Shaken & Stirred

An old man with an old tattered photograph in his hand was shunned by the common folk who walked the streets near Mumbai Central station about their jobs & their lives... he wanted to know if someone had seen his son... he didn't know if he would ever see him and still he searched on asking everyone he met if they had seen his beloved son who had left him years ago to defend a nation ever so proudly...

A mother was left abandoned on the gates of a medical practitioner's clinic by her children because she had become a burden on them - she was a cripple. She was left behind in the bitter cold of Delhi's winters and as she dragged herself really shocked wondering if this is what she had taught her children to become, she disappeared into the darkness of the lanes. I was there that evening passing by the shop next to that clinic and the shopkeeper told me about her. I saw her pass by in absolute silence - she looked like she could be from a middle class family. Nobody saw her ever since.

A little girl was sent with a man she hardly knew, married off to a man three times her age. She was brought to an alien land and sold off to another bidder as a 'virgin' bride. Why this betrayal she wondered... she didn't even know what or who to ask? She was now trapped forever in this web and years hence she doesn't even recollect what her name used to be & she doesn't remember where she came from. But this one time when she was being sent off for the nth time sitting quietly, looking way older than the 24 years of her life, in the 2nd class compartment of a train... the train began to near the hills of a tea-growing valley and some scent stirred inside her soul and made her cry.

Some stories I witnessed in my life and I don't think will ever recover from. I wrote these instances down the time when I witnessed them...only a few minutes of my life but it left a lasting impression.

Garage shutter makeover

On my short trip to India I was handed a project after my own heart! This large garage shutter was a canvas waiting to be splashed with paints... it was quite a challenge to paint on a surface that was irregular plus I used the unfamiliar medium of emulsion paints! I had a wonderful time creating this mural. The 6 lotuses represent the total number of people in the family & the sun represents the blessings of their ancestors upon them. As and when new members join the family, I will be adding more lotuses to the mural. 

:-)

Some amazing shots captured by Sakhenbi

An offering to the Gods

Drying out the yarns on heavy wooden poles

Looking out!

Stacks of bamboo baskets that hold anything form clothing to dried fermented fish!

And goes without saying that a cuppa tea is absolutely necessary!

These beautiful shots were taken by Sakhenbi on our trip to Imphal in 2010! 

Families!

Some families are enormous, some are really small

but no matter what size, its the same for them all!

Families are dads, that frown & say - we didn't do such things back in the days..

that shirts too bright... the skirt's far too tight

now give me the name of the people with whom you are going out tonight!'

Families are moms, who flap & fuss, 'Hurry up, get ready or you'll miss the school bus!

Straighten your tie, tidy your hair...

how come you always have nothing decent to wear!'

Families are brothers, who taunt & tease,

and stand up for you against all the bullies...

They think they are bigger & better than you

and far more important are the things that they need to do!

Families are sisters who share all your things...

your clothes, your shoes, your books, CDs & earrings...

They use all your perfume & wear your jeans even if they are tight..

and will always stay up with you all through a heart broken night!

And as time passes & the families continue to grow

The story remains pretty much the same wherever we go...

I'm lucky to have a family as huge as it is

And each year there's always someone more to add to the family list!

Aarrgghhh...switch off the lights!

It's interesting to sometimes observe how our minds take us so swiftly from one thought to another, often without even the slightest realisation that we have moved from one topic far away to another realm all together!
I was reading about the increase in VAT prices and this quickly took me to price rise in many stores across the city. Well essentially speaking the price rise isn't as drastic as I thought it was going to be. A big store I know has increased prices, for example from £1.95 to £1.99. And whilst I was thinking of the store, my mind drifted to how the main lights inside that store get switched off 30 minutes after the store shuts for business each night and leaves only a couple of emergency lights on or lights are on where people are working to fix lights, displays, etc. Then I recollected a bus ride a while ago through the heart of London city. Almost all the office buildings I saw along the way had lights switched on. I thought perhaps there may be people who worked late there... so I squinted my eyes in hope to find some flustered employees working frantically at their desks... of course there wasn't anyone there! Entire floors of empty desks & chairs and floors & floors of lights for ghosts I'm guessing because they won't be able to find their way in the dark perhaps! And its not just one or two buildings... there are so m any office buildings across London that leave their lights on. It's appalling the way so many of these corporate buildings waste so much energy for god only knows what reason. So much for corporate responsibility!!!!! Whilst eco-activists and even many energy companies are trying desperately to spread awareness amongst the population, these big & not so big corporates seem to be living on another planet... besides its not their job to save the planet, right?!
This topic has been the pea in the mattresses of my mind!! Its so freaking annoying. We watched this program on current tv quite a while ago about these eco-warriors who went around Paris switching off unncessary lights in shops & office buildings... I think more of this is needed unless of course companies become more eco-conscious & only keep switched on whats necessary. The world could do with less light pollution!
Darkness is as essential to our biological welfare, to our internal clockwork, as light itself. —Verlyn Klinkenborg
Of course I started thinking about light pollution. Its been years since people have been talking about switching off lights inside their homes when not in use... I recollect TV ads back in the 80s & 90s that used to promote this awareness in India! If we can switch off lights at home when we aren't in that room, why can't we do it at our work places? Is it because we don't pay the bills for these commercial/work places? But then ultimately we will all pay the price of this unchecked light bill!

PLEASE SWITCH OFF AFTER YOURSELF AT WORK & ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO DO THE SAME!!!!!

Tintin's birthday

It's my older nephews birthday today & we nicknamed him Tintin as he graced this planet on the date that one of the most famous & loved private detective Tintin also celebrates his birthday. The comic character has been our family's favourite ever since we first laid our eyes on the first Tintin comic book or graphic novel as they are now called. And the same goes for my nephew... we all just fell in love with him from the first moment. He's 11 now & I find it so amazing that so many years have passed. He used to be the most adorable baby with his little button nose and his cute mannerisms. Today he's a strapping 5' 6'' tall and as awkward as any pre-teenager can be. He may not hug us as much anymore or respond to all our strange cutesy weird nicknames we call him but he will always be the first whom we all fell in love with.
Sourab Banerjee, we love you so much.
And then Mihir came soon after Sourab... and now its hard to decide who was a cuter baby... Mihir is like cherry pie, ice-cream, honey & cream... oh dear...  I love my nephews :-)
Happy Birthday Sourab for 10th January & Mihir for 21st January!!!!

Love... Always.

Food travels!

Visiting India after such a long gap was a much needed break and it was also an experience that was a treat for all of one's senses! It was the most amazing culinary experience. From the spicy ghee dripping parathas of Northern India to the typical fauji mess-style food and the simplistic Meitei cooking...and to add to all of this lots of lovingly made home cooked food everywhere we went. Each morsel was a culinary journey.

The mouth watering ghee-dripping, high calorie, aromatic Dhaba food along a highway in Northern India

Shatabdi express (train) served all this - a neatly packed vegetarian sandwich, a samosa, some sweets & I don't recollect what the thing was in that red packet. It was all very neatly packed & service was amazing which was a great experience considering the not so great experience on Jet airways!!

Tenowanbi

This variety of beans I've so far only come across in north eastern states of India. Its eaten raw in salads & has a delightful crunchy taste. It goes amazingly well with a paste that's made with fermented fish or ngaari and it tastes heavenly if you're into that sort of thing! :-)

One can never go wrong with deep fried fresh water fish

Singju - It's the manipuri equivalent of a salad but is 99% of the time way too fiery for the non-north eastern palate! The 1% is for children and tourists! It's incredibly healthy, crunchy and full of flavours. If you haven't had singju in Manipur, you've pretty much missed the plot! 

And some more fried little fish which were bought from the local fish market in Dimapur, Nagaland... perhaps fresh catch from the nearby river?! I can assure you, it was delicious!  

The Brahmans or Bamons in Meitei culture traditionally prepare the feast for all ceremonial or religious occasions. They have a penchant for making food taste heavenly even without such ingredients like ginger, garlic & onion and even meat and fish. Each dish they prepare is a testimony to an extraordinary culture that spans hundreds of years that is featured in a place as epic as the Mahabharata and in modern equestrian sport. 

And the countless cups of tea daily... so many cups shared over so many thoughts, joys, laughter & pain.
Next destination : Dimapur, Nagaland - the land of mysterious tribes & magical traditions!

Walking through a local market in Dimapur

The amazingly sweet & colourful maize corn that's commonly found in the northeastern states of India

Bhoot Jholakiya/ ghost chillies/ Oomorok... whatever you'd like to call it... it doesn't temper the hotness of this chilli variety... tread..i mean taste with care!!

Fat juicy silk worms... high in protein & apparently very yummy.. nope..I didn't try it! 

So green...so greeennnnnnn

Bee pupae still in their honeycombs

Dried fresh water fish of all possible varieties

Dimapur & Nagaland in general was full of delectable surprises. As is with every ancient tribal or ex-tribal society, there's an interesting mix of flavours and characters in the local cuisine. Dimapur has some fantastic restaurants that'll even surprise the seasoned restaurateur. 

 Raj Kachori Chaat at Gangaur in Kolkatta. Kolkatta street-style food is the bestest everrrrr!!!!! When visiting Kolkatta, one must sample all the amazing street food you get there - puchka, jhaal-muri, dahi chaat, momos, chowmein, rolls... yum yum drool drool

The classic egg-chicken roll from Nizams! 

If one begins to write about the varieties of cuisines one can find in India, one would run out of pages. Each cuisine from each region is distinct and an extraordinary experience. I'm sure I'll still have plenty to write about Indian regional cuisines in the days to come... till then Bon Apettit!!