My Reflections..My Thoughts..My Space..

some clarity & sanity plsssssssss

2009-06-10T09:45:00.011+08:00

Over the last few days or weeks I have been hearing about these barbaric violent attacks in Aus land on Indian students…..I hear people talk about it while they come to drop their kids...in restaurants...cafe anywhere...so i realise its serious .....i called few freinds who are more or less settled in Aus and understand the real situation..this is what some of them had to say.....”well ! racism kahan nahin hain..…its all fine with us…you should just be careful after all you are in another country”…if you have to be so careful how can you live peacefully in another country..uhhmm anyways…another friend said..”look who is talking about racism don’t we have racism in India ….its all media hype… India is going places …no country can afford to ignore or treat us this way”……and some said “Aussies are racist ....if you know the history of Aussies..they are all thugs and are prone to be that way …."

All these reactions are somewhat true ...…arent they ? am rather confused now…..But under the given circumstances would I let my kids go to Aus and study…i dunno??? so what is this hoopla all about..beating students to the extent of death...it is condemnable?...i dont blame the students for reacting .... on the other hand there are Indians settled there over generations.....if racism was such a big issue..would they be there ???..Uuffff…many questions and answer is what media seems to give……..are they making mountain of a mole hill….??? or this too shall enter the history and be forgotten.....

The world is a toxic place

2009-05-04T10:28:00.005+08:00

I was reading this months edition of “ Health” and this article particularly got my attention and a feeling of fear gripped me…most of us like me have kids in the house and I didn’t even know the drugs I considered safe for them were indeed toxic. I know the world is a toxic place but how do we protect us and our loved ones…everyday day unintentionally we consume potential toxins in our body.... its difficult to fight back considering the amount of chemicals thats used everyday to make our lives supposedly easy…or is it more difficult…

This post is a gist of that article.. hope you can be toxic free

1.Protect against pesticides
Washing fruit and veggies is a must do every time you bring them home. Apparently the chemicals in pesticides – which find a home on the surface of produce- can damage the energy producing parts of the brain cells. Please please wash all the vegetables and fruits thoroughly before you put them in the fridge…you don’t need to use fancy detergent, plain water should do the trick.

2.Its curtains for plastic
You know the strong odor emanating from some plastic curtains and mattress covers? Blame the silly PVC(polyvinyl chloride) used to manufacture them – it releases toxic chemicals that can make you drowsy and dizzy with just few deep whiffs. There are curtains made from cotton, polyester or hemp which are safer to use and easier to clean and less toxic….

3.Plastic bottles and containers
Recently a friend mentioned that every plastic bottle comes with an expiry.. some as less as 7 days. I didn’t know this until now..especially in India people have the habit of reusing anything plastic...Pls refrain from doing so …better get glass bottles..or metal cans...Again do not use plastics in microwaves..they emit carcinogens...

4.Pain pills
Our liver is indeed a toxic clearing machine. Even the most amazing machine such as the human machine can be fooled by these toxins. Many drugs including our commonly used pain killers can damage the organs..If you must use in small dosage.

5. Stay smoke free
We all know that regular smoking is hazardous and is a killer but occasional smoke cant hurt…? Not true..Just one cigarette can impair blood flow in the heart.

What about passive smoking? We cant help it ..but cant averse it by following a healthy diet.

6.Freshen in friendlier ways
That sweet smelling lavender air freshner..Is a toxin and may be polluting our homes with chemicals that can irritate your eyes and lead to headaches..nausea. Open the windows and allow some fresh air whenever weather permits…And green up with plants ferns, ivy all do wonders…

7.Cleaning without pesticides
How about cleaning your precious home with vinegar and baking soda instead of cleaning materials available in supermarket.

Use these easy household recipes to help make your home toxic-free.

All-purpose Cleaner

Choose one and add to 1 gallon of water:
3 tsp. liquid soap, or
1/4 cup white vinegar, or
1/4 cup lemon juice, or
1/4 cup borax

Stain Remover

Soak fabrics in 1 gallon of water with one of the following:
1 cup white vinegar, or
1 cup lemon juice, or
1 cup borax

Controlling Cockroaches and Ants

Combine equal parts powdered sugar and borax. Sprinkle where they crawl.

Window Cleaner

Fill your own spray bottle with 1/2 cup white vinegar to 1 gallon warm water.

Guys... I know it’s difficult to get away from this toxic world.... ..I might sound like hyper condriac..not really.... just scared for my kiddos....

Any ideas you guys have which is toxin free..pls feel free to share..

ciao

Soft'ee with Sidharth

2009-03-19T16:37:00.012+08:00

A friend had this session with her 5 yr old and the answers given were hilarious..She urged we do too and here's what Sid had to say..

Sidharth is 5 yrs & 5 months old.. He is in yr 1 as they call it here and has a strong mind.He intends to join Ben 10 to race against time and thinks Mr.O is cool..why..because they share the same complexion..I enjoy seeing through Sid's eyes sometimes ..its more real and pure..

Here it goes..

1. What is something your mom always says to you?
"You are a handsome boy Sidharth"blah blah blah

2. What makes mom happy?
"If i keep eating all the time and yes.. do my work ..she is happy

3. What makes mom sad?
”Me shouting.” Yup, got that right!

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
”By tickling me.”

5. What was your mom like as a child?
"baby i guess"

6. How old is your mom?
”I don’t know..may be 29/30 something ? may be..Thank God he didnt say 40

7. How tall is your mom?
”super tall…

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
"shopping..and i hate it" Yes thats right..i can get him to do anything by uttering these magic words

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
"wait for me ..yes..wait for me..awww so sweet

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
"May be she will be a chef..( btw Sid thinks i should join Mcdonalds as a burger chef)

11. What is your mom really good at?
"uhmm..writing..cooking..everything .."

12. What is your mom not very good at?
”I don’t know…nothing?” Thanks Sid :-}

13. What does your mom do for a job?
”She was teaching office people as we have Sunju now..she is home..and i like that.”

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
"Dark Chocolate truffles”

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
"That she makes awesome burgers"

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
"Jerry..she is always running"

17. What do you and your mom do together?
"Play,read,laugh,shop(i hate this part,but she likes it..),cuddle,eat-out.

18. How are you and your mom the same?
"uhmmm....because she is my mummy ..we are the same.."

19. How are you and your mom different?'
"She is old and am a boy..thats how we are different..."..Old and me..Sidharth

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
"That's easy she is always kissing me "

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
"Papa is handsome..thats what she likes about him

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
"It has to be India"

23. What do you like most about your mom?
'That she always kisses me.'

24. What do you like least about your mom?
"She shouts at me!' ( :( )

25. Is there anything else you'd like to say about your mom?
"uhmm 'Nope.'..am tired" i bet he is

Aman Kachroo

2009-03-10T20:08:00.004+08:00

Family shocked over death of student in 'ragging'...

Gurgaon/New Delhi (IANS): A 19-year-old student who died after being allegedly ragged by drunken seniors was cremated in the Indian capital on Tuesday with distraught family members saying they had done a wrong by not taking action when he complained of harassment in his college.

"We should have called him back when he complained to us about ragging," said a relative of Aman Kachru, a brilliant student who died after being beaten by his seniors at a college in Himachal Pradesh..

Its only been days that the Indian legal system as passed the anti-ragging law and we have a death of a 19 yr old ....Is there any value for human life...law and order ....it simply saddens me...

Change is here

2009-02-25T11:23:00.006+08:00

I had this sudden adrenalin rush when i read this article in globe n mail today....a feeling of pride & ecstacy....Though this sounds like a distant dream but can get true in 2012...

Guys......truly, deeply,madly.. CHANGE IS INDEED HERE....

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090224.wobama_jindal25/BNStory/International/

Freida....

2009-02-24T15:09:00.005+08:00

whatever people say including me ...Freida is here to stay..She has captivated the western world with her beauty and fashion sense thats what one magazine said....what the likes of Aiswarya Rai tooks years to achieve or still trying....she did it in like a few months...This is what i call "LUCK ALL THE WAY" my friends...One movie and she airs in Ellen Degeneres show,speaks articulately like an all American,gets an NRI boyfriend,shops in Harrods,wears Chanel,Zac Posen, John Gulliano( wonder who funds her for this..)...now that gets me to this...How did she get this wrong ? This was massive folks..THE OSCARS...

My little Sunju

2009-02-18T13:29:00.010+08:00

Following all that euphoric cry, we welcomed her into our mad world. My first glimpse of her..Were this pair of sparkling eyes..moist,curious and yet subtle...

As she lay in the nursery, she had this gentle expression while looking around her world inquisitively..…That moment all i felt was... How lucky am i ?

Over the last 11 months...I have seen her grow leaps and bounds…But the lustrous long lashes and those wonderful expressions still catches my breath…At times her eyes gives the look of a matured girl at her age…　　　

I have heard that daughters share a special place...so true….

Her crystal tears..her adorable tantrums.. her ever-enchanting smile... I can go on and on about her…

In a word my daughter ‘s eyes are full of vitality through which a great hope and a promising future are clearly foreseen...She is my world…. My little Sunju..

Chocolate Truffle - The Indian Way

2009-02-11T21:34:00.005+08:00

The history of chocolate truffles dates back to 1828 .Ganache is the center component of a truffle. Ganache is a velvety smooth combination of solid semisweet chocolate and cream. Cooked at just the right temperature it cools to form a rich and firm paste with intense chocolate flavor. A truffle is a confection made of a round ganache center, often flavored, covered with a shell of milk, dark or white chocolate. Truffles are often covered in cocoa powder, sugar or finely chopped nuts.Perhaps originating in France, the truffle is named for its visual similarity to the French mushroom-like fungus of the same name. Like the original truffle, chocolate truffles have become synonymous with luxury and a sumptuous taste experience.

What you need for this luscious truffles....?

Dark chocolate ( 80% cocoa) - 100 gms

Full Cream - 1 cup ( approx 14 ounce)

Cocoa powder for dusting

Dark rum - 1/2 ounc pinch of roasted cinnamom and clove powder(optionmal)

Lemon zest - 1 pinch(optional)

DIRECTIONS

1.Heat chocolates in a pan and milk until chocolates are partially melted.Remember low heat. Remove from heat and stir until completely melted. Whisk in desired flavoring until creamy-smooth. Add all the other ingredients.

2.Transfer to a bowl and let stand in refrigerator until firm enough to hold its shape, about 2 - 3 hours.

3.Using a tablespoon,mold chocolate into balls, 1 level Tb. at a time, and place on a cookie sheet lined with greased parchment paper.

4.Place desired cocoa powder coating in a small bowl. Working one at a time, drop truffles into the bowl with greased fingertips. Shake bowl back and forth so truffles are completely coated. If necessary, roll truffles by hand to make round. Return to parchment. (Can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 5 days or frozen up to 1 month.) Before serving, let stand at room temperature to soften slightly.

yummmmmmmmm

Green'n Our Routine

2009-02-10T09:50:00.002+08:00

A friend has greatly inspired me to come up with this post. She is so infectious with her "GREEN MANTRA" that am suffering from the Green fever...

Going GREEN is hip, the next kewl thing to do.The very mention of ORGANICS these days would get you a place in an elite club,such is the power of GREEN or will it remain a mere super word in the dictionary.Many would say...what the heck?..future times will say..as i see it...time is running out and probably no tepid excuse will save this world from the shit we collective have planted.

Call it a ploy to make some quick dollars or gain awareness...The movie "Inconvenient truth" could come true or is it already true? ...As Nandini my friend feels , the only way to combat this global crisis which i would is worse than any global economic crisis is being educated...being repsonsible......being receptive to the needs of our EARTH..

And it has to start from our dwellings.... Therefore i have decided to get my act together and render all my support full on to her...Am going GREEN and so will be my ROUTINE....

Below mentioned are my GREEN routine and it would be interesting to know how would you GREEN YOUR ROUTINE..may be this would give a spark to some one else.........

1.I hate plastic bags as i hate lizards or MC Donalds.My new grocery bag is the next cool thing to have.I am trying not to use ziplocks and clingwraps sincerely....Amen !

2. I can stop putting the appliances on stand-by mode,make an effort to switch the lights/heaters off when not in use,move to energy saving lights..uhhmmm..

3. "Warm showers" after a tired day who doesnt like it ...but isshhh i got to put an end to staying in the shower just for fun... I am intending to put up a stopwatch in the bathroom..it sounds funny but as long as it works..am fine.....

4.No more binge shopping for me. Recycle,Reuse and the last R ( i forgot)..but i have decided not to clutter my place.A cluttered space is a cluttered mind....

5.Tissue papers will be sparingly used...at the moment i cannot live without them...but shall make an effort to stop the usage of tissue papers.

Many ways could be adopted to save this humble earth....so my sensible friends....celebrate the Earth which is the only place where you could find some nice chocolate truffles....( watch out for my recipe ..its commin soon)

Happy Green'n your routine.........

Isnt this beautifull ?

2009-02-05T11:36:00.001+08:00

Here are the roughs and beards and space and ruggedness and nonchalance that the soul loves.

Walt Whitman

Found this picture while hoppin in the cyber space cluelessly and simpy loved it.

Mr.O is so right

2009-01-30T16:29:00.004+08:00

Obama called Wall Street bankers "shameful" for giving out nearly $20 billion in bonuses while the government bailed out financial institutions.

I wanted to have a painfull laugh. What is wrong with all these bankers ? is my first reaction.While Mr.Citibank is buying a plane,some other C.E.O is renovating his swanky office while rest of the world is waiting for this turmoil to end. Everyday its becomming a struggle to hold on to your jobs. Is'nt this getting to a point of frustration ? Last i checked "BONUS" is remuneration for your hard work and not for your greed and destruction.

I hope Mr.O puts some stringent rules in place for these bonus phenomenon.Any takes on this story...

Slum Dog Millionaire

2009-01-30T01:06:00.005+08:00

Just watched Slam sorry slum dog millionaire.Dont tell me i am a late entrant to comment on this movie as its already won Golden Globes.Nevertheless,in my space it matters what i post as if my review would take away the oscar nominations.I think the movie has a good momentum,pulse beating music thanks to A.R ,excellent cast ( uhhmmm am not sure of Ms.Pinto) overall a good upbeat movie.

Wondering minus the Boyle guy what is the fate of this movie in an international platform. Nothing, would be my quick answer. The west loves to see this poor ,humble,resilient India and voila they have got it...Boyle must be flipping through the pages of Yacht catalogues as i am posting this post..need i say more..

Cuppa Kapii

2008-09-26T11:38:00.000+08:00

Growing up i was never interested in Kapi as they call it in the south of India,it was merely a morning drink which elder's of the family had for an instant cafffeine boost and get woken up from their deepest sleep possible.There are several instant coffee's in the world such as mocha,cappucino,frappucino's which brands like Starbucks and other barista's have patented but trust me nothing comes close to our traditional filter kapi..what an exhilarating feeling it is to have just one cup.

Many ways are adopted in making this heavenly concoction,i am going to make it " the nair" way...so here it goes...lets c

1 Cup full cream milk

2 Spoons filter kapi concoction made from the "coffee maker " (trust me it works as good as the traditional filter coffee maker"

sugar as desired

microwave milk ,add 2 spoons of the concoction and sugar ...........mix well till you see some nice froth...

ta dahhh ..heavenly coffeee ..and forgot to mention..serve this in a small steell glass....

how about that ???