Foodie talk 1

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......

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

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.

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?

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" :)

Puppet

We are all puppets
with someone pulling the strings
strings we can see not, touch not
Just the tension we can feel

The string puller takes me left
when i want to go right
Cannot let go of the pull
Try as i might

The strings could save me
as i am about to fall
why o why! they let go
and let me tumble and all

I need the strings then
to pick me from the ditch
And start believing again
that my destiny maketh me...
No sir, There are no strings

Banjar

Going for a drive in the neat neighborhood. Crisp spring weather. A cd playing assorted list of songs. And i feel a strange connection to this one...Banjar..from Kabul Express

Banjar ret hai ....
Zameen banjar hai ...
Banjar aasmaan ...
Yeh ghar banjar hai ...

Beautiful spring bloom all around and the setting sun giving a lovely orange tinge to the white fluffy clouds.
And yet....

Is banjar sheher ke dil mein dundhu... mein gili mitti ka manjar

The crescent moon beginning to make its presence felt in the twillight sky, the wind carrying sweet smell of Spring.
And yet....

Banjar lamhaa hai
Waqt banjar hai
Banjar waqt si yeh raat banjar hai

Banjar raat! khwaab banjar
Chand taaron ka saath banjar hai

Is it the United states? Or the state of my mind? Or both?

Answer these..

Just like many parents of curious 4-yr olds, I have no answers to some questions. ..
Sample this-
"Jivanta" mhanje kay? (Whats the meaning of "Alive"?)

Really, what does it mean?
I can handle the "Why was I not invited to your wedding?" types. Not these.

Moving

Haven't been writing for some time, we still are with the homeschool regimen. Most days its about cleaning, sorting and more importantly, giving away. We will be moving soon, where and when yet to be decided.
Our little girl had to part with many toys. With the restrictions on luggage on all US airlines, we have to downsize. I was not sure how she would take it. Was worrying for no reason. She seemed to have caught up with our moving-spirit. I did explain to her that we cannot take all your stuff with us, we have to give away most. Some other kid will get to play with your toys.
She was absolutely fine with it. Except for her bright red toy kitchen platform. It was beautiful, with the range, oven, sink, faucet and a clock. She loved it. Hubby said to her, "Its too big for our suitcase, right? Let's give it away, some little girl might want it. She'll be so happy."
She did accept the idea. The trip to Goodwill store with the toys was smooth. She did not even look back. And now, never even mentions any of her toys. Wow, I was dreading all of this for no reason.
We still have her tricycle, few small toys, books and crayons. And now that its not very cold, we go out in the afternoon, me for a walk and she, on her tricycle. Wonderful with the spring landscape, the white/ pink all over.
See snaps ....fall, winter and spring :)

Height of laziness

I have called myself lazy in a few of my posts.
No More!!! Today, i give the honor to someone.
My own daughter.
Now i know why people call her a replica of me.

Today, she woke up and went straight to the TV, as usual.
She was hungry. I said, Brush first and I'll get your breakfast.
No Mom! I'll eat first and then brush...
Abslutely not, you can eat ONLY after you brush...

(We have this argument almost everyday
Keeps going back and forth until she gives up.)

After some time, when she got REALLY hungry, she said,
OK I'll brush, but I'll brush only the front teeth, not the ones at the back.....

True hallmark of a Genius!!! How did she come up with that??

Now you know why I am giving her the honor .. :)