Of Cabbages And Kings
Just another WordPress.com weblogIts almost a year since I updated my blog
So much of time goes in travelling that Ive neglected my blog. After Chandigarh, this time last year, its been Rajasthan and Orissa, Mumbai, a fortnight at Zambia. A month at Cochin. A wonderful office meet at Kodai. And now its been more than a month at Delhi. So many photographs to upload, so many thoughts to put down. I think I will start with the photographs…
Coming soon:
Will be adding posts on Food at Istanbul… those who asked for the same are going to be very disappointed when they read about my hunt for local food…..
Enroute to Istanbul
- Flying over the mountains of Anatolia
17th January 2009:
Its a little more than a week, actually, since we landed here. Time has flown in a kalediscope of color, sights, cold breezes hitting you and surprisingly, very little sound.
My part of the trip started badly: 10 kg excess baggage at Banglaore and Emirates said it would cost Rs1300 per Kg. My laptop was already starting to hurt my shoulders and there was no way I could carry anything else as handbaggage. Luckily a colleague came to the rescue and I checked in along with one of them who had a larger baggage allowance. And as he was caught in traffic, we checked in a few minutes before the counter closed. By the time we cleared security and emigration, boarding had been called!
Once on the flight, it was comfortable. I didnt get the window seat I wanted but it was okay as I watched movies back to back and then dozed a little.
After landing at Dubai, I walked the lenght of the Duty free, grateful to find a cart to keep my laptop and my jacket as by now it was warm and the jacket a burden. I finally my colleagues from Chennai, browsing the chocolate shops.
This is a new terminal exclusively for Emirates, and so far it is not as well stocked as the other Dubai duty free shops at the old terminal. Hopefully it will get better. There was just one shop for electronics, and we spend some time looking at the cameras. I decided to splurge and get one. All of us participated in camera selection and finally picked a very nice Panasonic. Im still trying it out, trying to get the settings right. Some of the movies I have taken are great, except that u also get to see the floor and hands and feet as I try to switch the viedo off! I need to try and edit them before putting them up on Orkut.
I also find that there are setttings to reduce the size of the picture while taking it, so that I can mail it.. As of now the pictures are large sized and I cant email so Ive put some n Orkut.
On the flight from Dubai to Istanbul, most people were sleeping. I couldnt sleep and walked up and down a little, chatting with a colleage , checking our route, noting that we were passing close to Baghdad. Suddenly I noticed something strage outside a window. We were somwhere near or over Syria, Damascus. Odd shaped clouds with streaks and lines. And then I realised these were mountains, covered in snow! It was an exciting sight. We started taking photographs. We also captured the sun setting mountains. Our pictures dont show the beauty of that sight.The mountains were awe inspiring! That hour of flight was unimaginable! I wonder what the Himalayas would be like as they must be taller, more majestic!
We landed at Istanbul about 20 mins behind schedule. As we moved to pick up our baggage, I tried to pull out a trolley from the line of trolleys parked near by. It wouldnt budge, inspite of all our efforts. We then found u had to insert a coin to release a trolley. Nothing is free, it seems! As we didnt have local currency, we shouldered our bags, and someone helped with one of my suitcases and we move out.
We found two taxis and started out to our guest house.
The Istanbul airport is in the European part of the city. Istanbul straddles two contintents, the only city in the world to do so. The river Bhosporous and the Sea of Marmara, divide (or connect?) the two part of the city. They flow from the Black Sea on the North to the Mediteranean which is south of Turkey. Istanbul is not on the Mediteranean. The climate, the culture are said to be more Balkan with its proximity to Hungary and Russia. A cosmopolitan place, but very few people speak English. Getting a cup of lemon tea at the office is a feat of sign language and slow, loud requests for “leemon’ and sua and tea bag (cay, pronounced luckily as chay).
Script is English and we are managing our work by patiently translating word by word into an online Turkish dictionary that I discovered. I have listed out key words like Runway (pist) and going through technical specifications is pure torture.
Some of the pronounciation is French, some German, some Persian. U get some easy stuff like Hisaab (Calculation, Accounts) too.
Back to my story.
On the way to the guesthouse: The ride seemed neverending. It was warm enough in the taxi. There were hundreds of multi storey buildings on the hills along the way,all packed together. We crossed the bridge over the Bhosporous and I held my breath at the thought of reaching such a historical spot. I craned my neck to see as much as possible, but as it was dark could just make out the lights of boats and ferries on the river.
Finally we reached the guest house. Got down to find it was raining (drizzling, but the water was ice cold). Grabbed hold of my bags and entered.
I think this mail should stop here, though Week 1 narrative is not over…. We are planning to go out as its a bright sunny day ( but cold winds are blowing too!)
will conculde this in mail 2.
If there is a Paradise on Earth…….
If one could ‘Not Die and Go to Heaven’, I think thats what Ive done.
Im at Chandigarh, have been here for a week now. And every morning while commuting to work, Im struck again by the serenity. Ita pleasure to go to work. Broad Roads, Greenery on either side, actually every shade of green u can imagine, and very pleasing to the mind and the eye. It took 4 days or me to hear a vehicle honking behind us. Traffic (non existent in the eyes of the Bangalorian) is disciplined. Lots of nice upmarket cars. The buildings we pass are a treat to look at. Nothing jarring or glaring or out of place, everything blends with the scenery, the roads.. The houses are gracious, aesthetically appealing, lots of brick and muted colors. No high rises. We stay in apartments at the outskirts, almost in Haryana, 2 large complexes, one being the Rail Vihar and the other the Army Flats. A fabulous Park within our complex, not that we get the time to bask in the Park. Well Basking is not a good option, its humid, at least 80 most of the time. But when it rains, its great.
There are Malls dotting the different planned sectors, and a market place inside each Sector. We have explored a few, and caught a movie at a very nice Theatre. At Sector 17, near our work place, is the City Centre, with Elegant shops and brands galore. The people we interact with at work, are softspoken, very polite, pro active. And this is a Government Department! Definitely my idea of Heaven: A blissful commute to work each day, peace and quiet and a client who gives you Data, what more could one ask for.
The one disappointment is, Chandigarh doesnt seem to be Punjab, at least, not the Butter Chicken in Ludhiana kind (that was one book I enjoyed!). Our cook at the Guest house makes basic UP food. And Im not able to find a convenient place for Dhaba type of food: Sarson Ka Saag, Maki Ki Roti, Rajma of the real kind. Im informed that its not Sarson season, but am trying to locate a nice place where i will get Parathas with Makkhan, and Baingan ka Bartha, and Palak Paneer, with a huge glass of Chaas. All the eateries I see are non Punjabi: Sindhi, Udipi !, and a KFC and a Mc Donalds. Definitely non Punjabi! Im informed that the items served at KFC and Macs, are Punjabi friendly!One of our new friends have recommended a vegetarian place in Sector 27, and we will try and find it on Saturday.
We also need to go to a Gurdwara or two, pray certainly, but definitely taste the Poori and Halwa served! We are just a couple of hours away from Simla, wish we had the time to drive there!
With so many distractions, its surprising I get any work done. But this is place is so charming, I come refreshed each morning and we put in long hours. Weekends are for exploring the town, the markets and of course carry on our search for Punjabi food!
Travails Without The Travel
I had a difficult day at work, and came home early, for a change. Its a lovely evening outside my window, and I should have just chilled out. But no, I had to decide to get tickets booked for a trip I need to make this weekend. I thought I should check out the train reservations first. I searched for the indian railways site, and finally found both an indian-railways@gov.in as well as irctc.co.in. I tried a dozen times to find out the different trains and timings to my planned destination. Each time I got the error message and couldnt open the page. Finally I turned to irctc. I thought, why not register, this could be useful whenever I need to book tickets online. I filled in the registration form, about 20 lines. Clicked submit.And wham, ‘this page cannot be displayed.
I checked all the settings I could, as well as my net connection. All hunky dory.
I filled in the form again. Clicked submit. Same result. I tried again, and again. Finally decided that this site is not registration friendly.
Went back to the homepage and tried the ‘Train between Metros’. Well, that page couldnt be displayed. Nor could the “Train between important stations’ be displayed.
I kept trying ways and means, tried google search, dogpile search, but now even irctc was not in a mood to be displayed.
Ive spent more than 2 hours, most unproductively. I could have read a book, listened to music, watched BBC Entertainment, gone to bed early….
Maybe I should try one more time. I do want to make that trip…..
Oh cuckoo shall I call thee bird, or but a wandering voice
May 1st was a holiday from official labours, and I was up early (8.30 on a holiday, is early) taking care of a few non official ones such as taking stock of my neglected kitchen.
Suddenly I heard the melodious song of the koel. I realised that this is first time this year that Ive heard the bird. Normally one would hear its plaintive voice in February. Maybe at Bangalore the bird is a far earlier riser than me. Or maybe the heat and dust have kept it at bay. I rushed to the balcony to see if could spot the bird. There was no tree anywhere near, the sky was a glaring blue. I dont know where voice came from, but I felt that everything would surely be glorious on a day that I heard my first koel of the year. Maybe summer has gone from Bangalore, and spring is finally here.
Of Bangalore Blues and other things
I was thrilled to learn that Vijay’s Bangalore Blues blog has been quoted in several and newspapers and the corresponding webeditions of Deccan Herald as well as on Indiatimes.
Thrilled because the blog expressed what many of us have been feeling, and someone out there took the trouble to present these views to all. Thrilled because Vijay initiated me into the joys of blogging. Thrilled because its nice to know blogs make a difference, people do care to share thoughts and feelings.
I also feel guilty. How often have I felt deeply about something which affects the public good (is there a public bad, by the way?) and felt that I must act, I must convey this danger or this problem to others. But before I can put mouse to blog, some thing or the other crops up and I postpone the thought of writing, and then the right time never comes.
Kudos Vijay for taking the time and trouble to write what you feel.
Maybe I will reform, and actually use my blog for its original purpose, to share thoughts and ideas. Maybe the moon is made of blue cheese. Maybe. But do Check out Vijay’s views on the Set Max telecast of the World cup, at Bangaloreblues.wordpress.com
Every city has its share of old books stalls. You never know what you will find in these treasure troves. Of course a lot of footpath space is now taken up by the numerous pirated books available at throw away rates. I keep giving unwanted advice to young friends who are tempted to buy these.
Many of the bookstalls have disappeared, but new ones spring up.
I have found some great stuff at Blossom bookshop at Bangalore. Travel books, fiction including long lost favorites, comics of all kinds. But the best finds were a series of books published by the Modern Library, on Food. One of these from which I am trying to read at least one essay per day, is a collection of essays from 60 years of writing in Gourmet magazine, edited by Ruth Reichl, editor in chief of Gourmet and editor of Modern Library Food series. A feast for the soul, the essays range from description of bistros in Paris, to mouth watering and unheard of flavours of chocolates, in fact, haute chocolaterie, to haute couture, Maxims, the vegetable market from which the great chefs in Paris source their greens and fruits… There is another book in the same series called Katish- I havent read it yet, but it seems to be about Russian cuisine. Another called Endless Feasts–I can hardly wait to start on that one! Once you get started on one of these books, you have to either make a beeline for the fridge or else put on an apron and start cooking. There are bits of verse, some recipies, ingredients for exotic dishes.. Now whenever I enter a bookshop I search for more of these. As good as reading ‘Chocolat’ or ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’.
I saw the movie first on a very boring Sunday when the name caught my eye in the TV listings for the day. And then I found the book. Fried Green Tomatoes even has some great recipies at the end of the book, all centred around, of course, Green tomatoes. Ive always added chopped green tomatoes to salads when I get around to making them, but this book opened up so many new possibilities.
Salads are good therapy when life is too hectic and you need to unwind. You can’t really think of anything else, when you are busy chopping tomatoes and red cabbage and white and red radish and green and red and yellow peppers, trying to keep the pieces evenly sized and conscious that you have a family member whos been a trainee chef and who looks down her nose at veggies not properly chopped or diced or whatever the exact terminology is.
Sometimes I think I enjoy the making more than the eating. The pleasure in creating the perfect dish is immense. Or maybe not so perfect, but still getting you rave reviews from a hungry family and from freinds happy to get at taste of home food.
A Plea for Unadulterated Food — Or Wine. The Problem was not new, it was there centuries ago:
Ralph Waldo Emerson. 1803–1882
BACCHUS
Bring Me WINE
But wine which never grew In the belly of the grape,
Or grew on vine whose tap-roots,
reaching through Under the Andes to the Cape,
Suffer’d no savour of the earth to ’scape.
Let its grapes the morn salute
From a nocturnal root,
Which feels the acrid juice Of Styx and Erebus;
And turns the woe of Night,
By its own craft, to a more rich delight.
We buy ashes for bread;
We buy diluted wine;
Give me of the true,
Whose ample leaves and tendrils curl’d
Among the silver hills of heaven
Draw everlasting dew;
Wine of wine,
Blood of the world,
Form of forms,
and mould of statures,
That I intoxicated,
And by the draught assimilated,
May float at pleasure through all natures;
The bird-language rightly spell,
And that which roses say so well:
Wine that is shed Like the torrents of the sun Up the horizon walls,
Or like the Atlantic streams, which run When the South Sea calls.
Water and bread,
Food which needs no transmuting,
Rainbow-flowering,
wisdom-fruiting,
Wine which is already man,
Food which teach and reason can.
Wine which Music is,
— Music and wine are one,
— That I, drinking this,
Shall hear far Chaos talk with me;
Kings unborn shall walk with me;
And the poor grass shall plot and plan
What it will do when it is man.
Quicken’d so, will I unlock
Every crypt of every rock.
I thank the joyful juice
For all I know;
Winds of remembering Of the ancient being blow,
And seeming-solid walls of use
Open and flow.
Pour, Bacchus! the remembering wine;
Retrieve the loss of me and mine!
Vine for vine be antidote,
And the grape requite the lote!
Haste to cure the old despair;
Reason in Nature’s lotus drench’d—
The memory of ages quench’d—
Give them again to shine;
Let wine repair what this undid;
And where the infection slid,
A dazzling memory revive;
Refresh the faded tints,
Recut the agèd prints,
And write my old adventures with the pen Which on the first day drew,
Upon the tablets blue,
The dancing Pleiads and eternal men.
Funny poetry
Check out this site, its called: gigglepoetry.com
The site says its funny poetry for kids, so I guess Im very young indeed. I was reading a set of poems under the category Tall Tales. Nice way to end a long work day.
