The diary turns one :)

Yeah! The diary turns one year old today.....it was a year ago, that i began chirping on these pages. The pages that have nurtured me in many ways.....the pages that are a reflection of who i am.

You know the warm and strangely comforting feeling that one derives from turning the pages of an old diary..... The color and the smell of old pages invokes nostalgia.....recreating thoughts, images, feelings.....That is what this diary is for.....

Its really fun reading my own thoughts :). Sometimes it makes me wonder, if i were the person who wrote all that! Really, its fun looking at how my thoughts and feelings have shaped up. The many thoughts that i have poured here, have also sometimes given my friends and me a chance to cherish good old times.....

And the diary has become a space for me to chronicle the books i read, the occassional movies i watch and my holiday trips :).

he he, and did i say that the diary has some dedicated readers too ;). Though most of them refrain from improving the comments statistics on this page (hint, Ms. Moon and MD) :-D.

Few days back, i was wondering if i should be changing the look of my diary. I decided to let it be.....it looks as comforting as a favorite old book, that i'd love to read again and again.....

This may not be a well written blog, it doesn't pretend to be-but its a corner where i can feel cozy :). Now what can be more enjoyable than that :).

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 :).

Something yummy awaits you :)

Dear readers,

You know that i never leave an opportunity to talk about food-so this time i went whole hog! Yes, i made myself a lil' online food-corner. And my chirps in this diary continue as usual :).

Hope you are all having a good time.

Cheers,
musical.

That is so not fare!

Friends, there is a whole big world of blogs there talking about my favorite topic-FOOD :). Yes, food blogs are fun, they are a simply great podium for sharing thoughts and idea about the fine art of cooking. I am particularly an ardent fan of desi food blogs. These blogs write all about food-describing recipes in detail (with step-by-step instruction), sharing cultural trivia about regional dishes, creative and fun ideas for healthy khana and above all great, great pictures. I love cooking too, but i am lazy :). Cooking great food is one thing, but it really takes a lot of that extra something and plenty of hard-work to post nice detailed recipes with fantastic pictures on a blog.....These writers do it for the love of cooking, with an intention of sharing what they have learnt with years of experience.

Sample a few great blogs like Mahanandi, My Khazana of Recipes, Foodie's Hope, The Spice who loved me, One Hot Stove, Saffron Hut, Saffron Trail, Sailu's Foodand many many more (you would find the links in these blogs, and i am going to link them soon too).

Much respect to these bloggers for sharing their wonderful creations and pictures with everyone. and yes, they make it all available to us for free!

Lately, though, desi food blogosphere has suffered a lot-several big-time portals have been copying recipes with pictures from these blogs and posting them on the web-without ever taking their permission or even acknowledging the author! Now, how disgusting is that! I first read about this on Sailu's new blog on how Sify had stolen pictures from her blogand posted them on their food forum! and today i read this , this and this on Mahanandi, Sailu's blog and Trupti's blog, respectively. Yahoo India had stolen recipes from Surya Gayathri's blog. Now, how disgusting is that! These bloggers are ever willing to exchange and share their work, so why not give them due credit for their pictures and recipes, or request them for participating officially.....and don't give me this piece, as to how daal recipe would be more or less the same! Please, daal recipe may be more or less the same-but the language, presentation, little suggestions and pictures ARE NOT!

Friends, if you can-please do write a few words on your blog about this. We should totally support fellow bloggers in their fight against this sort of injustice.