Thoughts and books :).

Hello! After all these days, months (and may be almost a year), it occured to me that i haven't written anything here for a long, long time. So, this is just an attempt to dust the cob-webs. For starters, i discovered some really refreshing debut books, and i am clearly looking forward to reading more works from the authors of these books. Two of these books are short story collections, vignettes mostly from the everyday world around us and sometimes from a hypnotic and very surreal world of imagination. The third one is a debut novel, which i liked purely because it broke quite a few stereotypes associated with "desi-lit". You do have the beautifully ornate sari picture on the cover and you do have quite a few of the standard things associated with what lies beneath such ornate covers, what you also get is a refreshing story of an ordinary citizen trying to make sense o the world around him.

And here they are, three very interesting and gripping works :

If it is sweet by Mridula Koshy
`Etudes by Aseem Kaul
The Sari Shop by Rupa Bajwa

And then, besides my standard fix of Murakami and Abe, I have also enjoyed reading the works of Banana Yoshimoto. I recently read "Kitchen" and "Hardboiled and Hard Luck" and was impressed by how simple words can sometimes convey very powerful emotions.

What's on your reading list these days?

Oh, and meanwhile I also visited Boston, along with my dear friend MD, in late summer this year, lots of fun, as always :).
Besides doing a highly touristy thing like taking a duck tour, the other highlight was going to Brookline Booksmith, the best bookstore ever! Meeting my friends Ms. Doll and Ms. E. and just walking around in my old neighborhood , besides eating in our favorite places, awesome! You know what i mean :).

On blue skies and sunshine :).

There are times, when we just go on about our lives like a machine. Oftentimes, for me, this has included spinning a cocoon around myself, albeit involuntarily. Those times, when we just offer ourselves to the day to take us through it. And for what it's worth, i love those days :). But in the midst of it all, there are moments that make you sit up and take notice, of the world and people around you.

The moments when you suddenly notice the blue skies and the splash of gold around you, when the warmth of the sun comforts you like never before. When an ordinary cup of chai tastes like elixir, because it had that extra ingredient of love. When someone calling you "silly" actually feels great, because it's your lil' niece who spouted this wisdom :). Those are the moments when i love being the butterfly, fresh from the warmth of my cocoon.....

Having spent several deliriously joyful days in my cocoon, i took a lil' time to step out and soak in the warmth of the glowing sun and just walking under the gorgeously beautiful blue skies.
And just being mesmerized by the vastness of the ocean.
It was a bliss to feel the raindrops, to see a gigantic full moon waving at me from up there, to just laugh on silly things and all the goodness that comes with it. To watch fireworks while it was raining. To giggle like a kid, with a kid, while watching the dolphin show at the Baltimore aquarium. To have mad, mad fun on a dragon boat at Inner harbor, and then proceed to have an ice-cream, even as we shivered. To take a walk through the fog on the Golden Gate bridge and feel surreal every moment of it.
To stand in the line for more than half and hour, just to ride the cable car-even though you could have taken the Muni and saved much time. Just because it felt just the most appropriate thing to do. To shop silly and to know that its OK to sometimes do things for yourself. To sit in the sun and have masala chai after a really fun day. If only it were possible to say it all in words.....For now, i will just leave you with few pictures. They are the reflections of those fun moments, the moments of just being.....

The best part-doing it all with your friends :). Golden girl and MD, yay !!!!!!!! we did it!

Chai and pakode :-D.

Oh, don't go, yet. You haven't reached my food blog, you are doing fine, still on my diary. Its so happens that old habits have prompted me into chirping about something gastronomical (and by the same token, emotional?) :-D.

I have gotten back from having some "chai" and "pakode". This is a combo, that i lighten up my weekend evenings (when not at home) with, quite frequently. Before you decide to feel jealous, let me dash those hopes. In the interest of full disclousre, that "chai" is from Starbucks! and the "pakode", well they are a close cousin, the falafel :-D. . By all means, feel jealous about the latter, because what i just had, are the best falafels ever (and they are served along with the best hummus and very-very hot saunce). And like i said, i get to enjoy those on a rather regular basis. The "chai" however, is a tricky/sticky note here ;).

I know i am making myself available for some criticism here for "enjoying" the Strabucks kinda' chai. Even though i have it quite often, the "chai-tea latte" at Starbucks (or Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf or Pete's Coffee, or at any one of their cousins), isn't remotely like what i know as chai, with or without the masala. A hundred million people have said that before me, and an equal number is more than likely to say so after me. The name "chai-tea" itself creates confusion, exemplified by the following conversation that i had with my ex-colleague and friend AK, who hails from Russia:

Scene: AK and me standing in the line at Starbucks at workplace, waiting to order.

AK: "Musical, i have to ask you something-What is chai?"

That question drew him a strange look from me. Knowing that chai means the same in Russian as it does in Hindi, it sounded a strange question.

Me: Chai means tea in Hindi, and i guess its the same in Russian.

AK: (Big grin on his face) Yeah, true. But then, why do they (Starbucks) list chai separately and not with tea? So may be it is different indeed.

Me: They are trying to use the term chai for their version of the Indian style chai with spices, milk and sugar. Since in India we call it chai, i guess they just have been using that term. But their version is very different from homestyle masala chai.

And AK was happy, having freshly illuminated himself with the difference between "this" chai and "that" chai :-D.

This debate, whether the chai-tea or whatever is worth your $$ and attention or not, will go on. For me, i have a couple of choices, either to go to the local desi restaurant and order a beverage (many a time after waiting atleast for 15 or so minutes) which might match the taste, but may be served at a temperature totally not acceptable :-D or to go to Starbucks, and get some beverage which is not the same taste, but i can get it boiling hot! I choose both, depending on my mood and time :-D. Oh, and while i am at it, i must tell you that i recently discovered some tea bags for "Indian Chai: Classic Indian Chai with exotic sweet spices". Its black tea with spices, which suit my palate perfectly. For once, i don't reall feel the need to add any milk or sugar to this. The aroma is perfect! I wish they would make something similar with green tea as well, and then we can enjoy kahwa too :).

What can i say, i am shameless. I like that name, chai-and while i continue to treat myself to my home made REAL CHAI every weeekend and some weeknights (along with the delish goodness like upma, paranthas and what not), some weekends when i am not at home, and missing my buddies, i let the emotional appeal of that word get the better of me. I miss chirping with MD and Golden Girl over a cup of hot chai, i miss how Ms. Moon demands that her chai should not have any spice in it. And to think of it, i never even had much chai or coffee till i got into Graduate School. Like i have said before, chai and pakodas are the best combo, especially when friends are around :-D. And having a less than optimal "chai", with what i will again describe as the best falafels ever, sounds pretty good on such evenings :-D.

My lil' vacation :)

Here i am, after a long hiatus (or whatever else you may choose to call it) :-D. And its not that i've suddenly come up with a brilliant idea for a post that i am typing something here ;). Still wondering what to write! And while i do that, i will share some tid-bits about my lil' vacation :).

The typical winter time scenary :-D

It cudn't have been any other place, except Golden Girl's, this time. After she moved to the East Coast, our almost daily chai/coffee etc. sessions, where we would share our day-to-day stories came to a halt. So, i just wanted to be with my friend.....and off i went to.....

The Liberty Bell

Philadelphia :).

There's something about the winter skies :)

Besides, its always fun to enjoy a lil' "real" winter ;).

It's sunny, but very cold ;)

And there i was, right there, with my dear friend, again :).

In Philadephia

It always feels like home at her place. It is like a home for me. You know, the place where i can do anything that i can do at my place, including making some chai at my own will, without anyone having to offer me, as in "Please have some chai" etc. :-D. I am not the least bit hesitant at her place. It feels good, when everyone there asks me to make tea for them :). So yes, in more than one ways, i was home for this vacation :).


Besides her Aayi feeding us all the best of goodies, and her daughter playing naughty tricks on me like we had never been away from each other, besides her hubby requesting another cup of tea with all the affection that he could, i got the sheer comfort of being with Golden Girl, the sheer comfort of being with my folks :). We didn't go out much, there really was no need too. Sometimes, you just need to be at home and enjoy.

We did see around a bit in the city of Philadelphia and also took a lil' trip to Pittsburgh.

A view of downtwon Pittsburgh

And on the way back from Pittsburgh,

Ooh, totally lit up :)

we encountered a lil' flurry, which was the only snow i saw.

Pittsburgh is a lovely city, in more than one ways.

Another pretty view of the city

Lovely architecture, so many universities, a decent public transport system-i really liked the place. There's a lil' vista point from where you can have a pretty view of the Pittsburgh downtown and also take a cable car ride on the incline :). And certain things about the city, including the really sharp inclines on the roads (or free roller-coaster rides, according to Golden Girl), reminded everyone of San Francisco :).

You won't believe it, but the only touristy stuff i did in Philly was a cpl. of hours before going to the Airport :-D.

A pretty buggy/carriage

So, Happy New Year everyone (yes, i am wishing everyone after Republic Day!). Will be back with more stories :).

I saw a bumble-bee :)

Last week, my friend Swiss-Miss chided me a bit....."You have no life", she chirped! As i chuckled shamelessly, she continued, "You should enjoy life a bit, go out, have some time for yourself. Lets go to Lake Shrine this weekend".

Ah! This was not the first time that she asked me to visit this particular place. To her, this place means a lot. In her words, "Its so serene and peaceful, totally takes the stress of your mind". She always vividly decribes this place and its beauty. After my failed attempts to avoid going there, i finally gave in. I didn't want to upset a friend and given the fact that i was not feeling too well, i decided to take the plunge :).


The lake shrine indeed is a lovely place, with the lush greenery holding a beautiful lake in her lap, and its wears mostly an au naturale look.
Nestled in Pacific Palisades, near Pacific Coast Highway, this place did provide a few moments of calm, what with two lil' falls, a serene lake, swans, a variety of flowers, butterflies and even a bumble bee :). There is a service held in the morning for meditation, according to Swiss-Miss. She usually attends the same on weekends. We went there in the afternoon, so i didn't get to see what it was all about. For us, the main purpose that day was to go out and enjoy. And we did :).

The main reason my friend thought i would like this place is, ofcourse, its Indian roots/connection. The place was founded by Paramhansa Yogananda in 1950 and has Mahatma Gandhi memorial too.

These pictures are not the prettiest, but i enjoyed taking them :). It was quite adventurous though! You are not allowed to talk on your cell phone, and i clicked my pictures with a cell phone camera!! Not that i was talking, but its easy to misinterpret :).


Isn't that a pretty picture :). There were only two swans in the lake and i caught this one at the right moment. The garden is full of beautiful flowers, including roses, which are really fragrant!


And here's the picture that made my day :). A bhanwra/bumble-bee! Hadn't seen one in ages! It was a site to behold!


They even have a small suvenir shop/store. They have a great incense collection, and me being an incense lover, i did indulge a bit :). It is indeed a nice place, and we had a nice outing. After we got back to the University, we had our really late lunch at Elysee. It is a bliss to top it all with a chocolate cheese-cake, i tell you :).

She likes it ;).

Ms. Moon, my dear dear friend, recently announced that she likes this diary blog better :). While many of you many not agree with her, i perfectly understand her reasons for this verdict :)). Its always more enjoyable when you know a bit of the backstory, eh? What say Ms. Moon :)). After all this blog has all those cups of chai, chit-chat and Boston stories.

While it is interesting to share what goes in my plate, for me its equal fun to write what goes on in my mind.....and that sort of nudges me to look at the posting stats! One post a month!! My inner voice says, "Sharam Kar" (have some shame)! where have i been! and i promised to Ms. Moon not to proclaim myself lazy anymore :)). So take it as those pages of the diary which remain empty, because there was too much to say.....or may be just nothing. How else do you describe emptiness.....Oh well, moving is a part of life.....Golden Girl has headed eastwards.....MD back to Europe.....One moment so full and the next one hollow! Takes time to reassure oneself that they are still there with me.....in thoughts, and yes, on Gchat and Skype ;).

Its funny, this whole definition of being close! Ms. Moon and i chat almost everyday even as we go about living in different continents. But while i was home, we hardly got a chance to talk much!! So draw your own conclusions :)).

And yes, not to leave you in this web of words, i present you with some pictures, for your viewing pleasure.....Enjoy :).

Chirp chirp.....

Right this moment.....

The weather outside is bright and crisp, typical of SoCal. and i want my share of this brightness. Dhoop, this brightness is so soothing. remember that song, "kachhi dhoop, kunkuni dhoop".....its quite fun to chirp with your friends on a bright, sunny day. Bring in some chai and snacks, and its bliss :).

i spoke to Ms. Doll Wednesday night, and we exchanged the ritualistic weather trivia as well :). Kinda' crazy that while she was freezing, last weekend SoCal had record high temperatures! it had us both in splits. whats worse is that she craved for ice-cream as i longed for a hot cuppa' chai!!

and y'day i caught up with Ms. Moon and Ms. Wisdom on the chat. i often chat with Ms. Moon, but to find Wisdom online is bit of a rarity. i wrote a hello to them both. and while is was chatting with Ms. Wisdom i infomred her about my two-timing ;). Its so turned out that Moon and Wisdom were also two-timing me, they were chatting amongst themselves too :)). Girls, can anyone stop them from chattering ;).

hmm, and then there are those weekend chats with MD, its always like the good old times, when we would sit and chirp over a chai.

Oh, and meeting Golden girl over coffee sometimes and what do we do-Chirp :)).

This chirping makes us what we are, giving us a chance to connect with others, sharing thoughts and ideas.....helping each other grow.....

Tasveer.....

Ms. Moon e-mailed some old pictures to me y'day.....

Pictures from the days when she was here.....pictures before she left Boston to head back home.....pictures of a long walk near Jamaica Pond, and that picture in which she labeled me as a dreamer.....pictures of her, Arshi and me.....a few pictures from Arshi's mehndi ceremony.....

The random chit-chats, the thoughts, the feelings-it all came alive.....

it was just another lil' trip we all took together.....

Friends-2.....

For every Dhoom, there's a Dhoom-2. So, here's the sequel to my post :).

I am all about friends, who mean a lot to me.....and i don't mean people who casually (mis)use the word friend/friendship. i mean the ones, who truly care.....

And i am so happy that one of my friends Ms. Love recently became a Mom the second time :). So she's do betiyon ki Mata ji now :).

and then y'day Golden girl and i had lots of fun-she's truly Golden-heart of gold, really!

Best of all, i got in touch with some old frinds recently in the true spirit of X'mas season.....after a long time.....they are colleagues turned wonderful friends.....

Ms. Happiness, who loving responded to my first email to her in two years within 2 hrs. after writing.....i had missed so much in between.....in her words "Musical, feels so good to hear from you.....i first opened my eyes big to see, if it was truly you.....and now that i am sure its you, i have a big smile on my face, really"..... Ms. Happiness, who's name reflects her personality and what she does for others around.....and who would treat me with generous helpings of home made bread and hummus. it was quite a reunion.....we both caught up on lots of things.....and are hoping to keep in touch.

Ms. E, who shares my love for ear-rings (like Henry Blofeld), replied with the same chirpiness as always.....she of the crisp Boston accent and famous temper (the latter by her own admission) :)). Ms. E, who shared work woes and love for the city of Boston.....Ms. E, who remarked that i didn't say "like" five times in every sentence-so i still very much belong ;). We shared coffee and lots of gossip :)). We met after a long time, and it was fun.

and meeting Doll was wonderful.....chatting through the night.....lots of things that we never said before.....

and missing Ms. Moon.....


and having that bit of fun with MD before she left for Europe.....in a city that we both love.....

and then.....

Kudi guaach gayi.....(literal: the girl got lost).

Many days back, i had asked, "When will there be the next tea-party".....and my hopes were re-kindled.....i picked up the phone and called.....after almost two and a half years.....the same voice mail greeted me.....i wondered if she would call back.....

The next day, while i was shopping at Macy's with MD, that familiar voice said to me on my phone, "Hello ji, ki haal chaal. Main taan sochiya si ki kudi pata nahin kithe guaach gayi e (and i wondered if this girl was lost).....". It was Arshi.....The same voice, the same questions like, "Tumhare baal abhi bhi utne hi lambe aur khoobsurat hain" (is your hair still as long and lusturous)".....in those five minutes, while we were still thinking of what to ask each other, secretly we had found answers to all our questions.....She promised to meet up the next day.....

Pic: Prudential-Fond memories for Arshi and me

and i know, i am still waiting.....

and i know its enough that i heard her voice again.....

we didn't meet up, she didn't call me back and answer my multiple voice-messages.....

but she didn't need to.....

so, when are we having the next tea-party.....

My lil' vacation :)

I had been having dreams.....vivid, rich dreams.....crazy dreams.....

I poured out nostalgia all over this blog, and held some close to my heart.

I longed to sit outside that Starbucks, on the benches.....in my dreams, i saw cob-webs in the elevator that i used to take to go upto my office.....

and much contemplations later, i decided i had to be there.....

and thus my trip to Boston.....

every city has a distinct smell.....a distinct flavor, a distinct style.....that brings those who love the city back into her lap.....

and i got a chance to feel it all.....

the Longwood Medical Area, the food-court where Ms. Moon and i used to share our thoughts, where Ms. Doll (who played my host this time) and i chatted over coffee and even that CVS, where sometimes we would just walk in, to de-stress.....

The smell of Green Line T.....the familiar sights of Brookline and Coolidge Corner.....

I had never been away.....

and through that week, i lived in the same apartment where i used to live before.....the same apartment where i played a host to Doll, when she just came in from India and now she was playing my host.....the same apartment, where Moon lived before us both.....the same apartment, where Arshi and i lived together.....the same apartment where Doll lives now.....

I had come home, my second home.....

i dusted those cob-webs indeed.....writing to some friends after ages and seeing the sparkle in their eyes, when i met them.....and i have lots to share on that.

Friends :)

I know, i've been away for a while.....infact, i've been missing the blog :). thats height of narcissism ;).

Have been meaning to write since last weekend, but first i got sick and then there were few other things to take care of. Yeah, i finally got cold too. Oh, hold on, i am fine now-and anyway, you don't get sick reading a blog :)).

This week, a very dear friend of mine said bye-bye to the City of Angels, as she moves to Europe in a few days. needless to say, i am missing her and our adventures together.

We met a lil' more than a year ago. She was returning home from work, i was getting back to the lab after getting my evening coffee. As we waited for the walk sign, we found someone familiar around us.....yes, familiar. and then suddenly, we exchanged a smile and we both went "are you from .....". We exchanged phone numbers and email ids. Aha, and that was the beginning of what turned out to be a great friendship, spiced up with lots of food, movies and chit-chat. Thats why i like these desi-desi "where are you from"s.

We happen to be from the same graduate school-different departments and would have barely noticed each other in the campus.....(barely enough ;) to light up that faint spark of familiarity. The other common zing-thing we discovered within 5 minutes of our conversation was that we both had spent great time in Boston at some point :).

A whole year of good things, shared and experienced together-would last us both a life-time.....not only through the millions of pictures we madly clicked everywhere around, but also through the warm words, both spoken and un-spoken.....

i wish you a wonderful future and hope you make great friends in your new place.....

MD, this city isn't going to be the same without you, and i hope you would be back sometime-our favorite desi restaurant (and the friends we've made there), the Fox theater and the rest of Westwood awaits us :).