Sunday ke Sunday

I have been in Mumbai all through March, and I dare say that it has been a vibrant and activity-filled month. Some would even say, it has been hot and happening.

First up - the jewelry house I have worked with since 2010 opened its flagship boutique in Mumbai amidst great pomp and style in Kala Ghoda. The NIRAV MODI boutique is housed in a beautiful heritage building and the space has been used cleverly and stylishly, reflecting the aesthetic vision of the brand's creative head Mr. Modi.  The novel use of space must be attributed to another creative genius, Spanish-based Jamie Hayon (pronounced “Haymee”). But most importantly, the jewels have found their rightful place in the creative display vitrines with intricately crafted paper art. It is a matter of great pride that I look forward to welcoming guests and friends to the boutique, knowing that the jewels on display in this wonderful setting shall enthrall them.

Put a Bow on it!

Girl Crush moment with Lisa Haydon

 

Welcome to my Office!

Kala Ghoda is shaping out to be a great address for shoppers and city folks to hang out in, with its quaint pedestrian streets, terrific eateries, chic boutiques and of course, art galleries a plenty. The periwinkle-blue synagogue in the heart of the district makes for the perfect picture postcard. The city's oldest music store, The Rhythm House has also spruced up its facade with an eye-popping blue and yellow coat of paint. With many age-old haunts like Khyber, Chetana thali, The Golden Thimble still holding their own, I hope the area continues to flourish and attract more stand-alone entities to add to its collection. It is the one part of South Mumbai that has an eclectic energy to it with such a diverse offering. The edgy-artsy-hipster vibe is definitely what the city needs and I am most glad that it so close to home! For my parents and their friends, the closing of the Cafe Samovar in the Jehangir Art gallery has been the source of huge waves of nostalgia and sadness as it closes down after 50 years of service...Alas, hopefully it signals the beginning of something new and wonderful none the less.

Saturday workstation at The Pantry

 

Lovely new tea house

Sabyasachi's resort show was at the (now) defunct and iconic Richardson and Cruddas warehouse two Sundays ago. What the collection lacked in terms of the Sabya touch was amply made up by the drama of the unique location and the star-studded front row guests. Sabyasachi epitomises success in contemporary Indian fashion wear for Indians in India and elsewhere and continues to hold fort as the leading bridal couturier. The show was a sharp departure from his usual style; say the critics, but in my "fashion outsider" eyes, it was quite simply, blah. Most blah were the gawky, awkward models, who walked for him - poor body language and catwalk style. Was Sabya making a subliminal statement of “Let's mix it up”, with the unexpected psychedelic laser light show and the 70’s retro remix music that replaced the antique chandliers, mogra-infused haze and Satyajit Ray music?

 

Speaking of organisation, Anamika Khanna was the closing designer for the Fashion Week and three hours before the show, political goons came and shut down the show at its original venue - the spectacular Bhau Daji Lad museum.

But, the Show Must Go On and contrary to their violent and regressive vision of the political mafiosi, the fashion fraternity showed a harmonious and productive spirit. The show venue was changed to the Palladium hotel lobby and the entire production and choreography had to be changed, naturally. All the guests still came to show support and feast their eyes on the ethereal garments. Sure, there was a long delay and a poor execution of a new seating plan, but when the show eventually started, all these hassles were forgotten. African Goddess meets Earthly Nymph was the look and the feel of the models with their dewy, wet hair, red wine stained mouths and strong eyes. Designed by AK’s equally talented sister, Suhanie Pittie, the accessories were very eye-catching.

The rest of the fashion week continued on at the new venue - the Palladium Hotel and I did happen to see a few more shows of young designers presenting their work on the New Talent runways. Afterwards, walking through the stalls, I was just amazed at the powerhouse of talent they had. I saw such great work and workmanship in the garments on display. The Indian hand is golden in my opinion, and it angers me when I see the great Western design houses borrow so greedily into our deep talent pool. Buying cheap, only to sell it back to us...! When will we learn to show pride in our metier and ancient know-how? Mostly, when will we have the discipline to make a uniform, international level product. I don't mean to lament, because I do see a sense of organisation kicking in (Nirav Modi, Sabyasachi stand as case in point) and I look forward to strolling down the Avenue Montaigne's of the world and spotting Indian brands commanding top spots in the international retail map.

Stand-alone eateries are much welcome in Mumbai, especially when it is not just the vibe of the place that is cool, but the food is terrific. The latest addition to the local food scene is The Bombay Canteen at Kamala Mills. Opening 6 weeks ago, it is impossible to get a last-minute reservation here and the aam janta’s reviews on the food have been terrific. So it became the restaurant venue of choice for a big, fat family get-together on account of my New York-based sister’s milestone birthday celebration. Arriving there a little bit before the reservation time, I was tired-famished-thirsty all at the same time. The restaurant was buzzing with all the tables occupied and the bar was busy too. Finding myself a spot, I grabbed the menu, which resembled an accounts ledger (taking me back to my school days – Accounts was my favourite subject!). A quick scan of the cocktail menu, I picked the Tar-Booze (vodka, watermelon juice, kala namak) and then pondered over what appetizer to pair it with. I didn’t need to ponder too long as I was approached by a server carrying a tray of “pick-and-eat” bites, adorably called “Chintoos” priced at a swet Rs.40 for the vegetarian (lotus stem fritters with chaat masala) and Rs. 60 for the non-vegetarian (Deviled eggs served in the egg white) selection. How clever was that! Hungrily attacking the bites and washing it back with the yummy drink, I was quickly relieved of my earlier disposition. When the rest of the group came and we were seated at our table within the art-deco inspired glasshouse, the chintoos were ordered by the tray! The final verdict was that it had been a superb meal – the Raan was the clear winner and warranted its 24 hour advance order. For me, the banana leaf steamed snapper and the thepla tackos were the winners, not to mention the ridiculously humble coconut rice, which I could eat sans accompaniments. My only grouse was the poor acoustics and high sound level that rung through the period I was there, definitely making it impossible to enjoy a polite dinner table banter. I nearly lost my voice on account of bellowing over the music level (perhaps the icy cocktail played its part too). I look forward to discovering the rest of the menu, especially the dessert section, soon and wish the young, talented team behind this venture tremendous success.

( A good review can be found at:http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/zk2mYgKTdBMCfQ8it8yJCK/FOOD-REVIEW-Bombay-Canteen-Mumbai.html )

 

 

And slowing down the manic month a tad, was an evening at the movies (Inox of course!), whilst eating popcorn and watching Cinderella.

Sigh

It's true - there ain’t no romance, like a Disney romance and the 2015 adaptation of the classic Cinderella doesn’t disappoint. Staying absolutely true to the story, the movie maker didn’t muck up the tried-and-tested formula by adding any gimmick. Director Kenneth Branagh and screenwriter Chris Weitz have grounded this romantic tale with sincerity amid the dazzle. Perfectly cast, every character was easy to relate with. The beautiful Lily James (Lady Rose from Downton Abbey) as the humble, obedient, beauty wins over your heart from the very beginning. Cate Blanchett plays the evil stepmother effortlessly and brilliantly, along with her two awkward daughters, as the cruel step sisters.

In these fragile times that we live in, it is very important to remain positive, focused, optimistic and retain innocence. The arts, particularly movies often work as therapy. And watching Cinderella that evening along with my sisters and friends like sisters, proved to be a therapeutic session for me. Perhaps it would have also worked as a suitable alternative therapy for Andreas Lubitz.

We are our own monsters.

Yet another air calamity has hit the news with the Germanwings crash in the deep ravines of the French Alps. The devastation of this incident is compounded by the fact that the utterly young (27) co-pilot was in a distressed and disturbed state of mind and as a consequence, can be held responsible for ending his own life, along with that of the remaining 151 passengers on board the flight. Young people today have such bizarre mental activities. In India, little is known of clinical depression – what triggers it, how to treat it and what its possible repercussions maybe. Perhaps this horrific incident turns attention to this modern-day killer and raises awareness on how to identify it and help those suffering from it.

I am definitely going to begin my spring fling with a greater endeavor to continue the practice of gratitude and always remember to Be Kind and Have Courage

The Way I Are

Farewell, Good-bye, Sayonara, Ciao, Toodles, Hasta la vista, Au Revoir, Peace Out 2014 -

Sorry that I seem to be utterly excited that 2014 is now a thing of the past but it was a pretty below-average year for me and by the end of it, I was ready to get on with it and ring in the new. No matter how out-of-it we may feel; my family and me are infused with festivity by the end of November when the delicious decadent vibe of December starts creeping in and enveloping the world over! The last month of the year conveys an infectious message of joy, gratitude, forgiveness, sharing, lights, food, love, and family.

Unfortunately, December 2014 was marked by certain depressing and shattering world events completely unaligned from the above stated notions. Lights were most certainly blazing away, but lights of a different kind. From the Peshawar massacre, the Sydney café hostage holdup, the impending ISIS crises or the disappearing Malaysian airline plane – it was a time marked by blood, tears and innocent loss. A tragic time for all of humanity. Wherever the perpetrators of these events are, I hope divine justice swoops in and deals with them in the right manner. Political discourse and commentary are most certainly not my forté and I will leave that to the more knowledgeable to comment on.

Knowing that I can say, write and illustrate my own feelings and observations of the world around me, is a gift I have been born with - The Freedom of Expression. The very basis of my micro blog is this basic principle and freedom that I take for granted because I can and I should. As I type this, members of the Free World are agitating the 7^th January 2015 massacre. 3 gunmen stormed the offices of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris Wednesday and opened fire, killing at least 12 people in what French authorities are calling the worst terror attack in four decades. The masked gunmen shouted Islamist slogans and exchanged gunfire with police as they fled and continue to remain on the run.

This particular tragedy has shaken the international literati and glitterati out of their complacency, as it has occurred in the City of Lights, a city hitherto known for its rich history, literature, fashion, architecture, and gastronomy; less known for its strikes, manifestations and alleged secularism. In India, we are confronted with such horror stories rather often and it scarcely seems to worry the international community when it happens. Poor nation, poor people theory….

Paris has been the birthplace of so many important and revolutionary artists, poets, writers and philosophers. This quality epitomizes the spirit of the city, making it the city of the Arts and to have something so grave and terrifying occur so brazenly has shaken the world with supporters showing solidarity adopting the #jesuischarlie tag.

In two weeks, Mumbaikars will see the better side of its citizens on 18^th January 2015 with the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon fever taking over. The SCMM is particularly close to my heart as I have had wonderful memories running as a Dream Maker (Feel free to support my cause at http://www.unitedwaymumbai.org/fundraiser-3954 ). One gets to see the wide diversity in the people of this marvelous city who come out to support, cheer and enjoy the bonhomie and energy felt on this Sunday every year. I see people much older than me running the half marathon with such dedication and determination, handicaps smiling away as they make their own way towards the finish, crazy people dressed up in strange costumes shouting some slogans, models, actors, industrialists – all coming together to celebrate the city of Mumbai and pitch in. But this amazing energy seems to be forgotten before and after and right after, things fall back into the usual rut. Why should it be so? When we get together for the right reason, good things will and can happen…I hope the good forces continue to preside and the Island City sees actual progression in this year and the years to come.

Next up in January is the visit of US President Obama for the Republic Day celebrations for which all our roads have been dug up overnight and all sorts of infrastructure overhauls have harrowed us Mumbaikars. Let’s see what comes off the historic event, other than Obama ji picking up a humble jhadoo and sweeping the streets. To really cleanse the country, we all know it isn’t the roads that need cleaning…the erstwhile Shashi Tharoor might know a thing or two about that. 

Erm that will be all from me for today. Don’t want to say more, alas I might have to watch over my shoulder.

But I will be back. Stay tuned! In the mean time, be mindful and be careful!

Sharing my song for the time that is now, and quite aptly so:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5l9-xNcV5E

Right it out

Isn’t it funny how much time, energy and emotion we put into and onto people, events and activities that don’t do anything good for you. Well, I certainly have wasted precious hours and copious tears on irrelevant matters and am sure will do so in the future but hopefully less and less.

I haven’t written for so long and it’s a shame really for myself (I know I don’t have a gala of expectant readers waiting for my next post...or do I, now!?) since this is an activity that can be quite therapeutic and reflective. In my self-created whirlwind of mental activity (read: confusion) expressing my thoughts out does help clear the dusty haze a little bit and help me see beyond these distracting clouds of confusion that I seem to be walking through now a days.

So, Sunday NOTE TO SELF: Write it out

Back to what I like discussing: Food and Movies in the city; and I have lots of updates on both.

Let’s start with the food feature of the post, #Gagganrock (the official hashtag) up in Mumbai last weekend. The 36 year old maverick chef Gaggan Anand hit the city of Mumbai with a series of private sit-down dinners and also some twitter-advocated roaming food trucks, hitting a large audience from well-traveled palettes to the aam after-work aadmi.....True to his flamboyant style, he pulled off quite a show and had enough tongues wagging on the subject of his food and his craft. Here is a guy with quite a bio to reckon with, starting young, working hard and rebelling early. He is currently based in the city of Bangkok with his award winning, eponymous titled restaurant, Gaggan. Having the chance of dining at it precisely one year ago, it was a meal that I certainly haven’t forgotten. Experiencing his food lab was quite an experience and I vividly remember all that I ate (12 courses!) and drank. The concept is pretty easy, there’s three offers on the menu, going from a basic 10 course to 12 course and lastly, 15 course offer. Beyond that is his growing wine cellar and of course, the lab continues to experiment with its Gaggan signature cocktails. I will never forget his imaginative interpretation of a Long Island Iced Tea. 

The food concept stems from molecular gastronomy (he continues to collaborate with El Bulli) and I know that the chef doesn’t like the use of that word (molecular) but essentially it really is that. Every course of your meal is an act in a play, making the experience like going to the theatre. In Mumbai, I was lucky to plus-one myself to a privately hosted dinner with other patrons of highly discerning taste (think hoteliers, food critics, corporation heads and other chefs). My mother had been most looking forward to this evening as she had not been with us in BKK, and had to make do with our rave-reviews on it. 

Ironically enough, she was left untouched by the Gaggan experience and perhaps even a little hungry, if that is possible at the end of 15 courses! Yes, the food is a bit gimmicky and I felt I had “been there, done that”.  Indian food is challenging to experiment with and I am coming to believe that perhaps it is too tough to do a proper cross-over cuisine with our Desi dishes - they are better enjoyed the good ol’ fashioned way. Pretty plates and quirky names do make dishes amusing, but don’t entirely work at making it tasty. Especially for an Indian diner who craves something a bit more real and substantial, more so when he is paying a steep price for the meal. This kind of food works better to the more gentle taste-buds of travelers.

 I would give Gaggan a huge kudos for his originality, creativity and crazy-food-scientist approach..he his only at the helm of his career and am certain his innate intelligence and rockstar personality will propel him to the better and greater. I look forward to trying his food some years at another international destination. Keep the Indian flag flying high!

So Fresh - a caviar and nitrogen infused sorbet-esque cocktail

I am not your Michelin-star going gal, but a few months ago, I stumbled into a delightful restaurant in Grenada that was in the that I was staying at. My favourite meal of my entire vacation was at La Fábula Restaurante under the guidance of Chef Ismael Delgado. Nothing beats eating dinner at 8 pm with the sun still out, in a lovely courtyard with fountain et all in a charming and historic town with flamenco music playing some where down the street as dinner-time music. With a giant rose stuck furiously in my hair, an accessory that I felt necessary for the flamenco performance I would go to watch later that evening, I was the first guest to the restaurant that evening. In Spain, people don’t eat before 10 pm so the kitchen was not up and about. Luckily, I had told the Front Desk that dinner couldn’t be later as I would then miss the performance, something i didn’t want to have to do given my one night in Grenada. The Chef was telephoned and he agreed to serve me early. He was charming and confident, asking us a few key questions (allergies, food preference and wine preference) and told me to trust him with what would soon arrive to the table...Okay then. When in Rome....

Soon came a whimsical plate of what I thought was table art only to realise it was the Amuse Bouche sent by the Chef. and amusing it certainly was! Have a look:

Too cute to eat, but of course I did!

A special fork for my fish entree

Each of the items, was delicious and different. every bite unraveled a novel taste and sensation. The local white wine selected by the maitre’d was terrific. I would return to that town for the wonderful Gilda. Pure and light, like water....The two courses that followed were magical as well. Real food, no tricks. Dessert was skipped in favour of some more vino. Here was a chef who otherwise served dinner to his patrons over an average meal-time of 2 hours, 15 minutes and didn’t want to lower his style because I had to scamper off and eat an exquisite meal so hastily. He was humble yet proud and spent time explaining his creations. 

In the case of both these chefs who were similarly aged and had each gone through the discipline of working as executive chefs with leading hotel groups in international destinations; they also got the extra mark because of the way they handled their supporting staff and team, introducing each by name and telling me (the diner) on what that person was good at. This goes a long way when building a career and creating a positive dining experience and developing a dedicated group of patrons who would in fact, think of re-visiting a city only to go back to these restaurants for an inspiring meal.

Things that make me go mmm....Manish Dayal as Hassan in the Hundred Foot Journey currently tops that list. We know that girls get very impressed with guys who do good in the kitchen. So when you are served the most delectable omlette from the hands of an awfully cute baawarchi with his molten-chocolate eyes maintaining a steady gaze as you take that first bite, it is easy to say that it’s going to be one of the best eggs you might ever have! The wonderfully charming movie with its heart-breaking young leads (Manish Dayal and Charlotte Le Bon) and the fantastic cast made this movie one of my favourite food movies of all times. In the same week I watched Chef and enjoyed it thoroughly too. In this case, the chef in question was definitely no Hasan but his young son was certainly a cutie! 
Both movies are very different, but food is a basic and universal theme and when a foodie movie keeps it real and doesn’t stray away from the essence, it turns out well. Both movies dealt with the delicate and oft turbulent relationship between a father and son. Also, important to note is that both movies the male protagonists would never have enjoyed the success that they did, if there wasn't the support and prod given by the feminine forces in their lives. 

South Mumbai is in need for independent eateries and with a growing dining culture, hungry mumbaikars always look forward to something new opening up. Japanese food has been a worldwide favourite for the past 10 odd years and Mumbai seems to have lately got a couple of new japo joints. High up on my must try list is Saizen (the old Tetsuma) in Colaba, which has gotten encouraging reviews for food and value. Yukka another new one at the snazzy Palldium hotel has generated a bit of a buzz with the swish set. I am yet to hear very positive recommendations on it to make me venture to it. A little earlier, Guppy by Ai opened its Mumbai kitchen at the Racecourse. I have been to the Delhi restaurant twice and enjoyed it sufficiently for its kitschy vibe and fair food. Its Mumbai counterpart is apparently not very good and over-priced. Since I like stand-alone restaurants, I plan to give it a go soon too and decide for myself. Hold the wasabi until then.

I had a rather mellow weekend and a particularly homely Sunday. I did a bit of food-labbing myself today recycling last night’s dinner leftovers today at lunch with a Tandoori chicken salad, which turned out very good. And for dinner, I attempted  to stay healthy with a sesame-crusted baked salmon filet. The outcome was very average making me a bit anxious of my culinary skills since cooking salmon is for kitchen dummies. 

It is really peculiar that the most well-known chefs around the world and in India are all men. Including the baawarchis and maharajas that work in our homes. Yet, it is assumed that women must be able to cook simply because we are the fairer sex and this is what the universe (men folk) expect of us. Our God given destiny!!! Clearing through that controversy chef Ritu Dalmia. A really inspiring female chef who has been consistently dishing out  excellent food and series of Diva restaurants to lucky diners in the capital city. She is no Tarla Dalal or Nigella Lawson and has the spunk, talent and discipline to make it bigger. My little wish is for her to find a spot in Mumbai soon - we need you here!!

As I make way to get it RIGHT, I hope to write again soon, but don't be too mad if I am spending time on mastering the art of preparing the essential yellow dal and the perfectly round roti - diaries of Belan Babe out soon! 

Hairspray (not the musical....)

Movies screened in theaters in India are (rudely) interrupted by an (abrupt) "intermission" so that moviegoers get the chance to top up on their popcorn-coke-pizza or take that ever-pressing telephone call that buzzed through the first half, much to the annoyance of the other patrons....either way, the intermission serves as "necessary" pause during the movie.

Unlike our Bollywood movies, Hollywood movies aren't made for this halfway break. So it is rather annoying whilst watching the movie, where the film is moving towards the climax or a character is saying something fairly important, that the film grinds to an abrupt break. In any case, I digress....

During the intermission of American Hustle, I looked at my friends with whom I was watching the movie to chat and check how they were enjoying the movie. But incidentally, they were in need of that necessary pause to replenish their pop-corn tubs and I was left alone to ponder on what I felt about the movie. Curiously enough, I realized that I had been watching the movie more for the crazy-crazy-hairdo than the other aspects!

It was curiously strange, but each character in the movie, had his/her own hair-story going. So much so, that the hair was its own separate entity, having life and motion of its own. I was just riveted by the fashion of the time on display, dominated by the brilliant coifs on display.

In the second half, when all the characters come together and the mob is brought face-to-face to the fabricated Sheek (wonder why they couldn't pronounce it shake for a "sheikh"). At this point, all the central characters  are dressed to impress and share the same scene and the screen space. It is a treat to see the glamorous, O.T.T and vulgar style of the 70's come alive on screen.

Seductress, Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) plays the icy mistress of protagonist Irving Rosenfeld as well as the apple of FBI agent Richie DiMaso's (Bradley Cooper) eye. Both the men in her life are men who evidently take pride in their hair. The movie opens with Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) in front of the mirror, doing his thang. In a near meditative state, he meticulously fixes tufts of synthetic hair onto his bald scalp by gluing and spraying them in place. In another scene later in the movie, DiMaso is shown wearing  hot rollers in his hair. This is nothing to take away from the effort gone behind the blonde nest created on Irving's wife Rosalyn's (Jennifer Lawrence) head.

While this may seem frivolous and funny to you - I won't disagree. But these are all necessary details which makes the movie what it is. From the beginning, it is all about getting it right "feet up" and so if that means getting your hair right for the role; you damn well get your hair right for the role! Whilst writing this blogpost, I came accross a few great article which shared the hair and makeup regime followed by the cast during the shooting of the movie:

http://nymag.com/thecut/2013/12/hair-stories-behind-american-hustle.html

http://www.vanityfair.com/vf-hollywood/bradley-cooper-american-hustle-hair-video?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%253A+vanityfair%252Fvfdailyfeed+(VF+Daily+(X-rail))

For those who haven't watched the movie yet...don't read the links above. Instead, get your movie ticket or illegal DVD pronto. And for those who have, ladies and gents, let's get the groovy hair going pronto! Grab your hairdryer, put the hot rollers to heat and keep cans of  hair spray ready!

In the mean time, I am certain the Hustlers will sweep through the Academy Award winnings and enjoy a hair-raising awards season!

InstaLife

As if our lives weren't fast enough, now they have to be slick enough. Because now, we need to take a photo of our every move.

It is said, that every picture tells a thousand tales, but if you are living life in 3G times, you can even count the number of stories your picture tells, by counting the likes and comments it reacts!

Over the past year or so,I have been living life through instagram-tinted filters...It seems that every moment in our lives has the potential of being captured and filtered, hash tagged and made "oh-so-cool". Even the most mundane activity, like brushing your teeth, has become an #instamoment. Cool photo-effects, frames and other clever stuff, can make any daily activity/chore/process, appear "interesting". Add a clever caption or two and combine it with some creative "hashtags" to finish up and post the picture successfully. 

Personally, I have always enjoyed taking photographs and I suppose I have my mother to thank (?) for this habit. Her passion for capturing an important moment, a celebration, a vacation, a birthday….from the time me and all my siblings were born, have made each of us fairly immune to the camera.  I used to greatly resent being made to pose for pictures , especially when it would be amidst other kids my age, who would look at me rather curiously whilst I would be correcting my posture or body language for my enthusiastic and loving mom, trying to get a perfect frame. We have cupboards filled with photo albums (the real kind!) of black and white and color photographs dating back to the very beginning of all our lives. Nothing hits the spot better than spending a random Sunday, going through these heavy albums with all the wonderful memories.

When I got my very first camera, my friends would cringe as I would make them do what my mother did to me – get a perfectly art-directed photograph, even if it meant moving people and things around to achieve the right composition! It is no surprise however, how much they would then enjoy seeing their pictures later after they got developed! When we moved from roll to digital, it got a lot easier to take a semi-decent photograph. In the worst case, a bad picture could be deleted and re-shot….

Now, as we have moved from a digital camera to a smart phone, or shall I say, the iPhone (era); every one of us is a photographer. And a superb photographer at that. It is truly as easy as aim-and-shoot, baby! The phone does all the work for you - just make sure to have your #instapose on.

I am guilty of being a dedicated instagrammer. It is a brilliant application and I think it is a lovely way of expressing oneself and sharing one’s life with others. The trouble is, I seem to have moved from dedication to obsession for I can spend time solo, provided I have my phone with me because it feels as good as being with rest of the world!

Not so good for my inter-personal skills however...........

But hey, isn't there that application, called Facebook to take care of that problem?

(So there you have it, humans shall become robots..............this is the #instatruth)

100 ka chutta nahi milenga...

 100

That's the number that all of India seems to be pretty fixated with at the moment. Well, if not the entire nation, then Mumbai is, for sure...Following Sachin's 100th 100, two weeks ago - all forms of the media have gone absolutely berserk commemorating the Man. In usual Indian style, we have decided that the Little Master may now officially exit ODI's and continue to rake it in through all the other means.Gladly, Sachin has been vocal in establishing the contrary to this thought by assuring the masses that as of now, he shall continue professional cricket.

But a rather interesting development (since I began writing this post, 5 days ago!) is that Sachin has elegantly stepped down as the captain for Mumbai Indians and has neatly handed this gift to Bhajji.
Arey aila - hey kai Sachin? IPL cha chaska side varoon honar? (translation- "oh mother! Whats this Sachin? Ready to enjoy the IPL from the side line?")


Meanwhile Harbhajjan and his various chickitas must be going wild, doing the balle balle with several patiala pegs being had! Bhajji says,

"Sachin bhai spoke to me a few days back and told me about his decision. It's a great honour for me to lead Mumbai Indians in such a big tournament," said Harbhajan. "I would like to thank Nita (Ambani) bhabi and Sachin paaji for giving me this responsibility and showing faith in me. It was a difficult moment when Sachin expressed his desire to quit captaincy. But we all believe that he is the best person to take the final call on such matters." 

For a non-IPL person (notice, I didn't say "fan") like me; who remains fairly indifferent to all the tamaasha surrounding this sporting event - I am sure, that it will be another season of great glamour, excitement, entertainment and controversy!!

SO, LET THE GAMES BEGIN!



Chulo, now you tell me, what can we get in Rs. 100 nowadays?
Go on, scratch your head...

Many of us (sadly and shockingly) might draw a blank. Our lives have gotten tres cheres...we are living in Grand times.
This is quite true. Take your average entertainment costs that have sky rocketed! One movie trip burns a sizzling Rs. 500 debt in an individual's pocket, if you are going to a city multiplex. Petrol up, khaana up, peena up, cigarette up, sleeping bhi up...we should value the rare, free moments that life brings us.

This year was my first year filing my taxes. I spent several hours in the last few weeks of March getting my salary and bank balance in order. I was shocked by how much I "owed" the government. "Over and above all the indirect taxes we dish out with out some times realizing, we are condemned to pay yet some more at the end of each year?!

Feeling beaten and tiny, I left for home and stopped off for a pick-me-up work out at the Bombay Gymkhana. As I was leaving, I looked across the street as I always do, toward Fashion street. This evening, it seemed that the hawkers were really calling out to me. "I mustn't ignore them," I thought as I made my way to my favorite stall. I made sure to grab the very last note I had and fortunately it was Rs. 500 - Jackpot!

15 minutes of blissful haggling later, I jumped back into my car with a little bag of new summer wear. Not bad 1 dress and 2 blouses for half a grand...I felt rich.It was comforting to know that there were still some things that were delightful and yet accessible to my threadbare wallet!

That's the great thing though, we are known as "resourceful" Indians. And it is true - we are rather resourceful - we are completely capable of often pulling a rabbit out of a hat, if that is the need of the hour. But I wonder how long we can rely on our resourcefulness? I will not cease to have the utopian hope that one fine day we shall enjoy safe and sound governance. There will be an authority that will use our money to give us smooth roads, a safe metro to commute across the ever-expanding city, water bodies in place of gutter bodies, fragrances instead of stenches........this list could go on.


How about your 100ka100 list in the mean while?