VIBGYOR

Finally some thoughts

If I have been silent for a few days, it was only because a few things at work and at life kept me occupied.

Since mid of April, I have managed the following....

• finished 3 books based in 3 different countries (White Tiger, An Artist of the Floating World, Garlic and Sapphires and am half way through the fourth one (one I have blogged about, the two others I wanted to write about but found that Parmanu had stolen his book back, I have just repicked up the fourth one about the coffee)
• finished a part of the painting and hung it up in the kitchen wall... the part I painted it looks like a patchwork quilt but I am inspired by the contemporary art exhibition I visited last weekend to put up strange concepts even if the painting does not look professional enough (yes, there is a pending post on that too as soon as I get the pictures out of Parmanu's camera)
• hosted brunch for 50 people
• set up a group for weinfest visit in the Pflaz on May 2-nd
• had people over for dinner last weekend

and finally, I ate like crazy and gained 4 kilos and I am not joking here. Whatever seems to happen I cannot seem to stop eating. Now I am sitting on the chair after a light dinner of chocolate milk and fruit after which I felt hungry and so had a heavy dinner of chicken curry, rice and pickle - there went all my resolutions not to eat!

 To finish off, let me reply to Nancy's tag before she gives up on me. I have to write about something that comes to my mind with numbers one to 10.

• 1 - 1 rupee coin - my pocket money for many years given to me only on the Vishu day
• 2 - trying to pronounce "deux" on late evening and subsequently many days after and still not knowing how to actually say it
• 3 - the number of children one of my grandmothers had  
• 4 - 4-th Std when I won the best girl child artist of Kerala award after which I stopped painting actively except cards to relatives for the next 2 years
• 5 - number of handbags I had before I bought the last 2 and got one more free
• 6 - my age when my material grandmother died - the events stand out so vividly
• 7 - the number I had to relearn how to write after coming to Europe so as not to confuse with 1 - Europeans write it with a dash in the middle
• 8 - the maximum number of years I have had a home in a place which I visit at least every other weekend - the one in Germany - beaten only by Chennai (and even there we shifted apartments in between) - the average before that has been 2.5 years - a true vagabond! perhaps that explains my two year itch
• 9 - 3*3
• 10 - the number of years I have been married.

Reappearing old habits

There is nothing like discovering old habits again. Last few days have seen me take up my reading again - perhaps the new atmosphere at home helps. It helped to also get into the habit with a book on a food critic. It inspired many flavours in my mouth, inspired a couple of posts based on food and inspired me to collect a group of people interested in tasting exotic food for a project conceived in the middle of this book.

Garlic and Sapphires started off very well for me. Yet, as Ruth Reichl plodded in and out of exotic and high end restaurants, I started asking myself - well, isn't she getting a bit like the person she did not like as she described in the beginning? I was heartened to see her come to the same conclusion - yet, there was something very flippant and not very respectful tone in the book for a lot of people. I felt a judgement being passed right from the beginning. She also saw me ask questions like "Are all restaurant critics disguised all the time? - it must be a very good target industry for the makeover industry.

So what kept me hooked to the book?

1. It was about food.
2. It talked about different type of restaurants in New York, different flavours used in the recipes of these restaurants giving a glimpse into what could be grown in each of these countries (perhaps many of the ingredients are same but just cooked differently)
3. There was just the joy of looking into the way restaurants are run and different ways in people who enjoy food really enjoy - the conflicting ways of enjoying....
4. The possibilities it opens up in cooking and eating - you realize there is a world out there of flavours and smells.... of ways of eating .... (on the first day I started reading about the Japanese food, I went to google to see how I should eat a Sushi - dipping the rice part into the soya sauce - Heavens! That is sacrilege - you always dip the fish part first! What is wonderful is that sushi can also be eaten with hands - clumsy chopstick handling wondering when the fish is going to land on my dinner companion's face could disappear in future...)
5. I now have a project ... more about it later.

She also touched on something that has been worrying me for sometime now. My ex-boss/ex-colleagues in my previous company used to tell me how I used to brighten up everyone's day by coming into work as if that was the biggest joy in the world. My good morning smile came as a refresher like Cuticura powder (ok... that was too tempting) and it made everyone relax. I am not sure that is the case anymore. Just as Ruth Reichl asked the question - it also started ringing some warning bells in my head. In a way she did make me think... whether she was talking about steaks and memories colouring the taste of the steak or about going into a restaurant to feel the bean soup in all the food only to realize it was all memories from when she visited the same building as a child when there was another restaurant in the same place. I wonder whether she ever thought it will have that effect on people...

So what book did I take up next? I am into the first few chapters of "The Various Flavours of Coffee" - about a person who starts in the morning for his job related to coffee business, thinks all day about having sex with the person he is working with and in the evening visits prostitutes. The book has so far been all about sex - coffee is thrown in just as a side incident. The author focuses solely on the "sex" related thoughts... and on sex-centric activities and suddenly realises - oh perhaps I should write about the topic in the title - switches to coffee and then is soon back into his favourite topic. He sure must have been a frustrated person. I went to the google to read some reviews on this and all said it is an amazing book. I am waiting for the improvement - I hope that the main character will soon think about some other topic and the author also thinks about other incidents.

Home sweet home...

This is a crib session is removed - thanks for all the support girls!!!!

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Frontline problem?

In 5 years I will be in India to vote!

About 6 months back a large democracy elected its new government. Tomorrow the world's largest one starts its elections.In the months preceding Sarah Palin's arrival and after the wariness about her set in, I heard more about issues being analysed in the press and how the elected would address these issues and find solutions. Even when alliances were discussed it was with respect to the views on issues faced by the country.

I am in page 23 of the latest frontline magazine-the election special on the election situation in India. I have so far come across 5 sentences on issues facing countries. All else is about why relationships between parties will not work because of problems between individuals or between parties. No reasons for the discord except very personal ones.

I hope the rest of the media deals more with how these parties have their manifesto set up to solve the burning troubles of people. Oh yes! There was one sentence "if there is a clear winner in this round of elections it is the promises to the poor. Be they the rising regional parties or the struggling national parties, all have on offer free power, cheap rice, health insurance for the poor, and much more."

Reminder

"Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music -- the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself."

--Henry Miller,
American writer

Eating out

"You should try this place around the corner. It has the best dinner in Brussels". I was being driven to Gare du Midi one Friday evening on my way to Germany. The taxi drivers in Brussels speak English - some with difficulty providing me to try my three words of French and some quite easily providing me with insights into immigrants lives or into some Brussels life in different strata of the society. So it was that as we crossed the intersection of Chaussée de Waterloo and Rue Washington, he gave this all sweeping comment about Hector's chicken.

I resolved then that I should end my self imposed exile from these joints which in my mind were fast food. Yet, my schedule and my laziness prevented me from walking out to one of these.

After a week of staying away from any serious non vegetarian except fish, I talked my husband to visiting this corner fast food with red signs proclaiming the chicken chef. As I ordered, a basket of chicken tenders was thrown into hot oil to fry itself out. I paid and picked up the bag and walked home in complete anticipation. Tripping over my saree in my hurry to reach home, I swore in impatience as the traffic lights turned red as we approached.

Perhaps it was the anticipation, perhaps it was the amazement that a fast food could really serve the best food in Brussels, I am afraid to say that Hector's chicken as only confirmed my view about oily deep fried chicken tenders and it will be sometime before I remove my lack of faith in fast food chicken fries joints.

Will I listen to recommendation from taxi drivers in future? - I think I will - you never know where there is a hidden gem.

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The other day I had been to Nespresso to get their new flavours. I had seen 5 new colours on the window of the Nespresso shop in Milan and my curiosity was aroused. So I took the liberty of a free Saturday morning to get my new flavours.

 

What caught my eye was Indriya from India. I had tasted their previous flavour from India when they had brought out the limited version. It had been too strong for me but there were others who had loved the strong coffee. The colour of the Rosabaya from Columbia caught my attention than any other feelings besides knowing that Columbia had a big coffee production. There was nothing of interest in the Dulsão though... I do not know why I was intrigued by this - perhaps because I did not know before about Brazilian coffee.

I also bought 2 packs of the lungo new varieties. Again, I do not know why - was it my inherent loyalty to the brand or was it George Clooney? There were untried Lungo varieties still at home. Yet, the compulsive buying disorder played up just when I was ordering.

 

Once I was there I picked up two Dolcettis (Framboise-Gingembre or Raspberry-Ginger and Fleur d'Orange or organge flavoured) at exorbitant prices.

 

In anycase, one box of Columbian is almost over. Indriya is not as strong as the last one - though I agree with Nespresso that it is probably best used in Capuccino rather than as espresso.

I do love the Framboise-Gingembre and I have not yet opened the other Dolcetti - it says it needs to be finished quickly after the bag is opened.

and yes, Parmanu can make out now which capsule I use - I tried to cheat him to finish the most unpopular one in this household - the strongest "Ristretto". He patiently put up with it for 2 days before venturing out with the courage to say it - "there is something different about the flavour you have been giving me - can I have the Columbian in future?"... sigghhh... I still have another 5 capsules of the Ristretto. Any volunteers to drink it?

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As I was returning from the Nespresso shop, I noticed the Sushi Shop which had escaped my eye before. I ventured into it and found a few intriguing things. It was quite affordable, the take away did not seem to have wilting fish, the menu could satisfy a few of my cravings and yes! they deliver at just 2 Euros extra. I went away with a Menu box and a book of Menu. The next two weeks I would have no chance to eat Sushi, I assumed.  

My husband is revelling in his new found skill. These holidays he finally learnt how to cook and made the full meal all by himself (before all my readers go into wonders let me explain - in his own terms "Even when I cook these things it tastes so good - you must have taught me the easiest things"). So there was really no chance to eat out with all the culinary experiments ongoing. So finally day before when we were both tired, I picked up the phone and ordered Sushi for myself and California rolls with cucumber and avocado for him. 

I normally deplore delivered Sushi - they are not that fresh by the time they arrive from RestoPresto even if ordered from Shogun, one of the better Sushi restaurants I have been to. So when my door bell rang just in 20 minutes, I was astonished. As I stirred a mount of Wasabi into the soya sauce, I realized that my worry about not ordering extra wasabi was unnecessary - there was enough wasabi even for the wasabi smoker like me (infact there was even some left over at the end).

Yet, when I closed my chopsticks around the Sashimi, I realised that the pieces had not been disjointed from each other. I am a poor chopstick user and it took me a bit of struggle to pry the piece I was targeting free from the next one. The thin thread joining them should not have been there if it had been cut as Sashimi should be carefully cut (I learnt from a bit of research later).  Apart from this grave mistake, the fish was as fresh as it could be when delivered. As I smoked the wasabi in pieces in between, the tuna and the salmon melted into my mouth. With 4 different types of fishes, I was a satisfied customer for the money I was paying. Of course I could have had better one if I had gone to a couple of other restaurants - I would have also ended up paying 3 times as much as I paid.

So I think after two years, I have found myself a place to order dinner from, get it quickly and still have the satisfaction of getting my return on investment. If I feel like it, this place is close enough for me to walk to and sit with other people around me.

Altogether, I think it is a good discovery for a normal evening eat out - not for a special evening though.

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A new shop has opened 2 streets away from my apartment. With a name like "Kerala" there was no doubt I was going to enter it. I now get the special bananas and some pickles and spices without having to talk myself to going all the way to Chaussée de Gand. Best of all - I get to speak in my own language, Malayalam and with a weather and atmosphere as in Bangalore, I can even imagine that I am back in Bangalore. Altogether, it has been a good 2 weeks with respect to food.

Rock On thoughts

Watched Rock On this evening - besides thinking that I need to still do something to my TV corner rather than having a wirehouse corner, I also had a few thoughts running in my head during the movie.

Why is it that a lot of youngsters start bands and then as they move on in life, their life with their bands are lost somewhere in the process of living? "Rock On" talks about this, I have a friend who was also a part of the rock band in his home town and as he studied further, he moved on to more individual pursuits of music - forced by circumstances as each member of the band went to different places I assume, I recently read that one of my most serious classmates - who joined the same company along with me - recorded a song with one of the Belgian rock bands in his youth and I have yet another friend/ex-colleague who now sings as a part of the band - not rock though which makes me wonder whether it is rock music that drives bands apart.  

I must say the lyrics are funny in this song. Some of them come back years later to make one appearance again and many disappear. I wonder how many such talents are lost and how many interesting songs we have lost.  

I also wonder whether we can get rid of showing drama behind a song and I wonder how patient we as audience would be if there was no drama behind the song - can we really enjoy songs in films just for the music? Many times I have felt that Bollywood movies lose their charm because the flow of the story is broken each time by a song. Yet, in a story like Rock On, about music, I can imagine that there can be a full song - and this time I felt that the listener was distracted from the song by the sentiments and the story that were built behind it. I missed the guitar in this song when sung at the concert. Here is the non-studio one with the acoustic guitar as well as the one sung at the competition... If you need the final version you will have to wait until the 43-rd second of the video and we do have more singing than music itself...

Another trivia: You can take a horse to the water, you cannot make it drink.

Still discovering Brussels

We went to watch "The Reader" yesterday. I opted for the smaller "Vendome" cinema rather than in the multiplex. This Cinema has a 50's appearance and is quite a fitting one to watch a movie starting in the late 50's. As I entered the Cinema I noticed the brick walls painted in dark grey and worn out a bit, large pipes running along the walls and that there were only 6 other people sitting on the bright turquoise chairs all placed at the same height. I sat down, put my bag on the chair on the right and the jacket on the chair on the left to ensure that Parmanu would get to pick his seat when he came. It was not necessary, there were just about another 5 people in the theatre by the time the movie started.

The Vendome is situated in a very different part of Brussels than the one I am staying at. I always wanted to take a walk in these parts and for sure it is a very different life there. The place is teeming with different types of African shops - grocery, telephone cards to call Africa, beauty shops, African special clothes and so on. Most of the people walking there are Africans - there is a "zing" in the air as African music belts out from the different bars there. There is life in the streets even at 8:30 in the evening different from other places in Brussels where life starts moving indoors.

We walk past the shops to an area filled with restaurants. There are different types of restaurants here - we spotted an Ethiopian one and then another African one and even a cuban one. In between there are Vietnamese and Thai restaurants as well. There is one Indian restaurant - I remember going here when we first came - neither food nor the service compelled us back to this restaurant ever again. I must even qualify this restaurant as having the worst Indian food I had ever had in Europe apart from the fast food one in City II in Brussels. Don't get me wrong - Brussels does have good restaurants with Indian food too.

As Parmanu is vegetarian non-alcoholic and neither of us were hungry, we just did window shopping at the restaurants. I drooled at some meat curry smells and the menus while he took some pictures. I made a mental note that I should visit these places with some friends or with my sister when she comes. We found some pasta and Thai restaurants where we could find a compromise to eat another time when we were hungry. We watched the different light falling on the streets as the time passed by sitting on the tables put on the pavement by one of the bars. I nestled a Caipirinha and Parmanu sipped a Vanille Tea. 

We later walked to Vendome.

Musical Tag...

added two more songs in Tamil....

For all the blue (detail oriented people like the one at home who asked me "what is the tag about?"): What is the tag about? 10 favourite songs - write 10 favourite songs in any two languages. I picked 3 languages since I find Tamil is a beautifully musical language. 

Knowing my craze for music she tagged me... When she first forgot to tag I was happy that she "decided" not to. She also knows my problem with decision making - so this is double torture - I even have to make decisions and choose between songs... I think she is taking revenge for the days when I brought the tape recorder to the bathroom in hostel - we used to drive away the other girls by singing loudly when showering and talking over the partitions of the shower. No idea what we used to talk about - well... I am sure Wannabe remembers every word even 12 years later.

So here goes... amongst the infinite ones I like I will put down the ones I remember (and since I have a bad memory that narrows down the possibilities).

Poocho Na Yaar Kya Hua (Dear friend, ask me what has happened): I love the peppiness in the songs and the perkiness - all inflections in the song are quite nice. I do not like the picturisation though - I think I liked the context - there was something mysterious about the hero-heroine interaction in that song. I would love to see the movie to see what it was all about. I heard the male version first and I prefer Mohd Rafi version and could never find it back. I like Hoga Tumse Pyara Kaun too...

Kathra Kathra main pi hain (I have drunk danger ...): The song from Ijaazat - what a lovely movie, lovely song... Again R.D Burman song. I love the songs. A story of two people (Mahendra and Sudha) who connect instantaneouly when they meet years after their separation. Sudha's insecurities about his previous love (Maya) breaks their marriage and yet, there seems something unfinished unsaid between them and a thread running through them. Even the song Mera Kuch Saamaan is lovely - Lyrics by Gulzar tugs at your heart and even now it powerfully squeezes my heart. The poetry Maya sends to Mahendra when Sudha sends back Maya's things from their house after the marriage:

Mera Kuch Saamaan tumhare paas pada hain (Some of my things are still lying with you)
Saawan ke kuch bheege bheege din rakhe hain (You have kept some of the wet days of monsoon with you)
Aur mere ik khat mein lipti raath padi hain (There is a night you spent wrapped in one of my letters)
Won raat bujha do mera woh saamaan lauta do (Extinguish that night and return to me those things)

The poetry in Gulzar's songs cannot be matched.

Naina Barse Rim Jhim Rim Jhim (I do not know how to translate this): My first ghost song... and the first song I saw of Sadhna. I always stayed in my mind.

Aap Yunhi Agar Humse Milte rahen (If you keep meeting me, look out one day we will fall in love): Only problem in the song is Joy Mukherjee - however he used to get the best songs of Mohd Rafi.

Palkon Ke peeche se kya tumne keh dala phirse tho pharmana(please express whatever you said from behind your eyelashes): Another one who got all the nice songs and I did not like his acting!!!! Mohd Rafi has given some of my favourite songs

Main Yahan Tu Wahan (I am here you are there): A new song but so soulful and melodious. 

Bheeni Bheeni: A new song I was surprised by... and I have been listening to the song for the last 2 weeks without a break. I loved the movie for the way the village in India is pictured.... There was one more in the movie that I really loved (Jhalke Palkon ke peeche).

Ab Kya misaal dun mein tumhare: Lovely is all I can say....Pradeep Kumar sang a lot of Mohd Rafi's good songs too...

Aise To Na Dekho ki humko nasha ho jaaye  (Do not look at me like that I will become addicted): is another very nice one.

Hum Bekhudi mein tumko pukare: Filled with pain, Mohd Rafi's song brings out pain even from Dev Anand....

Dekho Rutha Na Karo: well... siggghhhh..... they do not write such songs anymore and neither do they sing anymore like that.

welll... and another hundred songs are weighing to get onto the last one I can mention...Kaali ghata chhaye aur jiya, Hum Aapke Aakhon mein and many other from Guru Dutt movies also need mention - there are so many with so much pain and hurt in his movies - Na Jaao Saiyyaan or the happy ones like Piyo Aiso Jiya besides fun ones by Johny Walker like Sar Jo Tera ... yet I think I will give it to:

Waqt Ne Kiya kya haseen sitam tum rahe na tum hum rahe na hum (): from a movie, that always made me cry, that explored the relationship between two lonely people and how they separate causing him to turn to alcohol and leads to his destruction - even she is unable to help him.

It is more difficult with Malayalam songs - unlike Hindi songs there are many songs from each decade that I like and yet it goes faster:

Iru Hrudayangalil from Maymaasapulariyil: I love the use of claps and train sound besides the song itself... and I also love the other song Pularkaala Sundara. I loved the movie itself too... Saari's best movie. I wish I could get this movie to show my husband.
Poongaatunodum Kilikalodum
Onnaam Ragam Paadi: There were many songs by M G Sreekumar - though I did not like the singer, the songs were very nice.
Unnikale Oru Kadha Parayaam: I love this movie... Like all Malayalam movies of the time the depth in the movie is touching.
Kannaam Thumbi Poramo: A movie which always made me protective about my sister and worried all the time. Listening to this song still gives me goose pimples.
Neela Kurinjikal
Sarabindu Malardeepa: probably one of the few Jayachandran songs
Ponpulariyil Poovithariya: Rahman was a favourite of my best friend and we used to discuss him for hours together.
Gopike Nin Viral: A movie which I saw when very young in a place called Tellichery where we lived for just a year...
... ok I cannot stop... someone stop me please... Deva Dhundhubi... most songs of Sargam... Kshanakathu (except Aakashadeepam which I know is the most famous - I used to see her many times near Thampanoor in Trivandrum) and in Kudumbha Sametham.

Tamil:
Kuzhaloothum Kannanuku:
Ilaya Nila:
Chippi Irukkathu:  
Valayosai:
Ninnu Kori: most songs of Agninatchithram other than Raja Rajadhi... My sister and I used to dance to this song at home with each other... and we always wanted to decorate our house the way Amla did her room in this song.
Anthi Mazhai Pozhikirathu:
Oh Butterfly:
Oru Kadhal Devathai:
Chinna Chinna Aasai: It first appeared on TV at the same time as we moved to Chennai. It captured our heart and imagination - perhaps some of that love spilled over to Chennai - I still love Chennai as a place I would like to move to when I am back in India and if I have to work (if I do not there is no doubt about where I am going...)

Besides these, there is Endhan Nenjil and Dilbar Jaane from Kalaignan - first my favourite, second the favourite of those in the hostel etc etc...

A lot of songs have strong memories associated with them - of family, happy times with family in different places (Kuzhaloothum of Ooty - listening to the songs from one of the theatres in the valley on speaker - our house was on the top of the hill), Trivandrum, holidays somewhere and a lot of it has heavy influence of what my father liked - our interests were most often shaped by his. Some of these songs he would not like but now he does sing a lot that he did not like before.

I will not add the English ones. Taste for English/Western songs are something I am just beginning to develop... They still cannot match these - either in memories or in poetry yet (exceptions to what was a rule are becoming more and more common now that I am exposed more).

Thank You Wannabe for taking me on a memory trip this evening - I miss the time we spent together. Some of these trips also make me very nostalgic and reflective too.

more songs I want to keep the links of:

Aapka Chehra Maashallah;

April for me

What do you do when astrology focuses on just one aspect of your life.

This morning I was confronted by this mail in my inbox (so I added a category called crazy) and let me tell you this is just pure procrastinating over deciding which songs I should put down after Wannabe tagged me, over cleaning, cooking and shopping:

April showers may bring May flowers and the blooming promise of romance, but -- astrologically speaking -- this month is almost too hot to handle on the relationship front! Venus squares Pluto on April 3 challenging you to confront relationship issues. Then Pluto turns retrograde the following day on April 4, prompting you to transform your life in order to make achievements. Mars opposes rule-maker Saturn also on April 4, asking you to stop and assess what you're doing before you take another step. Seize this dynamic energy -- the month is just starting!

Then Mercury's entrance into stable Taurus on April 9 slows down your thought process to help you come up with a workable plan. The full Moon in Libra, also on April 9, tunes you into your relationships and highlights themes of justice and fairness. As retrograde Venus slips back into Pisces on the 11, your need for reflection is emphasized.

You'll need something to do with all the energy of the Mars-Uranus conjunction on April 15. Luckily Venus turns direct on April 17, which gets your relationships back on track. Then the Sun enters earthy Taurus on April 19 when your attention turns to fortifying your security and getting your financial house in order.

There is nothing lukewarm about the last week of April either! First, Mars enters its own sign on April 22, when your energy level will go way up. Then Venus joins Mars in Aries on the 24th, and it's time for bold declarations. A new Moon in Taurus on April 24 urges you to pay attention to maintaining stability in your material life. Finally, April 26 brings an intense Mars-Pluto square urging you to figure out what's worth fighting for and what you need to let be. You will have plenty of ideas that spark your imagination as the pace of life quickens when Mercury enters Gemini on April 30. This is the premiere communication planet, so expect to hatch plans, gather information and chat with others to sound out your ideas.