I feel like a mumbling idiot at Starbucks Coffee...literally. I am sorry Starbucks, I am not a regular at your stores, nor do I know exactly what I want the moment I walk in. Call me slow, but I need to go through the huge menu you have, figure out if I want a latte, a cappuccino, an espresso, a frappuccino, chai latte or a Tall, Grande or Venti size (wait a second, isn't that Italian? Of course I am smart enough to figure out which is which from the price tag but I need a moment). Please tell the person taking my order not to look at me like I descended from some alien spaceship that doesn't speak their language (whaaaat...you don't have a favorite?). I also think your drinks are overpriced although there is a distinct coolness to walking out with a starbucks or just lounging around in the store arising from the aforesaid pricey-ness.
Thank you but I am good with my humble instant Nescafe coffee.
If any of you don't believe me, there is a whole page dedicated to this at http://www.wikihow.com/Order-at-Starbucks. Really??
P.S: Pliss to = Cheesy way of saying "Please"
For the last few weeks now, I have been tucking myself in bed to the sound of ecstatic birds and the crash of strategically placed pieces of glass, wood and concrete. There is also the intermittent mutter of disgust, disappointment and occasionally grunt of grim satisfaction. In case you have not figured it out yet, the wife has fallen for the latest mobile game craze - angry birds.
Just so we are clear, my wife is no gamer. But for some reason angry birds has awakened her hidden urge to destroy egg-stealing hogs. So what is it that causes a person, who otherwise has disdain for all forms of gaming, to actually be addicted to one themselves?
There obviously is no formula, otherwise I'd be rich now, but I'd argue that we are now in a position where it is actually possible to create these mass-market game hits. There have been a lot of people making numerous breakthroughs before my wife could take immense pleasure in hurling birds at remorselessly idle pigs.
Availability: In the beginning gaming required that you have a desktop and no human friends. Or have a Playstation and know other people that had no friends. With the smart phone, now having a life is not detrimental to imaginary achievements. Zynga discovered this and has been unbelievably successful (hint Farmville). Mobile games take accessibility to a whole new level.
Believability: "Here, see this triangle - imagine that is a inter-Galactic fighter". Luckily we don't have to do that anymore. There is no need to appeal to the inner child - things in games look as they are supposed to. This isn't photo realism, and it is not expected to be. When the inexplicably flightless birds are raring to hurl themselves, you almost want to help them out. And that has involved a vast number of improvements - experience in making games to enough processing power to support it. Without the 1GHz processors in our mobiles, games would still be leaving a lot to the imagination.
Relateable: Getting things to seem natural is a very difficult task. Cause and effect, it seems, is not that easy with bits and bytes. Early games had to invent arcane rules to compensate. And keeping track of those rules led to the creation of the stereotypical nerd with his glasses and rule books. Angry birds is quite different. It has a flawlessly simple, natural physics engine that responds differently to even minute differences in action. That suddenly makes the game an extension of what people recognize otherwise - making it vastly more relateable.
"I finally understand Civil engineering ... and where to hit to cause the most damage" - this from my wife getting more proficient with her birds. And that is the crux of a good game. All she cares about are the birds, the physics and the app. Hiding the simple fact from my wife, that she is playing a game, has been the biggest success of angry birds. There is a lot that needs to happen, technologically, to be able to achieve that sleight of hand. I think we are there now. Which is why as I am writing this, it still sounds like a war zone in the next seat.
- For how you stay awake in the morning after the alarm goes off, just to make sure I wake up on time while I try to pretend the alarm never rang
- For how you don’t get mad or don’t even scream at me even though I made you late for many a 8 am meeting, some of them with your boss
- For how you are not vindictive towards anybody
- For how respectful you are towards everyone, no matter their position
- For how you are not obsessed with money and that you believe so strongly in the concept of karma and always want to give back more than what you have received from the universe
- For always how people from different cultures and age groups think you are cool and fun to hang out with
- For indulging all my cousins
- For how much my family loves you
- For how much your family looks up to you
- For the great relationship you have with your brother and how much you mentor him
- For being so amazing with kids and how much they love you instantly
- For being so excited about trying out new things
- For just being so patient when I am being plain obnoxious
- For introducing me to the wonderful world of movies and Battlestar Galactica
- For your photographs!!
- For being so creative and introducing me to the world of blogs & blogging.
- For being a jack of all trades – writing, art, tech, mech, photograpy, cooking everything
- For letting me be such a child sometimes
- For teaching me that shouting is not the way to get your work done or voice heard and that a smile goes a long way
- For making me learn that it is okay to let go sometimes
- For making me less stuck up, less prudish and just more fun
- For giving me the chance to travel so many fun, interesting places with you
- For showing me how to appreciate the simple pleasures of life and be thankful
- For indulging my crazy ever growing shoe collection
- For praising how wonderful my cooking is even if I just microwaved a frozen store bought meal (Can any woman get luckier??)
- For making me a special doughnut uttapam when I was not feeling well
- For making such wonderful dosas, sambhar & aloo masala :)
R stumbled upon this hobby when he started traveling extensively for work few years ago...I am not much of a collector but who knew that the ubiquitous magnet could be such a great story teller? Now no magnet goes on the fridge without my nod of approval! We usually buy a magnet that most represents a place or reminds us of something special like a view or an activity we enjoyed in that place. It makes for wonderful memories and doubles up as a great conversation starter when friends come over.
My favorites are a Scottish bagpipe that plays "Scotland the Brave" , a flip-flop from Florida, a bunch of magnets reminding us of our wonderful honeymoon in Malaysia, a huge red lobster from Maine and a San Francisco cable car with tiny passengers inside. I will let the pictures do the talking...
One side effect though is that our fridge doors are jam packed with these tiny story-tellers and creak every time I open them. Soon we will need to buy a new fridge coz we aint stoppin' travelin' baby!
There is not much that can be said about Vegas, that has not been said before. But having been there fore the first time last week, it is almost worth repeating it all over again. Vegas is simultaneously an embodiment to the success of human endeavor while being a symbol of the excesses that the very same success can bring about.
Vegas is a large city, the most populous in all of Nevada with more than half a million people. Yet when one talks about Vegas, one refers to the 4 mile stretch of land that lies just north of the airport - the Vegas strip - which is home to the probably the heaviest concentrations of hotels, casinos and other tourist attractions. And nowhere is the sharp contrast of a place and its surroundings more palpable than this stretch of land in Vegas. One could argue that the Manhattan in New York presents such a dramatic study in contrasts. But unlike the purity of Vegas, Manhattan is more of a mixed, fluid form of excess. In New York, you will see the worker squeeze past the tourist, the eye-sore next to the latest high-rise.
Vegas doesn't brook such differences. Everyone there is present for just one goal - to have fun. And no matter what that definition of fun is, Vegas is glad to cater to it. Once you are on the strip, it is difficult to imagine and world outside that has other, different demands.
Las Vegas is situated in a desert. One has to but drive a couple of miles east of the strip to see the hard baked earth and its thorny vegetation. On the strip however, the hotels do not even have the small card that says "Save water if you can - reuse towels". Forget conservation, but the lack of acknowledgment of the realities of its location is the cloak that Vegas cheerfully covers itself in, in its pursuit of fun.
The hotels are another study by itself. What would you say of the Venetian, a hotel that borrows so heavily from Italian architectural elements, shamelessly pandering gondola rides to the masses. Do you decry the death of a certain royalty with the jean clad in the marbled halls of the hotel, or do you stand in adoration of the gaudy tribute to the times of yore? What about the tropical forest in the middle of the Flamingo hotel - worry about the waterfalls or just enjoy the paradise walled in concrete?
When a place deviates from its natural center, there are always repercussions. The fact that Vegas has been able to take us so far from reality, for so long, is in itself a tribute to a certain obstinate inertia of human nature. I loved our time at the Sin City, but in a time of duress, it does well to reflect upon the nature of extremes. And no place to do that better, than Fabulous Las Vegas!
Ever wondered what is the perfect distance for you to hold open a door for someone? Its a no-brainer if someone is right behind you - you obviously don't want to smash their noses. Now imagine someone is a bit far off, perhaps enjoying a chat with their friend on their way out from work and you hold open the door as a courtesy and they suddenly realize they need to rush towards the door, with their 3 different bags in tow, friend be damned. By the time they reach you, they are huffing and puffing and muttering thanks to you. Or NOT. And here you stand wondering puhleez...why cant that lady walk faster...I am not the doorman!! It happens to me practically everyday at work and some people are smart enough to say..."Go on" but most of the time, the door holder aka me and the "holdee" are grinning sheepishly at each other. I dont want people to think I am rude...Anybody else have this situation?
The dinner's made early for a change and I thought let me go post ...so came back from work, stood with the refrigerator door open with no particular intention, as I usually do, wondering what to cook today. There was some leftover rice enough for two. No leftover daal though...hmm..that might be a problem. Veggie tray had a raw mango and two capsicums. Voila! Raw Mango Rice (aka Mamidikaya Pulihora) & Capsicum Besan (Gram Flour) curry. Weird combo, some might say. There is no particular reason why I paired these two things together.. just didnt have anything else left in the fridge :)
So, hubby is a huge fan of chaldi annam (leftover cold cooked rice) be it tamarind rice, lemon rice or raw mango rice and did I mention huge fan? Turns out its pretty easy to please hubby. This type of rice preparation is the perfect solution for leftovers and is really quick & easy to make. The Capsicum besan was something my mom used to make - its super easy and tastes great with roti.
The recipes are suitable for 2 servings...please adjust accordingly for more. For the curry, you will need:
2-3 medium sized capsicums/green bell peppers, chopped medium
1 medium onion, finely chopped
Besan (Gram Flour)...I use 1-2 tbsp for each capsicum as a rule of thumb
1/2 tsp Jeera (Cumin Seeds)
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder (optional/adjust to liking)
1-2 tsp Dhaniya (Coriander) powder
Salt, to taste
1-2 tbsp Oil, for cooking
Heat oil in a Kadhai (Indian wok)/skillet. Add cumin seeds till they sizzle and start turning brown. Add onions and saute till golden brown. Add the capsicum, salt & turmeric powder and cover to cook. Make sure you reduce the heat to medium. Once covered, capsicum will release its water. If you think its getting dry and may burn, add a little water. Keep checking & stirring intermittently. In about 7-10 mins (adjust based on your cooking range times), the capsicum should be fully cooked. Check by pressing a piece on a ladle - it should feel soft but not mushy. Now we are ready to add the other ingredients! Add the red chilli & dhaniya powders. These should always be added at the end when your main vegetable is cooked as the powders may burn & impart a bitter taste to the dish. Fry for a minute. Now add the besan and let it coat the veggie surface evenly. Add a little bit of oil if you want and let the besan cook for 2-3 mins on low heat till it turns golden brown. Check for salt and the curry is ready to serve! Tastes great with roti.
For the rice, you will need:
1 cup of raw rice, cooked
1 raw mango, medium to large. Peel & grate.
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
7-8 curry leaves
1-2 green chillies, slit/finely chopped (optional)
1 inch piece ginger, finely chopped (optional)
2-3 tbsp roasted peanuts
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
A pinch of asafoetida
Salt, to taste
1-2 tbsp Oil, for cooking
Prep the rice. This is the most important step. If you cooked the rice just before preparing pulihora, make sure you spread the rice to cool so that each grain is separate. Add salt, mix evenly taking care not to break the rice grains. A trick that I picked up from my MIL is if you are in a hurry, cook the rice alongwith the salt & turmeric powder. If using left over rice, I usually microwave the rice by sprinkling water on the rice and keeping a wet paper towel on top - makes it perfect every time!
Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add mustard seeds. Once they pop, add urad dal. Once reddish brown, add curry leaves, green chillies & ginger. Fry for about 30 seconds and then add roasted peanuts. If cooking for leftover rice, add the turmeric powder now and let the peanuts fry for another 30 seconds. Add the asafoetida. Once it gives off a nutty butter like smell, add the grated raw mango. Cover & cook for 2-3 minutes till it changes color. It shouldn't be raw but at the same time should not be overcooked which makes it mushy. Shut the heat off and you are ready to add this mixture to the cooked/leftover rice. Now it all comes down to the mixing....my MIL suggests to mix it with love...trust me, it really does works wonders! :) Let it stand for 5-10 minutes and then dive in. Any type of leftover rice always tastes better the next day so you can prep a day in advance. One thing I have noticed in the raw mangoes here in US are they are not as tart as the ones we get back in India and are always on the sweeter side. To add that kick, I usually add a bit of lemon juice to the rice and that works pretty well too. For lemon rice, follow the exact same steps without the raw mango. Always add the lemon juice to the rice and not to the hot mixture as heat makes juice bitter.
Ah for the simple pleasures of life!!
When it comes to shopping, I subscribe to every one of the clichés and stereotypes. I do not like it at all. It is not that I am against buying stuff - by all means, buy. Spending money of stuff seems to be a pretty logically conclusion for all the time spent at work. But shopping is not buying.
I know, you know all this. But what precisely in the process of shopping made it so unbearable. It couldn't just be the lack of a purchase. I decided to investigate, and by careful measurements of my blood pressure during the many shopping trips devised by the significant other, I believe I have the answer - the twin syndromes of KICS & TOSS.
K.I.C.S - Kid in Candy Store Syndrome. This is the first reason I dislike shopping trips organized by the significant other. Shopping tends to be disorganized, random, driven by an effusion of emotive exclamations. "Ooh look at that, isn't that nice?" "Oh my God, who would ever buy that?". In other words, like a kid in a candy store.
Shopping, unlike buying, brings out the kid in the significant other. Any semblance of a plan disappears as soon as the we take the first breath of industrial controlled air. Instead we seem follow the rough path taken by a bee as it searches for honey. And in place of the sweet nectar, we seem to be searching for, well, nothing. Sometimes it is a bright color, other times it is a sale tag. A bee has a better chance of finding blooming flower in the dead of winter, than our shopping party of finding a buy. Everything looks great, and nothing worth buying.
Now imagine we find something that looks good and is worth buying. The shopping trip shows a budding promise of turning into a successful buying trip. That is when the second syndrome kicks in.
TOSS - The Other Store Syndrome. The S.O. is convinced that the same items is available, cheaper or better quality or both in another store.
Before we know it we are shuttling back and forth between stores. The TOSS syndrome has successfully taken over, standing firmly between shopping and buying.
There was a time when shopping was synonyms with buying. Not today. In the age of infinite choice, the twin syndromes of KICS and TOSS conspire to keep any shopping trip from turning into a successful buying trip.
There is something about an IKEA that reminds me of the airport.
First of all, there is this massively multinational crowd. There are few places in the world where so many languages are crammed into so small a place. There are curious eastern tongues, interspersed with the lilting sounds of Nordic languages, punctuated by clipped Germanic sounds. The only English sounds one can hear, seem to be warning kids to behave themselves.
Secondly, everyone is spaced out - as if they were trying to see beyond what was directly in front of them. Airports, understandably, make folks want to be at their destination already. And at the IKEA, no one sees the products. Instead everyone is busy imagining everything they see, in their own places. Sometimes this brings on such ecstasy, that one has to jump out the way if one has the misfortune of being stranded between said ecstatic shoppers and their target.
Then there is the world-in-a-world nature of the IKEA itself. Just like the airport, everything you need to survive an entire day is available in the store itself. Food, rest and a purpose - available on every floor. But that is not the only similarity. Just like the airport, once you are in an IKEA, it is going to be a while before you are back in the parking lot again.
That said, there is one key difference between an IKEA and an airport. You can always find lone travelers that need to be in the airport on business. But in an IKEA, you always go in pairs. And never on business.
The movie, Karthik Calling Karthik, turned out to be an unexpectedly well made movie - with strong acting, good cinematography and a well-paced narrative, marred by relatively light characters and a weak ending. Directed by Vijay Lalwani, the movie is a departure from standard Bollywood fare of song-saturated extravaganzas, instead focusing on a story line that raises interesting questions about the role and impact of technology in today's changing world. Supporting a brooding Farhaan Akhtar in the lead role as the movie's namesake, Deepika Padukone delivers a peppy performance as his love interest.
SPOILER ALERT! Ending not given away, but discussed
The movie is about Karthik (Farhaan) a brilliant yet deeply flawed character who is altogether invisible in his own life. He dreams of wooing a successful architect Shonali (Deepika), who works in his office, while utterly failing to keep his home or job. When all seems lost he begins receiving phone calls that seem to hold the key to reversing his luck - from none other than himself.
Buoyed by the unexpected source of support, Karthik is not only able to get his job back, but turns up his confidence to win over Shonali. Everything turns around on a dime. Admittedly such a transformation is difficult to portray during the course of a movie, but the original portrayal of the character was so starkly incompetent that the reversal wasn't quite believable.
This all, however, comes crashing down quickly once Karthik does the one thing disallowed by the voice on the phone - reveal its existence to anyone. Annoyed by the betrayal, the voice on the phone turns rogue destroying everything it helped create, forcing Karthik to flee everything to a place without a telephone. As he tries to piece together a new life, circumstances conspire to make Karthik confront the voice on the phone one last time.
The movie uses a series of subtle clues throughout that help tie it together, but are a dead giveaway of the ending. The unsolved rubik's cube acts as a portent of Karthik's state of mind. There is a good use of color and saturation, cleverly reflecting the mood of the scene. And the pace of narrative is consistent through out, flitting easily between humorous, scary and tense.
All in all, if you like psychological thrillers this movie is a must watch. Even if you don't - Karthik Calling Karthik is a great option to keep you up and interested for two and a half hours.
Yesterday was a particularly unfortunate start to an otherwise respectable mid-western summer day. That let to this...
gloomy morning haze
unexpected break in clouds
day comes back to life
Second, and last, haiku from the archives. Came to me late one evening at the office...
spring winter summer
fall, carpet halls unnoticed
vacuum cleaners scream
So I am the hubby. And I have been told to keep my geeky self to myself, and my own blog and instead be - well - less geeky and more creative here. So I promptly dug through my files to pick up the last time I was ever creative, back in 2003, and bring you my Haiku from the archives.
silent whispers
falling winter snow on me
wet cotton candy
Thank you!
Cant seem to get enough of blogging!
Two of my dearest friends were blessed with beautiful baby girls this week! Congratulations to M&H and PS & SS for their cute little bundles of joy! Parenthood beckons...
Cant wait for the pics!
So here I am...Bugs...a blogosphere novice, if you will. I thought its only fair that the first post should be about why I wanted to have a blog!
- My blog is mostly just an excuse to ramble...as my hubby NRK (btw he calls me Bugs and its my most favorite name in the world) says I am a natural tweeter. Just to clarify things, I dont have a Twitter account so I mostly pain him.
- I always had this secret fascination with writing and I want to explore if anyone would be willing to read what I write!
- I want to get back in touch with my friends and family...not orkut/facebook type but i-know-whats-going-on-in-bugs'-life-and-mind get back in touch
- I have recently started reading a lot of blogs and it is helpful and inspiring to know there are so many people out there who have similar situations, wants, needs, struggles and aspirations. A random thought from someone can make your day sometimes.
- I want to chronicle all my insignificant & significant life events and thoughts because one day these will be cherished memories. Why not a journal, you ask? Trust me, I tried...hubby gave a beautiful leather bound journal for my 31st birthday (there, you know my age now) but my finger just wouldn't make legible letters on it anymore and what's with not allowing backspaces I say?
- I think the blog will force me to think and focus on things I am dabbling in...cooking & meditation. Before you get too excited and start scouring my blog for tips & advice, I have justttt started.
Uh oh...Too many I's there..that can't be good.