dont mind the silence,

i dont mind the distance,

if i know at the end of the road u waiting for me.....

the road seems unsurmountable

very steep and high,

m afraid to look down,

feel dizzy of the heights,

i know u there not to catch me now, or to hold me now

but is the hope there,

that someday u ll stand by me if we make it thru...

its tough wading thru the ocean,

the tides are against us,

nothing seems right except the tiny flicker of light at the end...

i want to believe in rainbows,

and i want to find my pot of gold..

it seems like a mirage though

like a distant dream..

waiting for the sun to come up,

and waiting for the snow to melt,

so that the earth can nourish the seed,

and the help the leaves to uncurl....

came up with this poem after reading a forward!!!!!!!!

its not a peom actually, coz none of the words rhyme..LOL....

and i was never into writing poems or songs...

jus giving it a shot!!!!!!!!

everything

2009-07-29T21:08:00.000-07:00

everything by alanis morrissette

reached USA...

2009-07-20T07:24:00.002-07:00

its been a couple of days i have reached NY now....had nice relaxed weekend...it was good that palakdidi was home from manhattan....got to spend some good time with her....feels good meeting ba who has recovered wonderfully post angioplasty....its good to see the way she has bounced back....

mostly we are goin to visit philadelphia over the next weekend....
and flying to SF on 6th after celebrating raksha bandhan....mota mama is coming to NY with mami sachika n sashreek on 29th july...awaiting their arrival....
this trip surely is gonna be one of its kind....gonna be tying rakhi's to saahill n sashrik for the first time....n also to raja in a long long time.....

more later
ciao :)

11th july...7/11

2009-07-11T00:51:00.002-07:00

this day comes every yr....n will keep coming every yr...we cannot erase from the calender even if we wished....i just hope not many dates join the fatal date list....it is a reminder of what happened 3 yrs back...reminder of what the world is turning into....

on this day almost 200 hundred innocent people lost their lives in 7 MUMBAI LOCAL TRAIN BOMB BLASTS...destinies of 200 families changed in a fraction of second....

let us remember the victims and their families in our prayers....

also this day is a reminder of how unpredictable life is...your loved one who goes to office or college might not turn up in the evening....let us learn to appreciate our life, our family and friends....

let us live life completely...
let us learn to set right priorities....
let us not get disappointed easily...
let us be thankful to god for giving us each new beautiful day....
let us learn to be happy...
let us smile more often and make others smile :)
lets see the silver lining...
lets see the glass half full...
let us live each day such that we wud not regret our actions....
lets learn to see all the good things happened to us and be thankful for it...
lets not lose hope in ourselves and in goodness of others...
let us celebrate life...

song of the day....I HOPE U DANCE.

2009-07-08T21:02:00.004-07:00

Excerpt from the Speech given by Chetan Bhagat at Symbiosis.

Life is one of those races in nursery school where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same with life, where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.

One thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously. Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends.Do we really need to get so worked up? It's ok, bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are people, not programmed devices.

Start Enjoying from this moment......


good quote :
Its A Beginning!
Don't be Serious, Be Sincere!

love and marriage...

2009-07-03T00:44:00.002-07:00

A student asks a teacher, "What is love?"

The teacher said, "in order to answer your question, go to the wheat field and choose the biggest wheat and come back.

But the rule is: you can go through them only once and cannot turn back to pick."

The student went to the field, go thru first row, he saw one big wheat, but he wonders....may be there is a bigger one later.

Then he saw another bigger one... But may be there is an even bigger one waiting for him.

Later, when he finished more than half of the wheat field, he start to realize that the wheat is not as big as the previous one he saw, he know he has missed the biggest one, and he regretted.

So, he ended up went back to the teacher with empty hand.

The teacher told him, "...this is love... You keep looking for a better one, but when later you realise, you have already miss the person...."

"What is marriage then?" the student asked.

The teacher said, "in order to answer your question, go to the corn field and choose the biggest corn and come back. But the rule is: you can go through them only once and cannot turn back to pick."

The student went to the corn field, this time he is careful not to repeat the previous mistake, when he reach the middle of the field, he has picked one medium corn that he feel satisfy, and come back to the teacher.

The teacher told him, "this time you bring back a corn.... You look for one that is just nice, and you have faith and believe this is the best one you get.... This is marriage."*

think....

2009-05-28T10:36:00.003-07:00

think, when you can think.....
don't think when you cannot think...
But don't think, that you cannot think...

Start where you stand.....

2009-05-27T10:44:00.003-07:00

Start where you stand and never mind the past,
The past wont help you in beginning new,
If you have left it all behind at last
Why, that's enough, you're done with it, you're through;
This is another chapter inthe book,
This is another race that you have planned,
Don't give the vanished days a backward look,
Start where you stand.

The world won't care about your old defeats
If you can start anew and win success,
The future is your time, and the time is fleet
And there is much of work and strain and stress;
Forget the buried woes and dead despairs,
Here is a brand new trial right at hand,
The future is for him who does and dares,
Start where you stand.

Old failures will not halt, or old triumphs aid,
Today's the thing, tomorrow soon will be;
Get in the flight and face it unafraid,
And leave the past to ancient history;
What has been, has been; yesterday is dead
And by it you are neither blessed nor banned,
Take courage, man, be brave and drive ahead,
Start where you stand..

-Berton braley

2009-03-14T02:30:00.000-07:00

dead poet society

BEGIN AGAIN...

2009-03-13T10:00:00.004-07:00

Begin again..

Begin to see yourself as you were
When you were the happiest and strongest you've ever been.
Begin to remember what worked for you
(and what worked against you),
And try to capture the magic again.

Begin to remember how natural it was when you were a child-
To live a lifetime each day.

Begin to forget the baggage you have carried with you
For years:
The problem that don't matter anymore,
The tears that cried themselves away,
And the worries that are going to wash away
On the shore of tomorrow's new beginnings.

Tomorrow tells us it will be here every new day of our lives;
And if we will be wise, We will turn away from the problems of the past
And give the future- and ourselves -a chance
To become the best of friends.
Sometimes all it takes is a wish in the heart to let yourself...
Begin again...

-Collin McCarty

song of the day: radha kaise na jale...love saroj khan's choreography and very well executed by aamir khan and gracy singh...lyrics is cute n fun..

Units of LIFE......

2009-03-10T09:48:00.008-07:00

these pics r taken from a calender....love each and every of those pics....
MITOCHONDRIA....powerhouse of the cell....basic unit where energy is produced
THE BEGINNING OF A NEW LIFE.....sperms around the ovum just prior to fertilization
THE NERVES EXITING FROM THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM TO INNERVATE EACH AND EVERY TISSUE...EACH AND EVERY CELL OF OUR BODY...
THE LYMPHOCYTE (white blood corpuscle)....soldier of our body....
CHOLESTROL MOLECULE....FRIEND OR FOE???
ERYTHROCYTES( red blood cells)...tirelessly supplying every cell, every tissue of our body with OXYGEN
song of the day....ironic by alanis morissette...love the lyrics....

kadhi..

2009-03-06T05:41:00.003-08:00

this one is for u chitra....i am sorry putting up this recipe almost 2 months after you requested it...but better late than never na :)

i am putting up punjabi kadhi and not gujrati kadhi....

ingredients:
for kadhi:

1 bowl of curd
2 tablespoon besan (chick pea flour)
chilly ginger paste
chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste

for tadka:

1 tablespoon oil
one dried whole chilly
2 or 3 cloves garlic (crushed/ finely chopped)
rye (mustard seeds)
jeera seeds (cumin seeds)
kadhi patta (curry leaves)
methi seeds (fenugreek seeds)

procedure:
for kadhi

add a glass of water to curd and make buttermilk.
add the chick pea flour to the buttermilk along with red chilly powder, chilly ginger paste, turmeric powder and salt
cook the kadhi on medium flame for ten min.

for tadka:

take oil in a small vessel and heat it on medium flame.
once its heated add mustard seeds, mustard seeds will begin to crackle soon if the oil is heated else it might take some time, wait till all of the crackling is over.
add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, dried chilly, curry leaves, crushed garlic in quick succession.
once u feel garlic has turned light brown add this entire mixture to the kadhi which is getting cooked simultaneously on the other flame.
wait till it boils, then your kadhi is ready to be served.

the masala in tadka will be tasty even if a couple of ingredients r missing....i have listed every possible ingredient that can be put and which we routinely put...but if one or two of them r missing, dont worry, go ahead n make the kadhi it will turn out well :)

song of the day:
Affirmation by savage garden......this video is of lyrics n not of the song...love the song for the words....

JAI HO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-02-28T07:05:00.002-08:00

finally m back to my blog....n now i ll be regular (hopefully)....missed u my blog...

first topic after my hibernation is of course SLUMDOG MILLIONARE....loved the movie....n loved the fact it got 8 oscars....thank u Danny Boyle...N thanks to A R RAHMAN n Resul Pookutty for putting making India proud....sorry to the other oscar winners whose videos i cud not find...congrats to the entire Slumdog Millionare team....

JAI HO.....

kids at the red carpet :)

Slumdog cast on red carpet

Resul Pookutty (Best sound Mixing)

DANNY BOYLE

A R RAHMAN...Best music

Best song..JAI HO...A R RAHMAN & GULZAR

Rahman's Oscar performance...

Best Movie..

Rahman's performance at Jay Leno'S Show

Rahman at post oscar party

happy birthday....

2009-01-11T09:58:00.002-08:00

Rahul Dravid wont bring a song to a spectators heart. He can even be sometimes tedious to watch. But he is the kind, whose presence every team is grateful for, in hours of crisis. The true indications of Dravid's greatness come when batting is more than driving on the up, when the ball curls in the air and fizzes off the pitch, and when survival becomes an end in itself. To India's enormous fortune, just about every time a situation has called for a batsman to stand up and be counted, Dravid has been there. Almost always.

Some are born to greatness. Rahul Dravid has acquired it. In some ways that is a greater achievement.

new arrival...1/1/09

2009-01-01T07:03:00.004-08:00

m very excited n happy to announce new arrival in our family.....rujudidi has given birth to a baby boy....so i am masi all over again....m very excited that its a boy...coz i feel there r too many girls in the family...his rashi is G ,S...anyone who comes up with some names pl post it in the next one week....the naming is going to be done on 6th jan....

and of course HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ONE AND ALL.....

todays song is for the baby.....n didi....welcome to the family sweetheart...n thank u didi....

another chance....

2008-12-27T08:17:00.004-08:00

how often we wish for another chance
to make a fresh beginning
a chance to blot our mistakes
and change failure into winning.

it does not take a special time
to make a brand new start,
it only takes the deep desire
to try with all our heart.

to live a little better,
to always be forgiving
to add a little sunshine
in a world for which we're living

never give up in despair
nor think you are through
for there's always a tomorrow,
a chance to start anew.

song of the day....pal pal from lage raho munnabhai....love the lyrics....

spirituality and religion...

2008-12-15T09:15:00.004-08:00

Today I am making an attempt to define spirituality and religion….explain the meaning of the two…and try to explain the importance and relevance of both these terms in our life….this I am penning down so that my concepts get clear and also so that I am able to pass on some wonderful information I have learnt over the past one week from sw.vimalanandji…..she had a gyan yagna over the past week in vasai and I was lucky to attend most of it….and I feel it is my responsibility to share what I gained….also its my joy to share….its my tribute, my guru dakshina to swamiji…..i am going to write some more posts about Indian culture, hinduism, parenting, meditation, shrimad bhagwad geeta and lot more etc etc….basically I am going to share what all I learnt over the last week…….the core of everything, the essence is from swamiji’s lectures….but I have put in my understanding of the subject, my views, opinions, some different illustrations and examples…..also the way of writing is going to be like how she talks….coz she talks in an amazing way…I am going to forward all my posts to swamiji so that if I have misunderstood anything she can rectify it….so with her blessings I start my adventure (trust me that’s what I am feeling it is…it is an adventure….my heart is beating fast….i am feeling a thrill )

What is spirituality????

If u ask youngsters “ARE THEY SPIRITUAL or RELIGIOUS” many of them including me will answer spiritual…why do we all answer like that?? What is our concept of being spiritual or of being religious???

Being spiritual we think means “for me all religions are equal” “there is only one god” we say “god didn’t make religion….man did” so we feel we are in better connection with god wen we are spiritual… basically we are all just trying to be fair to everyone…we think we believe in equality…. we are just trying to be good human beings when we say WE ARE SPIRITUAL…. our misconception is if we say we are religious we will be misinterpreted that OTHERS MIGHT THINK WE FEEL OUR RELIGION IS SUPERIOR….

So first of all lets see what is spirituality….SPIRITUALITY IS THE STATE OF MIND….IT IS A TYPE OF MIND FRAME WHICH IS ALWAYS HAPPY (IN A STATE OF BLISS)…..no matter what happens….there is no jealousy or envy or hatred or anger in the mind for anyone inspite of any actions…..SPIRITUALITY IS A NATURE OF A PERSON….IT IS REALIZATION OF SELF…..IN SANSKRIT WE SAY IT IS SAT CHIT ANAND SWAROOPA……(I will try n explain all the technical meanings in subsequent posts)

Now let us all think….are we always HAPPY, IN STATE OF BLISS???? Do we get affected mentally by rise and fall of economies or by rise and fall of our collegues???? Are we ever stressed, tensed, irritated???

Think for a moment….IF THE ANSWER TO THE FIRST QUESTION IS YES….read no further…..you are a realized soul…..i offer my humble pranams to you….BUT IF THE ANSWER TO FIRST QUESTION IS NO AND TO REST OF QUESTIONS IS YES……SNAP UP TO ATTENTION….YOU ARE LIVING IN A FALSE (or should I say FOOL’S) PARADISE…..you are not spiritual….you are PSEUDO SPIRITUAL…..and let me clear one thing you cant have yes to all questions….or no to all questions…because that’s just not possible…..

NOW, at least theoretically we think we know little bit of spirituality….let us try to understand RELIGION….first we all will think why do we scorn religion???….why do we think its uncool to be religious...it is because in this scientific day and age we don’t understand religion….we think religion means rituals (which we think are meaningless)….that is the first mistake….religion includes rituals, true but IT DOES NOT ONLY INCLUDE RITUALS…and whatever rituals are there they are certainly not MEANINGLESS…..just because we don’t understand the meanings and the idea behind it we think they are meaningless…..like for eg : the wedding ceremony….hindu weddings include lot of rituals….we shall just see the seven steps….if we don’t know the what the seven vows are, we might think what a waste of time it is….but when we know what it signifies the entire wedding ceremony takes a new dimension….(I was amazed when I first came to know what the vows were….they seemed to encompass everything anyone can think of) if you don’t know what they are…CLICK HERE

2^nd eg : in any puja we perform we put many things like fruits, ghee, wood, and lots of other things in fire….now whats the idea behind it….do we put it in to destroy it??? Or we put it in as we like to inhale smoke??? Or for the heck of it…..i ll tell you why we offer in fire at the end of the post….dont skip…read the entire post…

well let me tell you one thing NOTHING is done for the heck of it….there is no ritual that is without a sound logic…..its a different story you might not agree with the logic….(but most of the time our not agreeing is either because we are misinformed….or because we have closed & prejudiced minds) and trust me if u find something that is illogical or weird or that cannot be explained WE PEOPLE have distorted the true meaning either as per our own sweet wish (maybe coz it was for selfish benefit of some people) or they have understood it wrong and then propagated wrongly…

for eg : good old days people believed that the knowledge of scriptures was for Brahmins only…..that they only have right to learn it..know it…when sant dhyaneshwar translated shrimad bhagwad geeta in Marathi (I think…m not sure) it was met with tremendous opposition….he and his family (they were just 3 children…one younger brother and younger sister) were thrown out of the village and they faced various atrocities….

So the point is at times our scriptures have been mistranslated n over a period of centuries the chasm between the truth and what is told grows wider……but thankfully even today if we go to the right people we can get correct knowledge…..(will tell you about where to go in subsequent posts)

Now let us come to the point….WHAT IS RELIGION??? RELIGION IS THE MEANS TO ATTAIN SPIRITUALITY.

IT IS THE VEHICLE WE USE TO ATTAIN THE STATE OF BLISS…we can chose the path ourself….the path that appeals to us, the path in which we are comfortable in, and we feel is best for our growth….the paths are bhakti (devotional) it includes bhajans (singing devotional songs), jap (chanting Gods name repeatedly), puja (daily prayer…chanting of shlokas, dusting the temple, lighting the lamp and incense sticks) etc etc….next is gyan (knowledge)…we can attain the knowledge of self and state of bliss when understand the knowledge of our scriptures….and put into practice whats written in them….next is tap (rigorous penance) wat dhruv, valmiki rishi, Buddha etc did….well these are the ones I remember….if there are more I ll put it in my next post

How each of these paths lead us to one goal i.e. STATE OF BLISS will explain later…..

yes there are going to be a lot of posts in this particular series…..and hopefully I can write everything that is there in my mind asap….the only hindrance is I am studing for gre at the moment….n my exam is less than a month away so I might not get enough time at the moment….

Now let me tell you something that might make u sit straight in your seat and pay attention to what I have written….

What if I told you that all of the swamijis, brahmacharis and acharyas from chinmaya mission (more about it later) are very well educated like doctors, engineers, architect, MBAs, professors, are creative and talented stage artists, dancers, etc etc

What if I told you that lectures on shrimad bhagwad geeta were given by acharyas in various top management institutions in india(IIMs) and abroad (Harvard)….

What if I told you that the birlas, piramals,goenkas listened to the discourses from various scriptures daily and taught their children teachings of shrimad bhagwad geeta

most of us feel these things are boring, meant for elder people, and maybe unintelligent people or people who don’t have anything better to do…..some of us feel that those who want to escape from the world become sanyasis….do we sincerely believe that…..the sanyasis leave the world not to escape from it but to attain a much higher realm….do we believe that understanding the scriptures is easy???? Or it is boring??? I ll tell you my take on it…I find it intellectually stimulating, fascinating, universally true and very practical. Swamiji said a very nice thing…SHRIMAD BHAGWAD GEETA IS THE MANUAL GOD HAS SENT ABOUT HOW TO MAKE BEST USE OF THE WONDERFUL INSTRUMENT HE HAS PROVIDED US WITH…SO WE MUST READ IT BEFORE WE USE IT I.E BEFORE WE ENTER THE WORKING PHASE OF LIFE (KARMAYOGA) NOT AT THE END OF IT WHEN THE INSTRUMENT HAS ALMOST BROKEN DOWN

with this I conclude….please wake up “GOOD MORNING”…please think…I ll write something more soon enough…..till then…happy thinking.

PS: the significance of putting our offerings in fire in puja…..well first of all we don’t put it in fire…secondly we consider all the elements as god ie we see &worship the lord present in them….we offer our naivedya (in form of ghee,sandal wood, fruits etc) to the fire god(agnidev) coz firegod is said to be the messenger between man and God….so whatever we wish to offer to any god we offer it through fire….beautiful and meaningful, is it not???

Giving you all some more food for thought….

In hinduism do we believe in many gods or one god?

In hindusim do we believe in idol worship?

Pl leave a comment whatever U feel the answer is.

LOSING MY RELIGION...

2008-11-16T23:56:00.008-08:00

got this forwarded mail and i thought it echoed my thoughts...and m sure not only me but many of us r gonna relate to it....very nicely penned down...good work mr siddhartha vaidyanathan

Losing my religion!
- Siddhartha Vaidyanathan
The events of the last few weeks are freaking me out. Anil Kumble has gone, Sourav Ganguly will go, and the other three may not be far behind. I assume there is a large group of cricket fans in their mid-to-late 20s, like me, who are grappling with the implications. This transition is messing with our minds.
Let me explain. For many of us cricket began in November 1989. Pictures of what went before are too hazy. I remember Allan Border lifting the World Cup but don't recall what I was doing then. So I can't connect Australia's World Cup win to my own life.
Sachin Tendulkar spoilt us. He commanded that we sit in front of the television sets. He ensured we got late with homework, he took care of our lunch-break discussions. He was not all that much older than us, and some of us naïve schoolboys thought we would achieve similar feats when we were 16. We got to 16 and continued to struggle with homework.
Then came Kumble and the two undertook a teenager-pampering mission not seen in India before. Tendlya walked on water, Jumbo parted seas. Our mothers were happy that we had nice heroes - down-to-earth prodigy and studious, brilliant bespectacled engineer. They were honest, industrious sportsmen, embodying the middle class.
When we thought we had seen everything, they reversed roles - Tendlya bowled a nerve-wracking last over in a semi-final, Jumbo played a match-winning hand with the bat. We were such spoilt brats that we pined for openers and fast bowlers. We cursed the side for not winning abroad. Such greed.
Economists would probably have predicted the bursting of the bubble. We had a deluge instead. One fine day at Lord's we got a glimpse of two new saviours: Delicate Timing and Immaculate Technique. Suddenly my group of eight friends was split into two camps. You were either with Ganguly or Dravid. In that period we even took Kumble and Tendulkar for granted. It was adolescent indulgence taken to the extreme.
When we played cricket on the streets, we had a number of choices. Left-handers were thrilled, defensive batsmen were happy, extravagant stroke-makers were delighted, the short boys didn't need to feel left out anymore, spectacles became cool, and freaky bowling actions were no more laughed at.
In such a state of bliss did we live our lives. We flunked important exams, shed tears over girls, crashed bikes, had drunken parties, choked on our first cigarettes, and felt utterly confused about our futures. But every time we felt low, we had an escape route. One glimpse of Dada stepping out of the crease, or Jam leaving a sharp bouncer alone, or Kumble firing in a yorker, was an uplifting experience. So what if India lost? Could any of those Pakistani batsmen even dream of batting like Sachin or VVS?



	My generation needs to brace itself for this exodus. Some of my friends have been talking of needing to revaluate their own careers

I remember Ganguly and Dravid soaring in Taunton, mainly because it was the day I got my board-exam results. And boy, did that provide some much-needed relief. I remember Tendulkar's blitz against Australia in Bombay because my dad, who thought cricket was a waste of time, sat through every ball. So connected were these cricketers to my growing up.
Now, after close to 20 years, my generation needs to brace itself for this exodus. Some of my friends, crazy as this sounds, have been talking of needing to revaluate their own careers. Others are realising they need to recalibrate their childhood definitions of cricket. "Part of me just died," said a college friend who was the kind of extreme cricket buff who memorised scorecards. "No Dada, no Jumbo. I'm positive I'll stop watching after Sachin and Rahul retire."
These players were not only outstanding cricketers but also great statesmen. However hard they competed, they were always exceptional role models. Now we dread the next wave of brashness and impetuosity. Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth are talented cricketers, but there's no way anyone would want a young kid to emulate either. The younger crop seems worse - a visit to some of their Orkut and Facebook pages tells you enough - and things may only get cruder in a cricket world when you can make a million dollars in a little over three hours.
"Our childhood is ending," said a friend from school, and in some way he was probably spot on. Tendulkar's retirement may mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but for a generation of 25- to 30-year-olds it will mark the end of the first part of their lives. Switching on the television the day after will be a serious challenge.

wud love to write abt....

2008-11-15T22:11:00.003-08:00

tricolour on the moon...its amazing that india is 4th or 5th (m not sure which) country to successfully send satellite up there....n that too in one go.....great achievement by our scientists

india smashing england.....india wins by 158 runs...amazing...good going men in blue...keep it up

wedding season begins....today is swaleha's wedding...20th is mohini's...and 23 rd is chitra's...30th is pallavi's....happy for them...but sad that they all r gonna be goin out of mumbai.....more later...

wud love to elaborate on these topics....but dont have time now.....n maybe m just too sad abt chitra going to australia....so words not popping in my head....will write in detail my feelings once i get some time...which is going to be after jan i guess.....hopefully i can write before that....

more later...

song of the day :in dino dil mera from life in a metro....love the words

Auf Wiedersehen Mr Ganguly.....

2008-11-13T01:23:00.003-08:00

struck century in debut in may 1996 against england...
receives arjuna award...1998
CEAT player of the year 1999 2000
wins natwest trophy against england 2002
celebrates win over england in Npower trophy 2007
both sachin n saurav with their awards after the win over aussies in second test in mohali 2008
good bye saurav ganguly.....we love you

tribute to JUMBO

2008-11-11T09:21:00.003-08:00

taking lara's wicket...team celebrates
bowling to lara with a bandaged chin...

everybody congratulating him for his 10 wicket haul

man of the match trophy...after he took all 10 wickets against pakistan on 7 feb 1999
team welcoming him on the ground for the last timeat the end of the last day of the 2nd test....

india wins....goodbye kumble and ganguly

2008-11-11T08:24:00.010-08:00

yesterday india triumphed over australia....a historic win in 25 yrs......india beat australia 2-0.....but this series will be known for a lot more than that....it will also be known as the last series played by two of india's great players & captians.....with a heavy heart we all say good bye to ANIL KUMBLE & SAURAV GANGULY.....we all will miss u guys.....you have won our hearts over the last decade, u played for the country not only with the way you play but also the way you were on and off the field....for being wonderful human beings....and for taking indian cricket to a whole new level.....with your courage and aggression and level headedness.....

SAURAV....we will always remember the way you first brought aggression into indian cricket....and of course the way u captianed the side..making you the most successful indian cricket captian.....the following caption in economis times describes you the best " A GREAT PLAYER IS KNOWN BY HIS PLUCK,BY HIS GRIT,BY HIS ABILITY TO FACE DOWN CRISES AND BY HIS NEVER SAY DIE SPIRIT.IN SOURAV GANGULY ,INDIA HAD SUCH A PLAYER.DADA MADE GENIUSES OUT OF ROOKIES & CONVERTED A BUNCH OF TALENTED PLAYERS INTO WORLD BEATERS.HE TAUGHT HIS TEAM TO FIGHT HARD AND TO RIDE OUT EVERY CRISES THAT CAME ITS WAY...IN THESE HARD TIMES WAT INDIA INC CAN LEARN FROM THE GOD OF OFFSIDE IS THAT KNOCKS ARE INEVITABLE BUT A GREAT PLAYER HAS IT IN HJIM TO TAKE THEM ON THE CHIN AND BOUNCE BACK - WITH A SMILE AND A STEELY DETERMINATION"

and of course we will always remember the boy who made a century in his debut match as well the man who made his century in the final series....we will remember the captian who removed his shirt and threw wen the match was won against england at lords.....

KUMBLE....abt him i cant write as much....not coz he any less than dada.....but coz of my limited cricket knowledge i dont know much abt his achievements....but i do remember him as the level headed guy who stood by his side last yr in australia wen all the racial abuse charges were going on against harbhajan singh.....i remember him as the captian who levelled the series 1-1 inspite of series of wrong decisions in the adelaide test.....he was a player who never was daunted by injuries.....he played with a plastered chin in west indies....bowled for the country n won the game if i remember right....remember him taking all 10 wickets against pakistan in delhi.....we love u JUMBO.....and we shall miss you....

also this series will be remembered for the wonderful gesture dhoni did.....he showed us along with being a talented player and a successful captian he is also a great guy with a heart of gold....i loved him for asking ganguly to captian the side for the last few overs once the 9th wicket had fallen....loved him for asking kumble to come up and lift the trophy with him......great going dhoni....am sure the country's cricket is safe in your hands.....

links to some of the articles abt the win & abt ganguly:
a day to remember
last goodbye words from DADA
he woke me up :ganguly
farewell gift
cherished memories
last innings
being a captian
robinhood and his band of mavericks
dada's last hurrah
after the win....wonderful moments of the team...our boys are the best....love men in blue :)

important tips that help u know a person..

2008-10-23T10:02:00.002-07:00

I was in the shopping mall with him. We were there to meet our friends at the top floor - Food court.
I m scared of escalators. Especially taking the first step. It always scares me. I never understand where to put my feet first. It all keeps moving, I feel, I shall be sucked into the folding staircase.

Usually when I have to take the escalator with some other friends around, my friends looking at the way I panic they jus push me or lift me on to the escalator and take me upstairs.

We are just good friends and not into any relationship. We were meeting as friends. I knew he liked me

We reached near the Escalator, as usual I panicked, to take the first step.

But he stood next to me and said “ Take your first step, just put your feet ahead of the yellow line, and see-how you glide to next level, just be calm, I am there, I shall step behind the yellow line, right behind you”

He knew his limits and did not exceed it and just offered his hand and did not hold my hand on his own crossing his limits.

I unknowingly held his hand and I took my first step ahead of yellow line and he was there with me just one step behind.

Had he stepped with me ahead of the yellow line, it wud have left little space for us to stand or rather, for me to rise comfortably on the escalator and get rid of my fear.

But he was there with me, standing behind me to see I rise, to see I get rid of my fears.

I felt “ can he be the one, should I think about him, I hope he really is the one.”

I hope things go with us the way I wish them to, then may be someday we shall take the step together ahead of the yellow line.

He proved himself, now its my turn to make my place in his heart, to help us take the step ahead of the yellow line TOGETHER.

Girls - this may not be the only way to judge a person, but it’s these small situations, which make you feel, realize how he is and help you take a decision.
Guys – Try doing it ONLY with the special one and may be it shall help you to make some place of your own in her

song of the day: baatein kuch ankahi si...from life in a metro...love the words of this song...

DECIDING...

2008-10-15T09:33:00.003-07:00

Outside my window, a new day I see,
And only I can determine
What kind of day it will be.
It can be busy and sunny, laughing and gay
Or boring and cold,unhappy and gray.

My own state of mind is the determining key,
For I am only the person I let myself be.

I can be thoughtful and do all I can to help,
Or be selfish and think just of myself.
I can enjoy what I do and make it fun,
Or gripe and complain and make it hard on someone.

I can be patient with those who may not understand
Or belittle and hurt them as much as I can.

But I have faith in myself
And believe what i say
And I personally intend to make the most of each day

-Anonymous

Song of the day: main aisa kyun hu...from lakshya....brilliant choreography by prabhudeva...and of course hrithik executes it perfectly

my 25th birthday......

2008-10-09T00:51:00.009-07:00

its not everyday one turns quarter of a century, so the day is bound to be special....and luckily for me this was one of my bestest (best is not superlative enough) birthday....most memorable ones...and its thanks to my family and friends who made it special :)

celebrations had begun the previous night itself....we bought two nice tops...my mom was like u should wear new clothes on ur bday :)
i had made plans to meet chitra mohini and rehana for lunch....so she was like and u goin out too...i thought one was enough but my mom insisted we buy two...after that we went and bought ice cream (chocolate mocha fudge) to eat at stroke of 12...of course we cud not wait till then so we had it right after dinner only :)

then after dinner i was busy searching for my favorite movie scenes to put on my blog :)
phone calls started coming from one hour before my bday itself...my poor friends and cousins who cud not keep awake till 12 :)

got rehana's call at 10 45 pm....ushma's sms around 11...and mithila's call by 11 30....and chitra called at 11 55...she was like m so so sleepy i cud not wait for 5 more min...we spoke for 5 min and then i told her to sleep...then came anu's call (little did i know back then that she was planning to come visit me all the way from powai)...very soon came rujudidi's call....rushika wished me too...she speaks so sweetly now....the way she said "rhythmmasi happy birthday" was so cute

then came smses till 12 15...arshad..himali..mrunali...aditya...i fell asleep by 12 30 i think...i was really tired after staring at the computer screen for almost 2 hours....

as i opened my eyes in morning i saw a beautiful bouquet of rose and orchids on my table....so the first thing i saw were the flowers....i had not expected it to be there right at 8 am...

then i got dressed...wore my brand new top....went to ribbons and balloons to buy pasteries for my sir and assistants....wanted to call dr basrur too...he comes sometimes in clinic...pulls my leg but enlivens the place....i really wanted to share my bday with him....but i thought he might be busy with some case.....i took a chance gave him a call....and it was so sweet of him to come...we shared a very nice half an hour in clinic....

i left clinic at 12. 15 (earlier than usual) coz i had to go to dadar to meet chitra mona and rehana (thankfully we cud meet for my birthday...we cud not meet on chitra and rehana's bday..and mona's bday too its unlikely as it wud be soon after her wedding...so i am lucky we 4 cud meet on mine)...
but i had forgotten home keys...so i had to go back to hospital...collect keys from mom...and then i hurried to station....well as luck wud have it, the train came after 15 min....i was supposed to reach dadar by 1 30 and i reached at 2 30....coz the train was halting a lot in middle....other than this slight hiccup my day was superb.....

had nice lunch of lasagne,sizzler,enchilada (i know many cuisines combined)....we went to high street phoenix mall after lunch.....did time pass....sat in macdonalds till 5 40...then left...around that time the cell phone battery got discharged....so my phone got switched off....i reached home around 7 30...very very tired....and as soon as i put phone on charger calls started pouring in....

then mom dad came home and told me to get dressed for dinner.....and suddenly i heard the doorbell ring...i had no idea anu and milanjiju were coming....i was so stunned seeing them....we left for restaurant....and reaching there saw himali vinay and kedar with cake....i was totally overwhelmed and speechless.....my hands were shaky as i cut the cake....and i was making mistakes introducing my friends and family....it was so much fun....after dinner had paan....than managed to coax anu to stay overnight....

spoke with her till 2 am....called sahill to wish him....got to talk with sonumama and ba too....

also wat made this b'day really special other than the above mentioned stuff was the emails,smses and phone calls i got....got mails from raja ,palakdidi, tanvi,sujalben....phone calls from allwyn,vivekanand,macwin,dhaval,aakash,arunkaka,snehalkaki,shakil,noella,jiten, miliaunty,
apu(miliaunty's son)rushi,mohit,sudeep,varun,adarsh,shikha,,sapan,savibhabhi,ajubhai,
falguniaunty,vidhi(poor girl called me 4 times as my phone was not reachable)....shubu, called up at 2 am
(if i have forgotten a couple of names i am very very sorry)..
was not at all expecting nidhi and vibhooti to call from usa....so it was a pleasant surprise talking with them after a long long time....also got several scraps on orkut (sorry i cant mention evryone who scrapped me....but ur scraps made me feel very special...the fact that u folks took a minute out of ur day to visit my scrapbook and post ur wishes made me feel wonderful)
mails from saya,adrian and sapanjiju were unexpected too....

so on this b'day...got lots of unexpected visits...phones...emails.......
all in all one of my bestest birthdays......

song of the day: i am bitch..i am a lover by alanis morissette.....finally i put it up on my blog :)

from eve of my birthday......till my birthday

2008-10-06T09:27:00.006-07:00

in two hours i turn 25........hmmm...been on this planet for quite some time now...lived for quarter of century.....no small deal....lived..and lived well....had a great time uptil now on earth....am really lucky in a lot of ways....have been blessed with wonderful parents and sister...also love everyone in extended family as well....and of course how can i forget my friends...they mean the world to me...and am so lucky to have them as a part of my life....

today i am going to put up some of my favourite scenes from movies and television...no songs...just scenes.....most of them r romantic....so here is a collection of them....love them all equally....so they r here not in any order or anything....

last scene from PRETTY WOMAN...perfect fairytale ending

NOTTING HILL...when julia expresses her love for hugh....a movie star and a guy next door

TITANIC...deck scene...one of the most breathtaking scenes from a movie...love the way its shot...the cinematography is superb

proposal from STEPMOM...beautiful

NEVER BEEN KISSED...confessional sequence and the proposal...love it...

BURKE'S VOWS

cristina's acceptance of burke's proposal

P.S. I LOVE YOU.....the ireland part

chandler and monica's proposal scene from FRIENDS

FRIENDS....MIKE AND PHOEBE :) hilarious and sweet

SALAAM E ISHQ.....love the part of john's proposal....also govinda is gr8 na

LAGAAN.......love the way aamir says i love without actually saying it :)

JAANE TU.....YA JAANE NAA....airport scene cum besura proposal scene

guess this many are enough for now.....searched a lot more for some other which i wanted but i didnt get them....and as and wen i remembered some other scenes i put them...i had not intended to put stepmom scenes...or guru scene...i wanted to put proposal scenes from runaway bride and sweet home alabama....but as usual u get some...and you dont get some...but u get something else too...something u didnt expect....

two hours are up....m 25 now :) spent the last two hours searching for my favourite scenes and what a good time i had....thankfully internet worked well.....and now am gettin phone calls and messages from my family and friends....gotta go......love you all....m so happy today

stay cool....

2008-10-05T09:54:00.003-07:00

this mail is especially true in todays day and age....where all of us are worrying about one way or the other....in our fast life we have forgotten that in the race we run our mind and body gets neglected and affected....its no wonder day by day number of people with anxiety related disorders,depressions and other psychological problems are increasing.....let us learn to stay cool....

A professor began his class by holding up a glass with some water in
it. He held it up for all to see & asked the students,' How much do you
think this glass weighs?' '50gms!'.... '100gms!'... '125gms'. ..the
students answered.

'I really don't know unless I weigh it, 'said the professor,' but my
question is: What would happen if I held it up like this for a few
minutes? ''Nothing' the students said.

'Ok what would happen if I held it up like this for an hour?' the
professor asked.

'Your arm would begin to ache' said one of the students. 'You're right,
now what would happen if I held it for a day?' 'Your arm could go numb,
you might have severe muscle stress & paralysis & have to go to
hospital for sure!' ventured another student & all the students laughed.
'Very good. But during all this, did the weight of the glass change?'
Asked the professor. 'No'

'Then what caused the arm ache & the muscle stress?' The students were
puzzled.

'What should I do to remedy this'? Asked the professor again.

'Put the glass down!' said one of the students. Exactly!' said the
professor.' Life's problems are something like this. Hold it for a few
minutes in your head & they seem OK. Think of them for a long time & they
begin to ache. Hold it even longer & they begin to paralyze you. You
will not be able to do anything.

It's important to think of the challenges (problems) in your life, but
EVEN MORE IMPORTANT to 'put them down' at the end of every day before
you go to sleep. That way, you are not stressed, you wake up every day
fresh & strong & can handle any issue, any challenge that comes your
way!'

So, when u go to bed tonight-Remember to 'PUT THE GLASS DOWN, TODAY!

song of the day : tum ho toh...from the movie rock on! love all songs...one by one all of them will find a way into my blog :)

being positive

2008-10-04T10:28:00.005-07:00

at the end of the day the fact that we have courage to still be standing is the reason enough to celebrate.....
-meredith grey in grey's anatomy

song of the day : way back into love...from music and lyrics...hope u enjoy it as much as i did :)

interview with GOD...

2008-10-03T10:36:00.002-07:00

THE INTERVIEW WITH GOD

I dreamed I had an interview with God.

“So you would like to interview me?” God asked.

“If you have the time” I said.

God smiled. “My time is eternity.”
“What questions do you have in mind for me?”

“What surprises you most about humankind?”

God answered...
“That they get bored with childhood,
they rush to grow up, and then
long to be children again.”

“That they lose their health to make money...
and then lose their money to restore their health.”

“That by thinking anxiously about the future,
they forget the present,
such that they live in neither
the present nor the future.”

"That they live as if they will never die,
and die as though they had never lived.”

God’s hand took mine
and we were silent for a while.

And then I asked...
“As a parent, what are some of life’s lessons
you want your children to learn?”

“To learn they cannot make anyone
love them. All they can do
is let themselves be loved.”

“To learn that it is not good
to compare themselves to others.”

“To learn to forgive
by practicing forgiveness.”

“To learn that it only takes a few seconds
to open profound wounds in those they love,
and it can take many years to heal them.”

“To learn that a rich person
is not one who has the most,
but is one who needs the least.”

“To learn that there are people
who love them dearly,
but simply have not yet learned
how to express or show their feelings.”

“To learn that two people can
look at the same thing
and see it differently.”

“To learn that it is not enough that they
forgive one another, but they must also forgive themselves.”

"Thank you for your time," I said humbly.

"Is there anything else
you would like your children to know?"

God smiled and said,
“Just know that I am here... always.”

-author unknown

SONG OF THE DAY : nazrein milana nazrein churana from jaane tu ya jaane na...simple words with wisdom...peppy tune...

a beautiful story

2008-10-02T09:11:00.002-07:00

Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived:
Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and all of the others, including Love. One
day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all
constructed boats and left. Except for Love.

Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to hold out until the
last possible moment.

When the island had almost sunk, Love decided to ask for help.

Richness was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said,
"Richness, can you take me with you?"
Richness answered, "No, I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in
my boat. There is no place here for you."

Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful
vessel. "Vanity, please help me!"
"I can't help you, Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat,"
Vanity answered.

Sadness was close by so Love asked, "Sadness, let me go with you."
"Oh . . . Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"

Happiness passed by Love, too, but she was so happy that she did not
even hear when Love called her.

Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come, Love, I will take you." It was an
elder. So blessed and overjoyed, Love even forgot to ask the elder where
they were going. When they arrived at dry land, the elder went her own
way. Realizing how much was owed the elder,

Love asked Knowledge, another elder, "Who Helped me?"
"It was Time," Knowledge answered.
"Time?" asked Love. "But why did Time help me?"
Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, "Because only Time is
capable of understanding how valuable Love is.......... .........

song of the day : kabhi kabhi aditi....from jaane tu....ya jaane na....love the words of this song...so simple and full of positivity.....

my b'day.....let the celebrations begin :)

2008-09-30T06:24:00.004-07:00

today is 1st day of navratri.....and to all those who dont know it is my birthday too :)
according to hindu calendar....meaning the day i was born ie 7th oct in 1983 was the 1st day of navratri......thats how this is my b'day....so i am one of those lucky people who get wished twice coz first day of navratri being an important day many people remember it as my b'day....so now officially i am 25 :)
today mom had made some nice banana halwa.....was yummmmmmmmmmmy

rest of the day was routine.....nothing special....but still i feel good as its my birthday....noella rujudidi kailasmasi and kettymasi and naynakaki wished me.......

navratri always excites me...and i love to play dandiya and garba.....but these days dont play as much as i used to as most of my dance group has disintegrated...ya feel bad....but maybe one day out of 9 days i ll go to dance.....

song of the day today : dholi taro from hum dil de chuke sanam...love this dance...the dance which shot choreographer VAIBHAVI MERCHANT to fame...one of my favourite garba songs

some of life's lessons

2008-09-26T09:20:00.002-07:00

NEVER CRY FOR ANY RELATION IN LIFE

BECAUSE FOR THE ONE WHOM YOU CRY

DOES NOT DESERVE YOUR TEARS

AND THE ONE WHO DESERVES

WILL NEVER LET YOU CRY......... ........

TREAT EVERYONE WITH POLITENESS

EVEN THOSE WHO ARE RUDE TO YOU,

NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT NICE

BUT BECAUSE YOU ARE NICE........ ......... ........

NEVER SEARCH YOUR HAPPINESS

IN OTHERS

WHICH WILL MAKE YOU

FEEL ALONE,

RATHER SEARCH IT IN YOURSELF

YOU WILL FEEL HAPPY

EVEN IF YOU ARE LEFT ALONE....... ......... ........

ALWAYS HAVE

A POSITIVE ATTITUDE IN LIFE.

THERE IS SOMETHING POSITIVE

IN EVERY PERSON.

EVEN A STOPPED WATCH IS RIGHT

TWICE A DAY......... ......... ......... ........

HAPPINESS ALWAYS LOOKS SMALL

WHEN WE HOLD IT IN OUR HANDS...

BUT WHEN WE LEARN TO

SHARE IT,

WE REALIZE HOW BIG AND PRECIOUS IT

song of the day...allah ke bande....kailash kher has sung it well and lyrics r inspiring

really funny....honestly ;)

2008-09-25T09:43:00.002-07:00

dedicated to all those who interrupt others when others r doin some work....STOP DOING IT....IF U HAVE NOT GOT IT YET...TELLING U IN CLEAR WORDS...ITS IRRITATING

this passage is really funny...the way its written..loved it.....

A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her husband. Suddenly
her husband burst into the kitchen.
"Careful ... CAREFUL! Put in some more butter! Oh my GOD! You're cooking
too many at once. TOO MANY! Turn them! TURN THEM NOW! We need more butter.
Oh my GOD! WHERE are we going to get MORE BUTTER? They're going to STICK!
Careful ... CAREFUL! I said be CAREFUL! You NEVER listen to me when u're
cooking! Never! Turn them! Hurry up! Are you CRAZY? Have you LOST your
mind? Don't forget to salt them. You know you always forget to salt them.
Use the salt. USE THE SALT! THE SALT!"

The wife stared at him. "What the hell is wrong with you? You think I
don't know how to fry a couple of eggs?" The husband calmly replied,
"I wanted to show you what it feels like when I'm driving!!"

song of the day :nihaal ho gayi....amazing lyrics by prasoon joshi

learn to keep faith....against all odds

2008-09-24T09:19:00.003-07:00

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florid a , a little
boy
decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In
a
hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving
behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not
realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator
was swimming toward the shore.

His father, working in the yard, saw the two as they got closer
and
closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to
his
son as loudly as he could.
Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn
to
swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father,
the
alligator reached him.

From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just
as
the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war
between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but
the father was much too passionate to let go.
A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from his
truck, took aim and shot the alligator.
Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy
survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the
animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his father's
fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son he
loved.

The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma,
asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs.
and
then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my
arms.
I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Dad
wouldn't
let go."
You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too.
No,
not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those
scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But, some wounds,
my
friend, are because God has refused to let go. In the midst of your
struggle, He's been there holding on to you.

todays song is from enchanted.....thats how you know....i love the words of this song...and of course patrick dempsey is a bonus ;)

carrots....egg...coffee beans

2008-09-17T09:53:00.002-07:00

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners.
She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl.
She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.
Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.
Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see." "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft.

The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity -- boiling water.

Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

so finally we decide how we deal with life....does life change us or we change our life :)

song of the day :
(excellent dance by madhuri and prabhudeva....a treat to watch)

spreadin smiles :)

2008-09-16T09:50:00.002-07:00

nice moments in life: (this mail made me smile)
* To fall in love.

* To laugh until it hurts your stomach.

* To listen to your favorite song in the radio.

* To go to bed and listen to the rain outside.

* To clear your last exam.

* To receive a call from someone, you don't see a lot, but you want to.

* A good conversation with a sweet person.

* To find money in a pant that you haven't used since last year .

* To laugh at yourself looking at mirror, making faces.

* Calls at midnight that last for hours.

* To laugh without a reason.

* To accidentally hear somebody say something good about you.

* To wake up and realize its still possible to sleep fr a couple of
hours.

song of the day: