I'm glad to be back home after 20 days in the US late September and first week of October. It was wonderful spending time with my two daughters and all the 'tamasha' (drama) that accompanies family time!
New York City has its charm and its challenges- I had foodie cravings and was so sure that NYC was the place to get that satiated- yes and no- ordered out from so-called Vietnamese restaurants and was totally disappointed. Actually I had a fantastic Vietnamese lunch in Gaithersburg, MD. No wonder they had a long line of potential customers waiting for a table. I enjoyed reminiscing with friends in HQ and getting caught up with office politics as usual!
A visit to Eataly was quite enjoyable- if you have not been there, you must on your next visit to NYC. I thoroughly enjoyed sipping wine, tasting various cheeses and of course Speck ham- my very favourite! We had a great lunch at the rooftop restaurant as well.
I also spent time with a friend and my daughters at Grammercy Tavern on a Sunday- good ambiance and great company! Learnt more about the character of the wines from a budding sommelier at the table. I guess just enjoying a wine that suits one's own palate is not always enough- you must know the bouquet, the colour, aromas, fruitiness, type of grape, temperatures and pairings- my friend suggested to his son to get his nose out of the glass and just enjoy!
I also met my friends from Johns Hopkins days in Baltimore- enjoyed sharing stories and learning about family trips and exchanging notes on life in general in the US and in India. Thanks to all the friends I was able to connect with in person or on the phone- you made my visit back to the US worthwhile. I was very glad that I did not have any bad experience with the TSA in all my travels this time! What a relief!
My visit to KC was also pleasurable- seeing my brother and his family, catching up on family stories and enjoying his gourmet cooking was a delight. Of course I also brought back plenty of Scotch Bonnet peppers from his garden so I could make my Jamaican Jerk Marinade- what a difference those peppers make to the jerk seasoning.
Last week was the local elections for Chennai city Mayor and local bodies- Panchayats as they are called here as well as the local City Council. Wow- the campaigning was just a few decibels above loud! You have these small vehicles that are used to transport vegetables, and other goods decked with huge posters and loudspeakers attached and the person with the mike (not the politician) blaring all the wonderful things this politician will do if elected etc. Sometimes it is the autorickshaws (3 wheeler covered scooter) that weaves through the traffic blaring these political garbage messages!
What is fascinating is that no liquor can be sold after 5.00 p.m. the evening before the election polls and for a week after while the counting takes place! So folks already know this is coming and start hoarding booze a few days early and prices go up at least 20-30%. What a racket it is... newspapers report that drunken folks came to the polls anyway!
Of course the current CM's party swept the polls- so I expect we will see change that suits them - not necessarily what is needed for the city and state. Corruption is still rampant and there is no sense of personal accountability or responsibility across the board. Hopefully the clamouring of the youth will start to impact political frameworks in my lifetime!
So this week is Diwali celebration- good triumphing over evil. It is also the festival of lights. Fireworks from people's homes, flats, on the streets have scared the heck out of me! You get out of the car and you hear this huge thunderous noise and if not prepared for it will surely cause a tremendous shock. I understand this fireworks stuff will go on for another week- the NE monsoon has started in Chennai and it does not dampen the enthusiasm for firecrackers.
It has been a rainy day and temperatures have cooled off a bit. With rain comes drainage problems and flooding on the streets- big potholes where work to install storm drains has not been completed. We talk about the Chief Minister's residence area not affected by any of this weather turmoil. The roads and drainage work great over there and I must say it reminds me of the old days in Madras! Tree lined streets with smooth paved roads, white and blue uniformed guards at entry gates of homes and offices, beautiful bougainvillea draping the walls in fuchsia, yellow, white and orange and old huge powder puff flower trees that stretch across an entire block providing a wonderful canopy from the harsh rays of the sun.
In fact the CM had to appear in court in Bangalore for a pending case of unexplainable wealth accumulated during her previous stint as CM. The trial was held at a prison in order to ensure complete 'z' security for her! I was traveling to Bangalore last Friday and everyone was stopped at the check post entering into Karnataka (state where Bangalore is located) and the police made the judgement call as to whose vehicle would be searched.
My plants have all grown so much and now I have some privacy from the neighbours across the other building- I also don't have to water them for a while with these torrential rains.
I have made new friends and will be joining the International Women's Association which is only by invitation! I feel special indeed- I understand they host some very interesting lectures and events on culture, history, philosophy, religion and the arts.
One of the recent lectures was about the origin of Tamil Muslims in the state-
I also attended a south Indian classical dance form called Bharatanatyam depicting a modern version of the story of Krishna the Hindu God known as the 'playboy', choreographed and danced by Shobana who is a recipient of the Padma Shri (a highest honor from the government) for her contribution to the arts. She has a huge dance studio where she trains young girls interested in dance and who also perform with her in these epic dramas.
So until the next time- here's hoping you have a great halloween celebration, costume party/or trick n treat goodies too!
To quote Maya Angelou in the Washington Post-
"No sprouted wheat and soya shoots
And Brussels in a cake,
Carrot straw and spinach raw,
(Today, I need a steak)"!!
I'll take chocolate!
New York City has its charm and its challenges- I had foodie cravings and was so sure that NYC was the place to get that satiated- yes and no- ordered out from so-called Vietnamese restaurants and was totally disappointed. Actually I had a fantastic Vietnamese lunch in Gaithersburg, MD. No wonder they had a long line of potential customers waiting for a table. I enjoyed reminiscing with friends in HQ and getting caught up with office politics as usual!
A visit to Eataly was quite enjoyable- if you have not been there, you must on your next visit to NYC. I thoroughly enjoyed sipping wine, tasting various cheeses and of course Speck ham- my very favourite! We had a great lunch at the rooftop restaurant as well.
I also spent time with a friend and my daughters at Grammercy Tavern on a Sunday- good ambiance and great company! Learnt more about the character of the wines from a budding sommelier at the table. I guess just enjoying a wine that suits one's own palate is not always enough- you must know the bouquet, the colour, aromas, fruitiness, type of grape, temperatures and pairings- my friend suggested to his son to get his nose out of the glass and just enjoy!
I also met my friends from Johns Hopkins days in Baltimore- enjoyed sharing stories and learning about family trips and exchanging notes on life in general in the US and in India. Thanks to all the friends I was able to connect with in person or on the phone- you made my visit back to the US worthwhile. I was very glad that I did not have any bad experience with the TSA in all my travels this time! What a relief!
My visit to KC was also pleasurable- seeing my brother and his family, catching up on family stories and enjoying his gourmet cooking was a delight. Of course I also brought back plenty of Scotch Bonnet peppers from his garden so I could make my Jamaican Jerk Marinade- what a difference those peppers make to the jerk seasoning.
Last week was the local elections for Chennai city Mayor and local bodies- Panchayats as they are called here as well as the local City Council. Wow- the campaigning was just a few decibels above loud! You have these small vehicles that are used to transport vegetables, and other goods decked with huge posters and loudspeakers attached and the person with the mike (not the politician) blaring all the wonderful things this politician will do if elected etc. Sometimes it is the autorickshaws (3 wheeler covered scooter) that weaves through the traffic blaring these political garbage messages!
What is fascinating is that no liquor can be sold after 5.00 p.m. the evening before the election polls and for a week after while the counting takes place! So folks already know this is coming and start hoarding booze a few days early and prices go up at least 20-30%. What a racket it is... newspapers report that drunken folks came to the polls anyway!
Of course the current CM's party swept the polls- so I expect we will see change that suits them - not necessarily what is needed for the city and state. Corruption is still rampant and there is no sense of personal accountability or responsibility across the board. Hopefully the clamouring of the youth will start to impact political frameworks in my lifetime!
So this week is Diwali celebration- good triumphing over evil. It is also the festival of lights. Fireworks from people's homes, flats, on the streets have scared the heck out of me! You get out of the car and you hear this huge thunderous noise and if not prepared for it will surely cause a tremendous shock. I understand this fireworks stuff will go on for another week- the NE monsoon has started in Chennai and it does not dampen the enthusiasm for firecrackers.
It has been a rainy day and temperatures have cooled off a bit. With rain comes drainage problems and flooding on the streets- big potholes where work to install storm drains has not been completed. We talk about the Chief Minister's residence area not affected by any of this weather turmoil. The roads and drainage work great over there and I must say it reminds me of the old days in Madras! Tree lined streets with smooth paved roads, white and blue uniformed guards at entry gates of homes and offices, beautiful bougainvillea draping the walls in fuchsia, yellow, white and orange and old huge powder puff flower trees that stretch across an entire block providing a wonderful canopy from the harsh rays of the sun.
In fact the CM had to appear in court in Bangalore for a pending case of unexplainable wealth accumulated during her previous stint as CM. The trial was held at a prison in order to ensure complete 'z' security for her! I was traveling to Bangalore last Friday and everyone was stopped at the check post entering into Karnataka (state where Bangalore is located) and the police made the judgement call as to whose vehicle would be searched.
My plants have all grown so much and now I have some privacy from the neighbours across the other building- I also don't have to water them for a while with these torrential rains.
I have made new friends and will be joining the International Women's Association which is only by invitation! I feel special indeed- I understand they host some very interesting lectures and events on culture, history, philosophy, religion and the arts.
One of the recent lectures was about the origin of Tamil Muslims in the state-
I also attended a south Indian classical dance form called Bharatanatyam depicting a modern version of the story of Krishna the Hindu God known as the 'playboy', choreographed and danced by Shobana who is a recipient of the Padma Shri (a highest honor from the government) for her contribution to the arts. She has a huge dance studio where she trains young girls interested in dance and who also perform with her in these epic dramas.
So until the next time- here's hoping you have a great halloween celebration, costume party/or trick n treat goodies too!
To quote Maya Angelou in the Washington Post-
"No sprouted wheat and soya shoots
And Brussels in a cake,
Carrot straw and spinach raw,
(Today, I need a steak)"!!
I'll take chocolate!
