Welcome to WordPress.com! This is your very first post. Click the Edit link to modify or delete it, or start a new post. If you like, use this post to tell readers why you started this blog and what you plan to do with it.
Happy blogging!
Eat happily or warily?
It was the season of food poisoning for the media. It is always thus. One incident is enough to start a chain of events and then there will be nothing more. Everything shall continue the same way.
It started with the death of a person who ate Shawarma. This must be the first such incident in the world. Later one got to read daily reports of food poisoning and raids. Many hotels were closed down and many stayed closed in fear of raids!
But I do think that many hotels are taking their customers for granted. Maybe they are getting enough revenue from those who seek their daily spirit.
Recently we went to a hotel in Tiruvella for dinner. We had finished shopping from a new outlet and since Hubby needed to get his pants altered, we chose the nearest hotel. It is one of the oldest in the town. We glanced through the glossy menu and saw many delectable names. With much anticipation we placed our order with the head waiter. This is when he suggested that we order just chappathi and chicken curry if we want to get our order fast. Although our original order was not that great, he told us that it will take more than 30 minutes. Since we were all hungry we decided to take his advise. Thus started our wait for the food to arrive. 10 minutes, 30 minutes and 40 minutes passed. Hubby decided to collect his pants in the mean time. Later the food arrived and we wanted more chapathis. It was after considerable time that it arrived. Later when Hubby arrived we found that we might need more chapathis. This is when the waiter told us thus: ” Did I not give you 2 just now? Even when it was meant for other guests I gave it to you! “. Hunger can lead to many emotions and I don’t blame Hubby when he lost his temper. He was just about to dig into his food when he hears such ‘encouraging’ words. In Malayalam they say ” Paysa koduthe kadikkunna pattiye vanghichathupole ayi” or we paid for a biting dog. Here we are spending money to have some food but we are scolded for stating our needs. He gave it to the waiter and the head waiter comes with explanation that there are many functions going on and hence they are busy. In reply Hubby told him that in this case they should just close the restaurant and not open it for business. By then he had lost his appetite and went to find the manager. The manager nodded his head and said sorry. Anyway that was the last visit to this hotel.
It was this same experience we got in Bangalore. We had a booked one called ” Ivory Inn” through the net. I had called them and asked them if it was near to MG Road etc. and I was told it is very near. But it is only when we saw the rooms that we found that we had been cheated. Since it was late at night we couldn’t find another. This place was also far away from main Bangalore. We shifted from there the next day itself. We had found this place from Trip Advisor but next time we shall be very careful.
It is time the hotels made an effort to keep customer service their prime objective. With customer service should come cleanliness and quality. After all we are paying for it and if you lose customers who shall pay for your livelihood?
Moral Police
“Home stay parties mislead young girls.”
BANGALORE: If the girls brutalized by moral vigilantes in Mangalore last week were looking for any womanly understanding from the Karnataka State Women’s Commission, they were in for a big disappointment.
I
If we have such woman at the helm of Women’s Commissions then it is better the girls in Magalore wear a purdah each time they venture out.
SHIMOGA: C. Manjula an advocate and member of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Women’s Morcha has been appointed Chairperson of the Karnataka State Women’s Commission.
She succeeds Prameela Nesargi who resigned from her post recently.Ms. Manjula, who hails from Bhadravati, is a students’ activist right from her college days when she served the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in various capacities. She is nominated as the member of the Syndicate of the Kuvempu University.
I watched the video where these young men were clawing at the girls and hitting the boys.
If they so love their women folks will they ever treat the girls thus?
Is it because they are missing all the fun?
Those boys did not appear to be helping any girl, instead they seem to be having good fun molesting those girls. Not sure how the parents of those girls stood watching them be dragged and hit by total strangers. Guess it is time these girls took some karate classes too.
I also suggest these young men be first send to KSA and then to USA. Let them taste both kind of freedom and then learn to appreciate their own country better.
Source:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Mangalore-attack-Girls-should-skip-parties-Karnataka-womens-panel-boss-says/articleshow/15320099.cms
http://www.hindu.com/2011/01/09/stories/2011010959400300.htm
Where are you my dear lady?
Where art thou ?
Why have you abandoned us?
As usual the dates were fixed for June 1st but you did not grace us with your presence?
At times we might have cribbed when you unleashed your full power but please dont treat them seriously. You should know that we cannot be without you. There are some of us who make annual trips just to see you, to touch you.We carry precious memories of your visits and nothing can compare to you.
Yes it is the monsoon that I am talking about. Normally by the end of June the rivers would be full and so would the dams. But this year monsoon seems to have abandoned Kerala. If she does not make an appearance Kerala is doomed! Without power and water, what shall it’s residents do? Even those standing in queue for their daily spirit would need a bit of water 🙂
Every year when we go for vacation we watch the river slowly rising. Although monsoon can be a bit irritating Keralites know that without it, the state would die a slow death.
It is time for prayers!
Another trip to cherish..
We did a lot of travelling this vacation and saw new places in Kerala. I have not travelled much through North Kerala but this time we could touch upon Mahe, Talacherry etc. The roads are good but not the drivers, specially the bus drivers. They just come barging upon you and force you to leave the road even if there is enough room for them. Hubby being accustomed to the Gulf roads got really irritated. But they have nothing to lose hence one need a lot of patience.
Mahe was good to have a tank full of petrol since the price was much less compared to other places but this was offset by the petrol price in B’lore. I think the highest in India?
The road towards Madikeri for a stretch of 25 km was very bad and we were happy to reach our destination. We were booked at Club Mahindra and I enjoyed the ambience. We did not do much of sightseeing but we drove quite a bit to reach the Coffee board and another nursery. We were lucky to get a few coffee & orange saplings and a few rose plants too. Coffee does grow in our area and we wanted to try the Coorg coffee since Coorg is famous for it . Another notable factor is the Coorg girls. They are very good to look at 🙂
The bit I enjoyed the most at Coorg was waking up in the morning and sipping a hot cup of coffee from the verandah which faced a jungle of sorts. With only trees and bushes and with a climate to soothe you, it was heaven on earth. We did not want to budge out much and the children had their share of activities.
Our next stop was Blore but we also managed to see the largest Tibetan settlement at Bylakuppe in Coorg District, near Kushalnagar.
It was bustling with monks who obliged us with a few snaps too.
A Kannadian fare that we enjoyed..
We reached Bangalore around 7 PM, but Bangalore disappointed us terribly. It used to be an elegant city once upon a time and I have some good memories too. But it has lost all its charm and we just wanted to get out of it. The hotel we booked online was also disappointing and to find this place we hired an auto guy to show the way. It took more than 2 hours through heavy traffic and road blocks. Too many vehicles, construction and nasty drivers have made this city a nightmare for drivers. Bangalore is also facing water woes and as per my cousin the bore well that they dug to 200 feet was later dug to 800 to yield no water. Many are selling water and thus a tank load of water costs 500 IRS. This is being shared by residents. She has to take turns in using this. My aunty stays at a place where there is no water shortage but she fears that the situation might change in the future. Guess it wouldn’t be wrong if one says that B’lore is similar to how Mumbai was a decade or more earlier. Things are expensive too. I found that a curtain that we purchased from Cochin was 100 IRS more in one of the malls.
Guess after the hectic construction work is over B’lore may change. We did not want to venture out much except to visit relations and for this we hired a taxi from the hotel. We did manage to visit the Bannerghatta National Park. A trip that we enjoyed. The tourists are well protected now. I remember the incident where a girl was snatched away from her father in this same park.
Later we shifted from the silly place that we had hired online and took a one closer to the Mysore road..yea we wanted to get out ASAP.
Our next stop was at Wonderla and it offered the same pleasure as the one in Cochin. Well maintained. We had one more family friend with us who wanted to stop for a day at Mysore but we wanted to reach home and hence left Wonderla at around 3 PM. We wanted to cross the wild life sanctuaries before dark but is was not so. It was solemn faces that viewed the road for elephants, tigers etc. On our previous trip if we had prayed for a sight of wild animals, this time we all prayed fervently to get us out of the park before the animals ventured out. Though Hubby was forbidden by his mother to drive at night we refrained from telling her and decided not to halt anywhere. The new road from Trichur to Cochin was superb and it took us only 30 minutes. Since there was a traffic block at Nadukani where we lost 1 hour and later another hour at Patambi since we lost our way, we managed to reach home at around 4 AM. We realized that we were going in circles when we passed the same broken down truck twice! There were no proper sign boards unlike the road to Calicut.
We also found time to spend at Thekkady when temperature started rising in the plains. Thekkady has changed much since 3 years. Earlier one had only Spice Village (expensive) and Ambady for your food but now the whole lake road is dotted with restaurants; from exclusive French restaurants to Gujarati Dhabba. New construction is also going on. Since there were no rains the mosquito menace was a bit irritating. As per the Kumali residents, it is perhaps due to their prayers that the rain is sparse this time. They still fear the Mullaperiyar dam and doesn’t want the dam to fill up! I am sure the ones across the border are now praying hard for rains. They better solve this issue fast so that the rain Gods can do their job 🙂
I also visited my school at Kuttikanam this time. To the embarrassment of our children I was found running around clicking photos. I asked them to wait until they reached my age! My favourite Peerumade is also changing with new projects coming up. I hear that even Amritha has plans to develop something. Wonder what? Hopefully nature shall be preserved?
Poof! Gone!
Poof!
Poverty is gone!
Yes.. for a second even I was transported to a vision of a nation rid of poverty, but my Hubby’s quip brought me right back to solid ground.
When he held one of the premium position in this country, with the finance ministry under him and if he could no nothing, what is he dreaming to do now? Has he not taken the oath for the only position which gives him zero power?
What lofty words!
For real development to be achieved, “the poorest of our land must feel that they are part of the narrative of rising India,” Pranab Mukherjee said to a burst of clapping, shortly after he was sworn in as the 13th President on Wednesday in the historic Central Hall of Parliament.
As he expanded on the theme of eliminating poverty, it did not go unnoticed among the gaggle of Ministers, Governors, Chief Ministers and MPs who packed Central Hall that Mr. Mukherjee, dressed in a black achkan and white churidar, took a gentle swipe at the economic reformers whom he left behind in the government that he was part of till recently: “Trickle-down theories do not address the legitimate aspirations of the poor,” he stressed.
Some of our past president have left a mark, specially Abdul Kalam. At least he was an inspiration to our youth. Pratiba Patil showed the nation how a president and the entire coterie could go globe trotting at the expense of the nation. And now here comes Pranab with a gene in the lamp that will soon eradicate poverty! This comes at a time when the rains have failed in almost all states and there is severe drought looming ahead. In Kerala, this is the first year that I remember when the rains have failed. One can only pray that it is only delayed. Anyway, dear President continue dreaming. Some of us hoped you would stick around and maybe become the PM. But you were skillfully maneuvered out of the way for the young prince.
While the nation suffers you shall be dreaming inside the S600L ‘Pullman’ luxury saloon ($1.4 million base price) !
Does it have a special lever to eradicate poverty too?
Like the famously luxurious and spacious open-plan Pullman railway coaches after which it is named, the Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard treats its occupants to a travelling environment characterised by generous accommodation and the highest comfort. The vehicle owes its remarkably spacious interior to its 4315‑millimetre wheelbase, which is 115 centimetres longer than that of the long version of the special-protection S-Class. Indeed, with an overall length of 6356 millimetres, the Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard is a vehicle of truly majestic proportions which offers its passengers not only a maximum of comfort, but also a superbly appointed setting for discreet meetings, equipped, of course, with all the key communications and entertainment systems. This ensures that the occupants remain fully in touch while enjoying the luxury and comfort of their own, special environment.
With exotic wood trim and high-grade leather, the interior of the Mercedes-Benz S600 Pullman Guard shows stylish elegance and perfect finish in every detail. The standard individual rear seats in a V12 design ensure outstanding seating comfort. They are equipped with massage, multicontour and ventilation functions. Another example of the luxurious appointments is the thermostat-controlled refrigerated compartment in the console between the rear seats, which is included as standard.
God help our nation!
There is no change..
We are laying interlock tiles around the house and since the material is being delivered from the factory directly it their own workers who are unloading the same. They include, Bengali’s, Tamilians and there is one from Delhi too. He is in Kerala since 4 years and also got married to a Malayali girl. Anyway the owner told us in advance that as long as the union workers dont interfere his workers will unload free of cost. But yesterday the workers somehow came to know about a truck load and came in a bunch and demanded that they be hired for the work. No reasoning would suffice them and in the end we had to allow them to unload. This took much more time than normal.
I thought this menace was under control in Kerala but it looks as though it isn’t. We did not want to antagonise them and invite trouble.
We hope to travel to Coorg and B’lore after a couple of days.
Yesterday for the first time I had a new kind of Rasam; made out of the illimban puli. I dont know the English equivalent for the same. But the rasam was very tasty.
Let me jot down the recipe before I forget it.
1. 2 Tbsp of Chilly Powder
2. 1 tspn of Fenugreek Powder
3. 1 tspn of turmeric powder
4. A pinch of Asofetida
Mix the above in 3 glasses of water along with the chopped Puli. Heat it until it just begins to boil. Remove from fire and splutter mustard seeds, brown small onions and curry leaves in Coconut oil.
Tasty rasam is ready for rice.
It is good
The much awaited monsoon is here and it is getting cooler as the days go by. When we landed the climate felt no different from kuwait. But now the nights are cooler.
We have a new member in our family. Jim- he is only 2 months old but very adorable. He is a labrador. Here is a cute picture of him. Hope none puts eyes on him :). He is already on antibiotics due to change in food. He now travels with us wherever we go and behaves very well when out in the public.
This time I have help around the house. She is very efficient and her appearance has further enhanced my vacation. She has 2 children, a girl and boy but her husband left her and hence she is a single mother. They were in Bombay and during her second delivery he left with the lady who had come to cook for him, while she was in Kerala. She now stays with her parents who are getting old. Her children are now studying in the government school and she says the school is good. Yesterday she went for the PTA and met some good teachers. The uniform and school bag is provided free of cost and they also have lunch; rice gruel with a lentil dish. When the student reaches 7th standard, they will be provided with a bicycle too. Felt very happy hearing this. This arrangement eases much burden off her and she is much hopeful for her two children. The school recently shifted to English medium. I do not know if every other school is similar or if it is because of the teachers who are teaching in this school. And I also wonder how the situation is in the rest of the country.
Kokum
The monsoon is not in full swing yet and hence the kokum fruits have some time under the sun.
The tree.
The fruit
The final seasoning or smoking
Kokum
The kokum is the main ingredient for the famous red fish curry which is unique to central Kerala.
The recipe….
- Fish – 1/2 kg, cut into medium size pieces
- Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Fenugreek (uluva) – 1/4 tsp
Ginger & garlic – 1 1/2 tbsp, crushed into a fine paste
Small onion – 6-8 - Kashmiri chili powder – 1 1/2 – 2 tbsp
Coriander powder – 1 1/2 – 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp - Cocum/kudampuli – 2,3 pieces
- Curry leaves
Salt
Coconut oil
Soak cocum in 3 tbsp water for 10 minutes.Mix the powders (chili,coriander & turmeric) together with coconut oil/water & make a paste. Heat oil in a meenchatti (earthen ware) or a pan & splutter mustard & fenugreek. Add crushed ginger garlic paste & stir for 3,4 minutes. Add small onion & curry leaves & saute till it becomes soft. Add the masala paste & fry till oil starts appearing. Add cocum along with the water & fish pieces. Combine well. Make sure that fish pieces do not get broken in the process, it will be safer to rotate the pan to ensure that fish & masala is mixed well. Add required amount of water & cook till the fish is done & gravy becomes thick, it will take around 20 -25 minutes on low flame. Serve with rice or kappa , dosai or even your good old bread!
http://www.mariasmenu.com/spicy/meen-vevichathu-fish-currykottayam-style
Time to rejuvenate
Yes… it is that time of the year for rejuvenation or vacation.
We shall soon be boarding the plane and this time we have some plans to travel a bit. Last time we were tied up at home and could not move around much.
Out here the temperature is rising and we are also having frequent sandstorms. The monsoon will be a welcome change after all this. I hear the rains have started in a small way.
I started to value the beauty of the places I grew up more, after I left home for my studies. Was able to visit home only during study leaves and long holidays. By then Father was transferred to Coonoor, another beautiful place on earth. This estate was in the Kotagiri district. If one walks a bit one could see the old roads that led to Ooty. We have made many long treks through this place and almost reached this old road that wound up through the Nilgiri mountains.
I remember how I used to drink in the beauty of the place during my return trip. The drive from our place of stay to Coonoor was long and had tea gardens, a bit of forest and small towns in between. I never took off my eyes from outside since I feared each trip would be my last since Father was nearing retirement. I also used to thank God for giving me such happiness but at the same time I never dreamt I would have to travel far away to a desert. But that is how life is.. very unpredictable indeed.
So if net and time permits, I shall be posting; else please do not abandon my blog, but do wait until I get back.
Rumble of Thoughts 