A sample read on menu card of an Indian restaurant
Medu wada Sambar:
Lentil DOUGHNUTS deep-fried in Coconut oil and dipped in Sambar- A concoction of lentil soup with spices.
Chitale bakarwadi:
Crispy tasty Spring roll to jazz up your coffee or tea time.
Mix chiwda:
Mixture of roasted nuts with beaten rice and gram flour balls
To be continued when some such stuff catches my eye......
Friday, May 29, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Q & A
Since the whole Slumdog Oscar craze, all of us Indians staying abroad have to face : "So, what do u think of SM?" situations This is how I faced one of them. In a physiotherapist office
So, what do you think of THE movie?
THE movie?
(I knew what she meant, but acted up :) Did not like the idea of SM being THE movie.)
Yeah, Slumdog Millioniare!!
Ah ok. I haven't seen it.
No? Why, you don't feel like seeing it?
(Ok, she has heard desis grumblin about it.)
Nothing like that. Just never got a chance
She does not believe me, can make it out from the way she looks at me.
Is India really like that?
"A part of it, and that part too is exaggerated. Movies always work on exaggeration, don't they?"
Yes. But the Indian colleagues I have here, say India IS like that.
As I said, A part.
She realised I am not happy talking about SM, and changed up the topic
"How did you learn English?"
In School
You had English as a language in School?
No! I learnt all my subjects in English
Wow, they have such kind of schools in India? Great. But how did you get the accent?
That i worked on. After coming to US
I saw the movie after a few days. Totally over-rated.
Also read the book, Vikas Swarup's Q & A in hindi. This was my first Hindi book ever. There is a Hindi language collection in Sunnyvale library, but had never accessed it before.
The book, as is the case with all movies based on books, is better than the movie.
1. The protagonist is named Ram Muhammed Thomas in the book. A priest finds him abandoned in a church donation box and names him this way to avoid getting in trouble with hindu/ muslim communities.
2. The Priest who rears this guy is a nice person. But he has an illegitimate child. Another priest in the same church is a child molester. No mention in the movie, where Jamal is born and raised in the slums.
3. The boy is left in a church donation box. His mother is not killed in Hindu-Muslim riots. But yes, he meets Salim in a foster-home(after the priest's death). And Salim's family is killed in riots.
4. There is no childhood love-story. There is of course, one short-lived love story. But it does not affect the main story-line at all.
5. He lived in the church, in a foster home, as a servant with an Australlian Ambassador, as a servant at an actress's place, in Agra, in a chawl next to an astronomy professor. And the Slum. Logical explanation for all his answers is there in his varied contacts/places of residence. In SM, the blind beggar boy knows which US president is on a 100$ bill!!!
6. Overall, the book is interesting. Each of the 15 questions has the weightage of a quiz-show worthy question.
My analysis goes like
Q&A + filth + poverty + slums (oh yes! USP) + latika + Bollywood masala + communalism = Slumdog Millioniare
So, what do you think of THE movie?
THE movie?
(I knew what she meant, but acted up :) Did not like the idea of SM being THE movie.)
Yeah, Slumdog Millioniare!!
Ah ok. I haven't seen it.
No? Why, you don't feel like seeing it?
(Ok, she has heard desis grumblin about it.)
Nothing like that. Just never got a chance
She does not believe me, can make it out from the way she looks at me.
Is India really like that?
"A part of it, and that part too is exaggerated. Movies always work on exaggeration, don't they?"
Yes. But the Indian colleagues I have here, say India IS like that.
As I said, A part.
She realised I am not happy talking about SM, and changed up the topic
"How did you learn English?"
In School
You had English as a language in School?
No! I learnt all my subjects in English
Wow, they have such kind of schools in India? Great. But how did you get the accent?
That i worked on. After coming to US
I saw the movie after a few days. Totally over-rated.
Also read the book, Vikas Swarup's Q & A in hindi. This was my first Hindi book ever. There is a Hindi language collection in Sunnyvale library, but had never accessed it before.
The book, as is the case with all movies based on books, is better than the movie.
1. The protagonist is named Ram Muhammed Thomas in the book. A priest finds him abandoned in a church donation box and names him this way to avoid getting in trouble with hindu/ muslim communities.
2. The Priest who rears this guy is a nice person. But he has an illegitimate child. Another priest in the same church is a child molester. No mention in the movie, where Jamal is born and raised in the slums.
3. The boy is left in a church donation box. His mother is not killed in Hindu-Muslim riots. But yes, he meets Salim in a foster-home(after the priest's death). And Salim's family is killed in riots.
4. There is no childhood love-story. There is of course, one short-lived love story. But it does not affect the main story-line at all.
5. He lived in the church, in a foster home, as a servant with an Australlian Ambassador, as a servant at an actress's place, in Agra, in a chawl next to an astronomy professor. And the Slum. Logical explanation for all his answers is there in his varied contacts/places of residence. In SM, the blind beggar boy knows which US president is on a 100$ bill!!!
6. Overall, the book is interesting. Each of the 15 questions has the weightage of a quiz-show worthy question.
My analysis goes like
Q&A + filth + poverty + slums (oh yes! USP) + latika + Bollywood masala + communalism = Slumdog Millioniare
Monday, May 18, 2009
From Dora to Cinderella
Move over Dora and boots, Cinderella is here. Dora toothpaste/ shoes/ underwear is all a thing of the past. Disney Princess is the new craze.
Thats what my little one is doing. And she is 5.
Isn't it a little too early? Or is it just Mommy thinking?
The very beautiful Cinderella dressed in rags. a fairy godmother magically turns her clothes into a beautiful gown. Complete with a carriage, coachman and the glass slippers. The prince obviously is bedazzled by her beauty. He marries her.
The girl is enchanted by these Disney stories. And why not? They are enchanting.
The very practical mom (the old hag me?) thinks : Caution.
As beautiful these fairy tales are, every little girl would grow up waiting for a handsome prince to sweep her off her feet?
We, who grew up on a staple of Bollywood movies certainly know better.
For instance, if by 18 you have not had a guy crazy for you, lovey-dovey, ready to be a love-slave, your life as a woman is cursed. And of course, you can dance like Madhuri Dixit. No? Too bad.
Isn't that bollywood message for girls in a nutshell?
Coming back to the fairy tale,
And they lived happily ever after......
With each other and the everyday issues like paying bills/rent, maintaining relations, fighting, making up, growing old, piling up pounds (not the currency),dealing with medical issues, kids issues...
Wait, what am I trying to say here?
Just a mommy rant. Or old hag rant.
Thats what my little one is doing. And she is 5.
Isn't it a little too early? Or is it just Mommy thinking?
The very beautiful Cinderella dressed in rags. a fairy godmother magically turns her clothes into a beautiful gown. Complete with a carriage, coachman and the glass slippers. The prince obviously is bedazzled by her beauty. He marries her.
The girl is enchanted by these Disney stories. And why not? They are enchanting.
The very practical mom (the old hag me?) thinks : Caution.
As beautiful these fairy tales are, every little girl would grow up waiting for a handsome prince to sweep her off her feet?
We, who grew up on a staple of Bollywood movies certainly know better.
For instance, if by 18 you have not had a guy crazy for you, lovey-dovey, ready to be a love-slave, your life as a woman is cursed. And of course, you can dance like Madhuri Dixit. No? Too bad.
Isn't that bollywood message for girls in a nutshell?
Coming back to the fairy tale,
And they lived happily ever after......
With each other and the everyday issues like paying bills/rent, maintaining relations, fighting, making up, growing old, piling up pounds (not the currency),dealing with medical issues, kids issues...
Wait, what am I trying to say here?
Just a mommy rant. Or old hag rant.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Paan khaye saiyya hamaro
While grocery shopping in India store, a chinese/japanese/phillipino - American lady asked me - "Excuse me! I am looking for the white thing you put on a pan. You know where it is?"
To myself: White thing to put on a pan? meaning tava?... hmmm...butter? ghee? what does she want?
I did not say a word, maintained the confused expression.
She tried to clarify "The thing thats put on a leaf?"
Still no answer from the confused me.
Leaf? what leaf? The leaf plates we make in India? What white thing is put on them?
She went on "You know the calcium white thing you put on a leaf and eat it. The thing that turns the mouth red?"
Tubelight on. "Ah yes, thats called chuna."
"Chuna? Oh Ok. Where can i find it?"
"I have no idea, please ask the guy at the counter."
Off she went, saying, "Excuse me!! Where can I find 'Chuna?'"
I wonder what she wanted chuna for?
To myself: White thing to put on a pan? meaning tava?... hmmm...butter? ghee? what does she want?
I did not say a word, maintained the confused expression.
She tried to clarify "The thing thats put on a leaf?"
Still no answer from the confused me.
Leaf? what leaf? The leaf plates we make in India? What white thing is put on them?
She went on "You know the calcium white thing you put on a leaf and eat it. The thing that turns the mouth red?"
Tubelight on. "Ah yes, thats called chuna."
"Chuna? Oh Ok. Where can i find it?"
"I have no idea, please ask the guy at the counter."
Off she went, saying, "Excuse me!! Where can I find 'Chuna?'"
I wonder what she wanted chuna for?
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
American Airlines
Have read/heard about the US domestic airlines making you pay for snacks/ checked baggage. Experienced it last week on the SFO-DFW flight.
The announcement goes like, "Snack service on the flight today: Chips 3$, Pretzels 3$, Cookie 4$, xyz 6$. Beverages free :) " We were smart enough to eat at the airport. Before boarding the flight.
Was almost like travelling on Mumbai-Pune Indrayani express. Attendants handing out snacks and collecting/counting dollar bills. Almost expected them to start yelling...thanda cold drink/ vada garam/ chaiii chaiii
And the announcement i liked was "There would be 2 snack trolleys. One starting at the rear end of the plane working its way forward. And the other starting from the front going backwards. Please remain seated during the service to avoid being caught between the two trolleys."
After three hours, as i was getting up to use the lavatory, hubby said, "Ask if you have to pay at the lavatory door. Or better wait till we land" :)
The announcement goes like, "Snack service on the flight today: Chips 3$, Pretzels 3$, Cookie 4$, xyz 6$. Beverages free :) " We were smart enough to eat at the airport. Before boarding the flight.
Was almost like travelling on Mumbai-Pune Indrayani express. Attendants handing out snacks and collecting/counting dollar bills. Almost expected them to start yelling...thanda cold drink/ vada garam/ chaiii chaiii
And the announcement i liked was "There would be 2 snack trolleys. One starting at the rear end of the plane working its way forward. And the other starting from the front going backwards. Please remain seated during the service to avoid being caught between the two trolleys."
After three hours, as i was getting up to use the lavatory, hubby said, "Ask if you have to pay at the lavatory door. Or better wait till we land" :)
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