Ashes of Roses

No identity

2009-10-24T23:01:00.000-07:00

Off late most of the Indians I have come across try to be american and remotely non-indian. Though the former eludes them, the latter is what they are and will be. High time we take pride in being Indian....This is what I call a Dhobi ka kutta....hence no identity ;)

Loreto Chorus

2009-03-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

To East and West of that fair Isle
Where the first Loreto stands,
Loreto's banner now doth fly in many distant lands
In sunny Spain,on Afric's strand
Under the southern Cross
And Westward Ho,where rainbow hued
Niagara's waters toss.

Chorus:
Loreto's banner gaily floats
In lands both East and West
Loreto's name each girl reveres.
And holds it ever blest.
But first Loreto found a home beneath our Indian skies
Where now o'er plain and mountain peak
The well loved banner flies
Loreto's standard bearers we
In girlhood's springtime gay,
O may we e'er be loyal and true
To the school friends of today
And when our school days ended are
And our varied paths divide,
Oh may the ideals of our youth
Still ever be our guide,
High ideals of purity,of duty and of truth
Learnt while we bore Loreto's flag
In the sunny days of youth.

Grossly misunderstood

2009-03-05T13:52:00.000-08:00

What do you do when nothing goes your way?
What do you do when you have nobody to speak to you?
What do you do when you hate everything around you?
What you do when you wish that the whole world dissolves into oblivion?
....welll.....I just blog....

Having probably the worst time in my life....n hoping that this passes soon

Should I tip or should I not?

2009-02-07T10:06:00.001-08:00

We go out for lunch to Hoolihans...I order a Lunch combo...its a chicken soup in basil tomato sauce, chicken wrap and french fries. My bill comes to 11$ including tax. Our waiter indicates that we need to mention the total amount before signing the receipt...I fret for a minute, glance over my team mates shoulders to check how much they are leaving as tip....I finally walk out as confidently as ever...after having signed my name on the Merchant's copy and leaving 0 buck as the tip amount :).

I am not sure whether I should have left something. I have a nagging question, I somehow cannot leave anything less than a dollar for a tip, so should I actually leave 50 bucks INR or more as tip? I think of a thousand and one things that can come from 1$ in India. So, when my cousins call, I pose the same question to them. They indignantly shout back, oh, how can you do such a thing? Its a crime in the US to not leave a tip. Most of these waiters have to pay taxes wherein it is assumed that they are earning a 10% tip for each bill they service. So, it is advisable to pay up a 10%, we even pay 20-30% if we are highly pleased with the service.

Rich philanthropists? I would say so, but my heart still cringes when I leave a 2$ (read 100 bucks INR, read >2 meals at Shantisagar and so much more...) at each restaurent.
So far, I have been to PF Chang's, Giordinno's, Stir Crazy, Bamboo (Thai), Benihanas..so thats a 10$ tip in all?

By my magnimity I am probably being very instrumental in getting the American economy out of recession. ;)

My Saturday Mornings around the globe

2009-02-07T09:20:00.000-08:00

A typical Saturday Morning in Bangalore:
Wake up leisurely around 9-10-11...drag myself to the livingroom...prop up on the sofa...switch on the tv, swap channels without actually looking at any of them...I am either recovering from a bad movie session till 2-3am or its a hangover from the Friday night's martinis or just an indigestion from a midnight buffet. To be honest, the Saturday sun is at its peak by the time the Friday night fever rubs off.
By 12:15 I am rushing out, a religious exercise because the gym doors close at 1pm. So, irrespective of how long I get to work out, I make it a point to be there since it gives me a false satsfaction that I have not missed a workout ;).

A typical Saturday Morning in Chicago:
I am on the phone with Abhishek till 12:30pm the previous night or watching movies online or reading the Newsweek (thats very rare), but I still need to be up by 9:15 because breakfast closes at 10. I set and reset alarms for 9am, 9:05am, 9:10am, 9:15am and finally manage to pull myself out of bed by 9:20. By 9:45 I am hogging..its mostly waffles and pancakes for me...after which I lazily read the Chicago tribune and then again go back to watching movies, listening to songs as the day slips by.
However, today I am at work since 9...I woke up at 7 and probably will be here all day. Its a weird feeling...already feel that the next week has begun.

Watched the Pink Panther-2 yesterday. Its OK, falls far below the standards its predecessor had set. Nicole, Clousseau's aide looks prettier than ever. Dreyfus is comic. However, Aish is a let down. Somehow a phoren babe could have suited the role better. She looked foolish to me, especially in the climax. Chanced to watch the 'Gran Torino' too. Though its a different genre altogether and comedy is what appeals to me, I still liked it more. But I shouldnt regret because the bottomline is that I happened to watch 2 movies for 6$ :).

Uses of a Jar

2009-02-01T09:40:00.000-08:00

I just discovered the numerous uses of a Jar.

1) Drink water/juice

2) Water plants

3) Use as a vase for flowers/pen-stand..and the likes

4) Cooking aid

5) And...my friend who's recently come to the US uses the jar in his room for a very special purpose....It is completely indispensible for him...lets say, he would be very uncomfortable without it...and...this is his ingenuity...the dude is a Brahmin from India, so he really misses the spray we have back there beside the toilet to wash your bum...so my friend uses it to....

Who Says US is hit by Recession?

2009-01-24T19:38:00.000-08:00

I was bored...sitting in my hotel room all day. So in the evening I went downstairs to the reception to chat with Cooper, our cute, friendly front-desk guy.

I spoke about the weather and good places to visit nearby, restaurents that deliver food to our hotel...when Ravi (another guest at the hotel, was at front-desk for his own reasons, but lets say he was a godsend to me) says "Excuse Me, do you wanna go out for dinner? I have a car". To be honest, I did not think twice about the fact that I did not know him till moments before, that it was 8 in the evening, that I did not have my purse and least that I am on a weekend diet.

I jumped at the idea and told him that I would meet him in 5mins.

So we braved the 4F temperature and chilly winds. But we were not the only ones. We chose a chinese place 'PF Chang's, supposedly one of the best in the neighbourhood. The restaurant was jam-packed, no parking, no seating and worse, we had to queue up for take-out.

Believe me, I passed a couple of malls and stores on the way - same situation everywhere; well, except for Starbucks and gomoni/gomino/gomono? (some italian place I saw, I can only think of Dominos now)

So, is this country really hit by recession or is this part of Chicago immune to it or whether people are still celebrating Barrack Obama's victory or whether Barrack has promised funds to the folks of his home state or whether people have just decided to go foot loose today...I really dunno...but I am still feeling very very guilty for having spent 10$ on my Singapore Street noodles.

My Mammoth Breakfast

2009-01-18T09:07:00.000-08:00

Our hotel gives a complimentary breakfast for all guests. We eat out in office for lunch. Again from Monday to Wednesday we get snacks in the hotel from 5-7:30pm.

So, the lazy me eats heavily for breakfast on weekends and flicks tortillas/bread slices from the hotel for lunch to have with pathetic ready-to-eat MTR meals. Mostly its Knorr soup with popcorn for dinner. Look at the morning snow from my room and my Sunday morning breakfast.

From Bangalore to Chicago

2009-01-17T17:21:00.000-08:00

Its been a long while that I have blogged - lets say vacationing, making important decisions, running around and finally relocating to Chicago for 3 months.

I arrived here in Oakbrook, a suburb in Chicago on the 10th. I only knew on the 5th that I would be traveling. So I had about 5 days to shop, pack and then shop more. Yes, its a big big hole in my bank account since I had to buy just about everything: formal clothes for work, shoes and most importantly winter wear. The clearance discounts in Bangalore were a blessing, especially in the stores on Indiranagar 100 feet road.

So I hopped onto the flight on 10th Jan, a Lufthansa to Frankfurt and onward to O'Hare Chicago with just about an hour and a half to spend in Frankfurt. Well, my journey began on a very interesting note. At the Bangalore airport the staff offered me an irresistible offer: their flight was over-booked so they were literally begging people to take the next flight to Frankfurt (that was exactly a day later). In return obliging passengers were to get 70,000 INR in cash or 60,000 INR (traveler's check) plus a free night's stay in any 5* hotel in Bangalore. For me this was sadly not an option because of the other flight from Frankfurt. But a retired (read oldish-looking) gentleman behind me more than happily complied (he promptly asked his relatives to stay put at the airport and gladly pocketed the 70k euros) ;)

The rest of my trip to Frankfurt was uneventful. Dog-tired, I was asleep in a matter of minutes. At around 12pm IST the attendants told me that we were running late and that I would surely miss my flight to Chicago which was at 10:20am local time. Our flight landed at 9:45am and by the time the doors opened and I had collected my hand baggage and made my way through customs it was 10:15am. Mind you, the Germans are not very helpful, they just assume that you know everything. So, the 1st guy in uniform I sought for help told me that I had to go from terminal A (thats where my flight landed) to terminal C (the flight to Chicago) and that I had only 20mins to accomplish this (this too, since the flight was already running late).
I had absolutely no clue of how to proceed. I could see signs for terminal A and B but nowhere there was a C. Had this been India, my name would have got announced about 10 times - This is a call for Rituparna Dey, I repeat Rituparna Dey, our guest traveling by XXX airlines...Please report..... and I would have been escorted by the airline staff to the boarding area. But this happened in Germany :(.

Still, I just took a deep breath and kept going - I would have walked for atleast 2km that day (includes stair escalators and foot bridges) till I reached terminal C with only 2 mins to spare. I was the last passenger to board. My checked-in luggage had already been transferred from the previous flight. Imagine, if I was not here on time, my luggage would have been in Chicago before I landed. The security checkin was normal (btw, I would like to write about this particular incident in Bangalore: In my hand baggage I had a pouch containing approx 100ml of moisteuriser, shampoo..blah..blah.. Now while shopping I could not find exactly 100ml of hair conditioner since there was a 20ml free offer with every 100ml pack. The security checkin guy took all my stuff out, checked the labels and almost succeeded in confiscating my bottle. I tried to convince him that this brand would NOT be available anywhere in the US (it was a Revlon :))) and that I absolutely needed to carry it and I coolly suggested that I dump 20ml and he let me carry the rest - well, thats how it goes wth the Indian policemen, not sure about the others and wish I had done this at home, would have saved me the embarrasment).

The rest of the trip went fine - eating and drinking. I watched 'Singh is King' and 'Flawless' (had seen both before), just followed the crowd in the US airport, managed to get through immigration, collect my baggage (nobody bothered to help me get it down the rollers 28 and 23kgs), and managed to find a taxi to the airport ( a big ahievement, I found my way out of the airport).

Its freezing here, -5F. People say I brought the cold but I thought I was warm (wish I were hot ;)) Have a look @ the snow from my window.

Beat the monotony @ work

2008-11-07T02:20:00.000-08:00

1) Have pointers to informative/amusing articles on the web - keep browsing through them to stay awake
2) Have a bottle of water beside you - make 2 trips/half hour: 1st to the loo, 2nd to refill the bottle
3) Wear colorful clothes - removes the drab
4) Make sure there is atleast someone who is equally bored/demotivated - you can frolic/bitch together
5) Develop a pastime - the guy beside me is hooked to cricinfo.com while the one across me swears by Sharekhan - they beat the monotony of staring at these websites by working from time to time ;)
6) Talk very animatedly and vividly to call-center people wanting to sell credit cards/health insurances - believe me, they will have loads to share with you
7) Listen to songs online - to conserve bandwidth, the IT guys in our company have blocked all such websites, and currently I have no MP3s in my system :(

Thats about it for now.....Let me know if you can think of some more.....

Did you ever know that you're my hero...

2008-10-09T03:49:00.000-07:00

Today as we bid the Goddess Durga farewell and seek blessings of elders I would want to remember some people who have very prominently shaped my life. They have helped me realize my potential and have gifted me precious pearls at various stages of my life.

Sri Sri Ravishankar
Guruji's grace and the various courses of the Art of Living have helped me revive my enthusiasm and confidence - qualities that were very much a part of me in my childhood, but were stripped off me in my growing years for various reasons....

Sir Hira Prasad
There was a time when Maths was my phobia. I hated the subject. In exams I ended up making silly mistakes, and wasting unnecessary time on questions. Sir grilled me right from the basics - different ways of doing the same question, think before plunging on the solution, cross-check the answer. 2 summer months of surprise tests, lots of assignments, analysis...when I went back to school the hard work paid off. I not only shone in this subject but also developed a love....

Miss Jayati Ray Choudhury
My music teacher since I was 5 and stepped into the unknown realms of music - she taught me how to sing and identify the various notes, how to play the harmonium...It was tough for her - I did not even know how to write in hindi. Patience, perseverance..everything's paid off. Each note I sing today is dedicated to her.

Srinath Mani
I learnt the tricks of "smart working" from Srinath - one of my first managers in my professional life. He could gauge people very prudently and knew exactly how to motivate different people to get the maximum from his team. Something he told me that I will never forget - when you leave the company, people should not happily say 'bye bye', but rather realize what they are losing.'

Yes...I can fly higher than an eagle..you are the wind beneath my wings.

Purposeful Shopping

2008-10-01T01:13:00.000-07:00

While I am crossing a Lifestyle/Shoppers Stop or any of the outlets on 100ft road Indiranagar...if something on a mannequin catches my eye.....I pause....take a second long look....close my eyes and picture myself in the same attire....if I am satisfied with what I have visualised....I take a deep breath in and boldly venture into the shop to enquire about the price.

Salesman: Yes ma'am...
Me: I just wanna have a look at that (pointing to the countless copies of the mannequin's costume on the racks)
Salesman: sure...(I try to get a sneak view at the price)
Me: Ohhh...It doesnt look as good as it was from a distance (actually, the price is too high - I wouldnt risk buying something this expensive lest I have a "spat" (read - verbal blows) with Abhishek)
or
Me: Can you gimme a M? (the price looks affordable, (albeit marginally), definitely worth a try)...After I am done with the trial formalities I generally have these 2 thoughts:

Given the price, would this piece of cloth suit the hangers of the outlet more or the ones in my cupboard? I can wear this on an average for max 2 days every week, for the remaining 24*5 hours would I care whether this lies in my cupboard or theirs? Would the joy I get from wearing it on those 2 days immensely outdo my sorrow on the 16th of the next month when I need to clear my credit card bill?

Mostly I am back with a 'N' response, I politely thank the salesman for his time citing some vague excuse for not picking it up.

After all my analysis I come to the conclusion that this is definitely not worth a miss. So I summon all my courage, swipe my credit card and I am ambivalently back with the jubiliation of having acquired a prized possession and the impending guilt of having to face my husband's wrath...I start building up a nice story....

Me: (Waiting breathlessly as soon as I hear footsteps outside our door - opening the door even before the first knock/ring. I have hidden my purchase in the darkest chasms of my wardrobe). Hi...you back so early?

Abs: (A confused look - he is actually late). I am sorry you dont need to taunt me..

Me: Oh no no...work is always of prime importance...it comes before everything else (A very cordial me, stashes his laptop away while he gives me bewildered looks)...Food now or later?

We having dinner.

Me: So, what plans for your parents' anniversary next week? ;)

Abs: Nothing..will order a bouquet for them from floraindia.com.

Me: Nothing else?

Abs: Obviously not...we definitely dont have leave to go anywhere..and, since when are you so eager to meet them?

Me: Oh..they are very good people actually....very different from the other in-law stories that I have heard (The way to a guy's heart is through his mom's ;) )

Abs: Hmmm....(looking quizzically)

Me: Yeah..atleast we should celebrate it here..as in go out for dinner?..wear nice clothes?...compliment each other?...appreciate the clothes the other is wearing?...what say?

Abs: Yeah?...you need an occasion for all that?

Me: (not the right time to admit a crime for sure - keeping a straight face). Oh..you are so down-to-earth. I actually thought you would be on cloud 9 if I make this day special for you.

Next week on the D-Day, Abhishek keeps his promise...we go out for a nice dinner...I am wearing my....

Abs: Oh, thats a nice top you are wearing. How come you never wore it earlier?

Me: Yeah..is it good? Glad you like it. Its a gucci.

Abs: (raised eyebrows) Since when have you started wearing these brands?

Me: Oh...special clothes for special occasions...This I bought particularly for this Day...which is so eventful in our lives...you know you would not exist, we would not be here together had your parents chosen to not marry each other today 28 years ago....They are truly leading by example...tomorrow when I have kids I would strive to bring them up the way you have been...

Abs: (Smug look - starts raving about his parents, oblivious of the other "bigger" damage to his pocket)

Me: (Relieved, hit the nail on the head - learnt the most valuable secret of looting an innocuous husband)

A Busy IT Manager's Day

2008-09-30T02:14:00.001-07:00

Suppose you are facing a situation I am in currently - as per "corporate ethics at a time when the market is at its all-time low" you need to spend atleast 6 hours (read 10am-6pm) in office...staring at your laptop...occasionally typing something...however you need to appear very active and alert...and busy ;)...you can
1) Open atleast 5 PDF/Word documents - keep them minimised
2) Open all your favorite sites: mine are blogs, gmail, orkut, timesofindia n so on
3) Keep yourself logged in to all possible messengers - Google/Yahoo/Official Messenger..just make sure your status is busy

... and here follow some common tricks mastered by our managers:

Group all your taskbar icons...people hovering around you wont be able to see the site names
Keep shuffling the windows...gives you a busy look
Keep typing something occasionally - you could be commenting on blog posts or chatting with an old friend....
You can frequently open your outlook and refresh the send/Receive button to check for new mails...
And every now and then (twice a week) send some "interesting" (read matter-of-fact, common sense) mail that you have come across in some site to a DL that has all your team members...you will be appreciated for your knack to explore stuff and share it with others ;)

I tell you this is how most managers today survive........

Scotland of India - Coorg

2008-09-29T01:48:00.000-07:00

The mundaneness of our jobs, the repetitive drone of the television, the familiarity of the Bangalore malls and the stupidity of the Bollywood movies had driven us crazy for the last 3 months...however last week we had reached our saturation....and before the bubble suddenly burst we decided to go for a much needed vacation....

A weekend trip was what we were looking for - we googled, travelmastied, called agents, spoke to avid weekend revellers...Coorg, Wayanad, Chicmagalur, Karwar, Ooty, Kodaikanal were the places we shortlisted...n then we started the neverending process of shortlisting resorts....most of them were full or charged exobitant prices...till thursday 11pm we were undecided about the place...in bed that night I threatened Abhishek that either he come up with something in 5 mins or we call off our plans..the next afternoon we set off to Coorg.

It took us 1 hour to exit Bangalore, courtesy the traffic and horrible city roads....once on the Mysore highway we cruised at 100-120km/hour accompanied by excellent weather and the peppy music on radio1. Guys please stop at the Barista and McD outlets that have opened on the highway..infact @ McD you just drive through to collect your order...very time-effective i would admit.
The rest of the 260km drive was uneventful - an occasional pothole, a rare diversion for a stretch of road under repair and only 1 truck breakdown. It didnt help us that we went astray for nearly 20km and lost around 1hr...we got diametrically opposite responses while clarifying directions...some people very enthusiastic and vivid in their answers while some others barely nodding and yet some not even bothering to look @ us.

I must say Abhishek drove well on the ghats...he had earlier told me that winding roads make him pukish...so the moment we stepped onto 1 I skillfully manoevered my discussion to how good he is at different things...n how much I need to learn from him...not that I meant much of it, but this flattering of his ego helped avert a dirty vomit ;)..anyone listening? ;)

Orange County gave us a decent welcome - I was really amazed at their attempts to preserve the beauty and tranquilllity of the mountains..it is a visual treat for anyone who wants to enjoy the luxuries of the forests...no car is allowed within the resort...electric mainies transport guests from the reception to the various cottages...infact the tent we were staying in did not even have a TV.
A completely rejuvenating experience we had....on the banks of the Cauvery, gentle ripples in the water, chirping of the birds and squirrels, dense forests...stillness of the air...i can just the describe the feeling as fabulous...a high without any hangovers...alas this trip had to come to an end after 2 days - as every good thing does...back to Bangalore...the same people, job....

I never promised you a rose garden

2008-09-15T03:04:00.000-07:00

Often I take the bounties of nature for granted...water in the taps, sunshine in the summers, the scent of good food...until i start missing them.

I just love eating food not cooked @ my home. In my school days, I exchanged my tiffin (consisting of breads, sandwiches, pastries, chocolates) with those of my friends (their moms made nice rotis, subzis, parathas and pickle..). Strangely when my mom made this same food @ home, I never liked it. My neighbour is an excellent cook. I need to cross her door before coming to mine...imagine my plight every evening when i am attacked by the yummiest whiff of chicken/fish/...every night...

Today morning when I woke up with the stickiest oil all over my hair...water just refused to flow from the taps...I switched off the geyser and turned off all other taps..infact I even checked the kitchen taps...not a drop of water. It strangely reminded me of a day last week when I just felt like pampering myself in the hot bath..and "used" more water than is necessary for an elephant to splash itself in a pond...

Today it is so chilly in office...all ACs in full blast on a monday morning...I am just freezing to death..I so wish i had not complained of the harsh sunlight lastsaturday afternoon...never realized that I would actually be hoping this soon that I get to bask in the sun (with Lotus SPF-30 applied all over me ofcourse) and read a John Grisham while casually drifting off to sleep.

Creme de Cacao

2008-09-05T09:34:00.000-07:00

Never knew what this was....till Abhishek wanted me to something "interesting"....something "different" on a friday night...mostly we hit the movies, or "sit" (for me) and "rock" (for Abhishek) the night away in a pub or hog crazily in TGIF and the likes.

This friday we wanted to go light on our pockets. My workaholic husband (who turns alcoholic on fiday nights;) ) wanted to dish out cocktails at home. So I fished for a "chocolate martini" recipe and came up with the most interesting variants (each site had tons of comments). I finally narrowed my search to
the 1st recipe (supposedly heavenly):
1 1/2 shots Godiva chocolate liqueur
1 1/2 shots creme de cacao
1/2 shot vodka
2 1/2 shots half-and-half
and the 2nd recipe (make-do):
1/2 oz creme de cacao
2 oz vodka

I scrupulously noted down and printed the ingredients and set off to my first hop - Spencers. Not trusting my pronunciations of "creme de cacao", leave alone hoping the salesmen would understand - I pointed these words out to the 1st guy in orange. He read "liqueour" and prompted me to the stacks of unopened "guiness" beer cans strewn on the floor. Realizing that "self help is the best...." I meticulously checked all the shelves noting that in 30mins Hersheys Choc syrup was the closest sibling I had discovered of creme de cacao.

By then my curiosity had deepened, I could not go back home without my "creme"....so i hopped to MK Retail, this time more inquisitive and interactive in my search, baffling atleast 5 sales girls. Again my visit proved futile.

This triggered thought in me - probably creme de cacao is not a ready-made product in itself. So I have finally come up with my own substitute for the 'creme de la creme' - shake chilled milk and 'Hersheys chocolate syrup - add a dash of vanilla essence. Hopefully it would taste good. Will upload a pic of my martini for sure.

A lifetime - Aug 1997 to Aug 2008

2008-09-01T03:36:00.000-07:00

August 1997, my baby was born. It was such a pleasure holding him in my arms...I fed him, bathed him, spared my best shawl that december to keep him warm...woke up at 4 on chilly mornings to put a blanket around him so that he doesnt feel cold. He had such a lovely smell...god's special blessing.

Then my baby grew older...started playing pranks...never had "colorless" water...1/2 a cup of milk in a glass of water was what he liked....never had food unless he could smell chicken in it...or better still sometimes he just dug up the bones from his plate without bothering to touch the rice. He always cried aloud when he wanted to pee, shit or his body ached for a walk. I had never seen such a sensitive baby. We taught him not to enter the kitchen...how to sit quietly in the car...n the list goes on...he was a delight to have.

Over the years he became a handsome adolescent...yearned for the "carnal pleasures" of life...but never did he lose his childlike innocence...still jumping for the same roti, displaying the same enthu while playing with the other kids..jealous of any other kid who threatened to usurp his place...he was so likeable.

Last week my 11-year old fell very sick...stopped having food..infact the earlier epitome of cleanliness started littering his sitting area...we showed him to a doc...he said "maggots"..but the problem went deeper..rapid weight loss and weakness raised ominous cancerous clouds...my heart wept...i felt so helpless...he was in so much pain...i just prayed to god to relieve him of all the torture.

My son breathed his last 2 hours back...i know nature has taken its course...my baby has lived his life to the fullest...i cant comment on the last 4 years when i was away from home, but I have done everything possible to keep him the happiest before that...it took me a while to comprehend that my baby has been snatched away from me...i can only pray that his soul rest in peace...amen

For my Guru

2008-08-17T04:39:00.000-07:00

Whether I am happy...

Whether I am blue...

My mind...keeps running back to you :)

My Blunders in the Kitchen

2008-08-07T21:42:00.000-07:00

These days I have a new fancy...."try to cook".

The first time I fried panneer, green capsicum, onion, garlic and red chilly in olive sauce...added a dash of soya, tomato and chlli sauces...n lo behold I had in front of me something that looked very sumptious and attractive....but sadly the panner was hard, the vegetables raw and the sauces definitely not in the correct proportions. Since Abhishek likes panneer (should only be cooked), I was told that it tasted heavenly, however - we made 2 trips each to the loo soon afterwards (certainly not the post-effects of a heavenly experience).

My next experiment in the kitchen was not very different from the first- I just substituted the panner with babycorn and the sauces with MDH Garam Masala. The effects were truly better than the former, however I did not know that the Garam Masala has its own chilly constituent - this time we rushed to Corner House (improvement form the last time's double visit to the loo).

Yesterday I decided to go back to my roots - simple Vedic (my assumption, I could be Italian too) cooking; in a pan, I boiled some diced potatoes, chilly, a couple of garlic and onion pieces and capsicum :(. Remember guys in those days, people did not know about oil. So I added all my masalas - chilly powder, zeera, fennel and chicken masala ;) directly in the boiling water. The concoction definitely looked tempting....but only till you tasted it.
I had overlooked the fact that the chilly after a prolonged period of boiling would burst and the seeds would pop out lending more spice to the curry than I had accounted for :(.

After my successive trysts with failure in the kitchen I have come to the conclusion that it is easier to get something cooked and comment on the taste or eat out at a restaurent and throw tantrums if the food does not satisfy your tastebuds than boldly venture into the kitchen and...

I hate myself

2008-08-04T05:57:00.001-07:00

I am downright wicked, moody and self-centered...anything that happens against my wishes, I get upset and create tantrums (well..my kinda tantrum is retreating into a shell and alienating myself from the proceedings of the world).

I have started losing my temper very often these days - something I attribute to
1) my frustrations at work
2) company (direct and indirect) of people I dont really "like", but have to accept them since I cant wipe them off the picture of my world
3) the pressures of life

These days people tell me I am boring, lifeless and absolutely detest staying around me.

I have to regain my lost self... I have to forget my worries and become one with nature...I have to recollect how to smile naturally as I did in the past....I need to challenge each coming day with more energy and enthusiasm...and I absolutely need to be more caring and sharing.

The Day I just love coming to work

2008-07-24T22:17:00.000-07:00

Well, its Friday :)

And I have just so many reasons that make me super-happy today!!!

1) My managers "work" from home - so its the day of the jackal cos the lion is not hunting today;)
2) The servers are mostly slow/down...so I can blog in peace (without guilt ;) and no sideways glances to check who's sneaking)
3) I can always leave early (and/or come in late) ...cos nobody's really vigilant
4) I can (chill out) talk for hours on the phone (in the loo ;)...cos there are less people around eavesdropping)
5) I can orkut/facebook/plan my weekend without intrusions to my thoughts :)
and the list is endess
... ..
... ..
... ..
... ..
To summarize: though the Preamble of India states otherwise (LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship..), I am BORN FREE only on Fridays

Why should a person who has been living his life happily need to do an art of living course?

2008-07-17T23:19:00.000-07:00

The Art of Living series of courses are not only for people who have problems in life, they are also designed for extremely happy, successful people who simply want to know more and experience more in life. AOL courses will open up dimensions within you that you don’t even know exist.The courses also provide you with breathtaking tools (pun intended) that will allow you to flush out daily stresses and allow you to consistently give peak performance.Besides, the YES!+ course is just pure, unadulterated, challenging fun! So unless you are utterly allergic to having fun and learning something really worthwhile you should find the next course that's happening and go and do it.

The small things in life

2008-07-17T10:53:00.000-07:00

The cool air, the scented breeze, the motley buds on gulmohur trees, the bees humming on fragrant flowers, the chirping of birds, the squeaking of squirrels, the chattering of kids, the bantering of girls on the brink of puberty, the ruckus of young guys.......yes, I was amidst all of this and yet, so far away.......

My mind was out craving for the "big" gifts of life - a mansion, people at my beck and call, me sitting by the pool surrounded by lush greenery sipping watermelon juice, staring at eternity...no worries of the present - away from the mundane affairs. I stretch this moment - just me and the moment, nothing else.

When will this heart stop craving? When will this heart stop eating away the life in me? When will the grass on the other side appear as green as the blades on my side? I do not have an answer....

Significance of an Open Mouth :O

2008-07-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

These days I have been observing people a lot - varied emotions, actions, habits. For instance, how I speak Hinglish most of the time or how I over-use the smiley [:O] in my pings. For 10 mins I have pondered what the english alphabet 'O' could by itself sinify. My musins follow:

a) Ugly Shock - the expression when someone receives his revised salary letter (without prior intimation) notifying him that his salary has been hiked (albeit a negative percentage) due to the ongoing recession in the US economy (well this is not me, touch wood though :( )

b) Pleasant, highly unexpected surprise - the expression of a simple wife (read seedhi-saadhi, could be me ;)) who is used to feeling neglected @ home while her husband "claims" to be very busy, and on this particular day, he drops in early (better still with a bunch of roses). :)

c) Deep sleep - some people have the habit of sleeping with their mouth open. Most of these people also snore. The snoring frequency and volume depends on the state of rest the person is in - it differs from individual to individual. For instance, my mother snores very loud - say @ half the top decibel level of my laptop, while Abhishek snores at a quarter of the same measure. But the interesting point to note is that the size of the 'O' is the same (approx size 14 of an MS-Office 'Times New Roman')

d) Burrrp - some people burp aloud, mostly after lunch. I really dont know the biological origin of a burrrp, however I get a burp if I am on an empty stomach for a lonnnng time.I surmise that a burp comes when there is some free air (is it O2 or CO2??) in your tummy that wants to escape into the atmosphere. For the fortunate it exits as a burrrp, and for the not-so-fortunate it comes as a f**t (assuming both are not on mute, I would prefer a burp). Now, a burp after a heavy lunch of Roti, Methi Chicken, Dal and Ice cream would make u feel sluggish, a burp after 2 consecutive meals of Roti, Murg Hariyali Tikka, Mutton Rogan Josh and Lassi would leave you looking for company - get what I mean? (That's where soda comes in)

e) Chew food-with-mouth-open - I find this very amusing. No names here :. It just helps to identify whether you are more of a dog or a cow ;). The worst is that those people dont realize how funny this looks - chewing food, mouth wide open. Tomorrow during lunch, just observe which category you belong to ;).

Anything i am missing??

Death Speaks - Appointment in Samarra

2008-07-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

There was a merchant in Bagdad who sent his servant to the market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, Master, just now when I was in the market-place I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was death that jostled me.

She looked at me and made a threatening gesture; now, lend me your horse, and I will ride away from this city and avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there death will not find me. The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went.

Then the merchant went down to the market-place and he saw me standing in the crowd and he came to me and said, Why did you make a threatening gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning? That was not a threatening gesture, I said, it was only a start of surprise.

I was astonished to see him in Bagdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra.

The Great Indian Accent

2008-07-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

We often talk of the American accent and the Indian accent, but do non-Indian folks categorize the Indian accent as the 'Bengali Indian' accent or the 'Hyderabadi' accent, the 'Bangalore (Bengalooru? ) accent and so forth?

I had a Mallu teacher in school who taught us Maths. She used to call me 'Riduparna' ('d' as in 'dum maaro dum') and 'Theorem' 'Deorum'.
Our geography teacher, a staunch 'Bangali' taught us how for every 1000 m ascent, the temperature falls by 6.49 °C (something like 'caentigrade' - just keep a "rashogolla" in your mouth and prolong the 'ae' sound ). Well, for those of you who are not 'Paanchvi Class Se Tez', this was the 'Lapse Rate'. I have my contentions about this - so what if I am 'Paanchvi Class Champu', google is not ;).

I had some really interesting experiences at work. Meaning no offences - you can easily make out from somoeone's exclamations whether he hails from Andhra or Karnataka. A Subbirama Reddy would put his hand on his head and give an exasperated 'Abba' (for the hip-hip crowd I am not referring to the 'Dancing Queen Abba' , but something like 'Abba - a bar'). His friend from Karnataka would sigh 'Appa'. :)
Correct aaa? (now this one 'aa' is inherited by both the friends ;)...very confusing I must say : ).

Another pronunciation (mis? ) revolves round the very familiar word 'Asked' - the Webster meaning of which is 'find out/enquire' etc etc). Rajni Saar (Sir) on 'Radio1' 94.3FM frequently asks people - 'I asked him' : not like 'askd/baskd' but 'ask"e"d' like 'lasted'. Similarly 'bakd' becomes 'bak"e"d' and 'fakd' is 'fak"e"d'.

An elderly acquaintance in Bangalore calls me a child. The thesaurus should write the word 'child' as 'chaild' and children as 'cheeldren'. I in 'child' needs to be pronouned as 'I am a lady, I am happy, write a note' and not as 'fill water', 'pay the bill'. The first time I visited them - I got confused when I was addressed as 'child' - : am I super cool? Why is he calling me 'chilled'? Then i understood...

Lingo re (a synonym of 'yaar'/'dost' in the north)...nothing beats it. Its 'Namma Bengalooru'. Now people here would tell me 'Poda' (run off)

How I chanced upon these people

2008-07-07T03:56:00.000-07:00

Sometimes...I wonder how life would be had I not met these people...if not anything else, my blog would be still crying for its maiden comment ;) (well...I know I can torture these people to read as well as comment on my posts :P)

Loco:
I had heard a lot about Loco from Bharat (they were room mates). I knew that Loco was desperately tryign to lose weight- went jogging in KBR Park every morning, had only an orange or an apple for dinner, did not touch oily food and was very senti ;). Infact, I knew a lot about him and yet did not know him. I had been trying to get hold of someone to accompany me to KBR...finally I decided to break the ice, got Loco's id from Bharat and pinged him:

Kiran: am goin to KBR park tom morning!
actually wanted to go today itself!
but couldnt!
tom sure!
me: me too wil join
pls...dont say no
Kiran: ok if u insist!
me: :O
dont show off!!

Such cheek! Its straight out of my chat history Loco, let me know if I should furnish proof ;).

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Bharat:

I was supposed to join Oracle, in July 2004. To be brutally honest - I was not "friends" with any of my college mates who were coming there. I happened to meet Abhishek one afternoon in June, and conversation veered to the people about to join Oracle from KREC. I voiced my apprehensions about how scared i was of going there all alone - nobody I knew; when he piped in: oh, you can be friends with Bharat, he is a cool guy :D.
On 26th July we were huddled in the cafeteria waiting for the HR to initiate joining formalities. I was sitting with a group of girls from BITS Pilani (2 of them were later my flat mates for 3 years, 1 amongst those 2 taught Bharat how to solve Crosswords) and a casual introduction was going round.Bharat said...oh I know you - Abhishek said you would be joining from Mesra. I still remember looking at Bharat and thinking - he is so tiny, how can he have finished college ;). The next day onwards we were group mates in all the lab exercises and....

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Dhar:

On a Saturday evening in november 2006 I call up Abhishek. An unfamiliar voice answers - Hey Abhishek is writing a practice GMAT test, please can you call him later? I am stunned - something his mom has not been able to make him do for 6.5 years (since he left home), this guy has accomplished in a month ;). He just has his way with Abhishek (as long as his way is not against me/mine - I am happy). We will work in tandem to get the best outta Abhishek ;).

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6 Ballygunge Place - Bengali Cuisine

2008-07-06T07:11:00.001-07:00

I have made up my mind to have fish once a week - check this link http://www.fishoilblog.com/ . My dad has been saying all along that fish (especially the Bengal favorite - Hilsa) has omega-3 fatty acids that are very healthy for the heart and brain. Last night I chanced upon a couple of white hair on my head (my grandmom had only 2 @ the age of 70 - she attributed her black locks to regular fish eating), so I immediately made up my mind to head to Ballygunge for lunch this Sunday.

The restaurant was very crowded, we waited for 10 mins before we got a table. As soon as we were seated, Abhishek noticed some yellow-noodles like stuff at the next table. A novice to the multitude of Bengali delicacies, he immediately asked me what this "Fish Kabiraji" is. We ordered the traditional delicacy "fish fried in an eggnet, served with Mustard sauce", which was OK, to be frank - I would appreciate fish fry more.

For the main course we ordered "Rui Macher Roast" and "Rui Shorshe" with plain rice, followed by "Mishti Doi" for dessert. The food was good, we got our money's worth. The ambience is OK with photos of all prominent buildings and personalities of Bengal along its walls. You cant stop yourself from humming and tapping to the soft tunes of 'Rabindra Sangeet' that keeps playing in the background.

We had ordered "Bhetki Paturi", "Ilish Paturi", "Doi Pona" and "Malai Chingri" in our earlier visits. I must say, the fish is very fresh and the Bengali food the best that you can get here in Bangalore. "Loochi", "Kasha Mangsho" and "Lal Murgi" are its USPs ("Lal Murgi" being our desi chicken and not the broiler variety).

Ballygunge also has a lunch buffet on weekdays, though I dont recommend that. On Bengali festivals ("Nabo Barsho", "Jamai Shoshti", "Durga Pujo", "Kali Pujo") they have a very elaborate 18-course meal @ an affordable price. You can catch all the Bengalis in the IndiraNagar vicinity there on the special days ;).

During the British days, someone had very rightly labelled Bengali Babus as "Bhoj mein aage, Fauj mein peeche". Well....I definitely fit in to this bill..Burrrp

Our 4th July Misadventure? - a total waste

2008-07-05T03:42:00.000-07:00

2 fateful fridays...amazing co-incidences...31st Dec 2004, I was locked out of our house in Hyd along with Namrata...we spent the better part of the night with friends whilst the rest of the world was busy with New Year eve celebrations. 4th July 2008, me and Abhishek were again repeating history whilst the Americans celebrated their independence.

Yes, 4th july was a holiday for us to hail America's indepence and keep wishing that they outsource more projects to us ;) ; so after a long day (spent 2 hours @ the gym and 3 hours in the neighbourhood parlor, watched Robin William's 'One Hour Photoshoot' and finished Mary Higgin Clark's 'The Moonlight Becomes You'), I sat patiently from 6:30pm waiting for Abhishek to return from work (I admit candidly that I did crib about this wait to a couple of our common friends). He finally showed up at 9 profusely apologising for this delay (btw...I did not accept his pleadings graciously at all) after which we rushed to Fun Cinemas little knowing what a disastrous night lay ahead of us.

There was a long queue at the ticket counter. We managed to collect our tickets for the 9:30pm show 'Love Story 2050' starring Priyanka Chopra and Harman Baweja. I really do not wanna waste words on this movie - Harry Baweja should have just asked his son to do stunts for Hrithik (as Abhishek so correctly pointed out - Harman is Hrithik's dirty twin; he is a cross between Hrithik and Ranbir - his face actually does have a resemblance to Ranbir's) instead of squandering crores in such a meaningless venture; the story was grossly pathetic and the songs a plain misfit.

We exited the theatre at 1:15am; the Bangalore roads at this time of the night were unbelievably peaceful; at 1:30am we were at our basement heading for the lift when....
Ritu: Abhishek, get the house keys
Abhishek: Hey, I dont have them, where are the spare keys (we always have a set in the car)
Ritu: Well, I took them home this afternoon

Lo Behold...we were stranded at 2am outside our home without keys. And then I started the futile blame game - putting it all on him (actually he should have got the keys since he always does it). Thus commenced our marathon argument in the basement of our apartment - you wont believe it we actually fought for 20 minutes before 1 of us ( I presume it was me ;) ) pointed out that the discussion was leading us nowhere and that we should actually look for an alternative place to spend the night.

We headed to 100 feet road, where we found a "posh" service apartment - 'The Basil Inn', checked ourselves in and promptly fell asleep only to be woken up by my regular alarm @ 8am. After a complimentary breakfast of Idli, Vada, 'Puri Sagu' ('Puri Hagu' would be more appropriate), Cheese Masala Omlette, fruits and coffee I headed to the room to watch some TV while Abhishek went in search of a locksmith. His trysts with the lock finally ended at 2:30pm after
1) more than 8 hours away from (and yet so close to) home and
2) INR 6800/- loss (we had to pay 5k to 'Basil Inn' for a night and Rs. 1800 for a new lock)

I really cannot fathom what the world would have lost had America not gained its independence on this day, but I could have definitely been richer in my pockets without this holiday!

Ice Cream - Gelatissin @ IndiraNagar

2008-07-03T00:46:00.000-07:00

By now, you all know that I am a food freak...probably I should not call myself a freak but rather a connoisseur...because i am not gluttony when it comes to eating :)

Well..last night we decided to go low...so it was home-made roti n subzi n dal after which we sat back watching the India-Pak match where the Pak batsmen brutally slaughtered India and almost paved a way to the Asia Cup finals. MS Dhoni was lamenting on how they consistently lost wickets early on in the innings when Abhishek came up with a witticism that I seem to have lost my spark - seems off-late I am too weighed down by household responsibilities (actually, I am only part of the planning committee at home, the execution is not done by me :P). He added that I used to be interesting, ever enthu to "go out for an ice @ 11pm in the night", but sadly enough, I have transformed to a bore.

Initially I paid no heed to his observation....but the "ice" got the better of me and we rushed to "Gelatinnis" our favorite (this is where we bumped into Rahul Dravid the day when the Bangalore Royals were washed off by the Mumbai Indians for the 2nd time ;) ) ice cream parlor in IndiraNagar. The counters were closing, however being regular customers, we were allowed 10 mins to taste+order our ices ('Cookie Crumble' for me and 'Nuts 4 U' for my better (fatter? ) half).
This place is quite cool...boasts of selling fat-free ice creams. The walls of the place claim that the recipes of the ice creams came all the way from France (the queen of Florence herself), and then infiltrated to China whence Marco Polo took it upon himself to propagate this heavenly dessert to other parts of the world.
The ambience of Gelatinnis is friendly - you can play a nice game of fooze ball while enjoying your ice or watch the latest on TV or even relax with your friends. They have a really wide array of chocolate flavors you can choose from. I will not recommend the sundaes though - Corner House stands out by a tall margin.

And guys..I must add - I am keeping an eye on my weight. Thanks to the regular 1 hour @ Figurine everyday I am still where I was in the 1st week of May.

Fitness - Easy Tips to Lose Weight

2008-07-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

Today I will finally yield to Loco's earnest persuasions to write about fitness. Well...yeah...I can write few lines on how to effectively lose weight in an absolutely healthy manner.

A brief...we were eating out practically everyday from April 2007 to March 2008 ;)...to cut a long story short..we wanted give the restaurents some business and in the process in a year I blossomed from a humble 52 to a whopping 59.
And believe it or not, in a month's time (May 08), I was down to 55. Loco wanted to know my success story..so here I unfold the secrets of the trade....the 5 thumb rules for everyone who wants to draw an inspiration.

1) Drink atleast 5 l of water everyday
However dont drink immediately before/after a meal. Guys..the theory here is that the fat, being lighter than water will get eliminated via the excretory mechanisms of the body.
2) Eat smaller helpings, however more frequently
Avoid the "usual" fatty foods, non-vegetarian, pastries etc. However do not starve yourself. Eat 5 spoons of ice cream if you actually are used to having 10 ;)...get what I mean? Else the mind will start craving for all that you are abstaining from and 1 fine day you will give in to your temptations and do grave injustice to your fitness regime.
3) Have your last meal (albeit a very light one) atleast 2 hours before you go to bed.
This gives the body an adequate time to digest all that you have eaten. For a month I used to have only a glass of skimmed milk (my dinner) an hour before hitting the bed.
4) Include atleast 45 mins of exercises in your day
This includes 20-25 mins of cardio exercises followed by crunches for the abs.
5) Develop a pastime
It is best to develop a hobby that involves some exercise; nevertheless music, watching movies...anything is fine. This is say just to take the attention off food :P

Follow this guys for a month...and do post your comments. Loco, are you listening?

Lil Italy - the Italian paradise

2008-06-30T21:42:00.000-07:00

Yes..for those of you who read the comment on yesterday's post...the very mention of Little Italy strengthened Abhishek's resolve to abstain from the diet he has been promising to get hooked onto for so many days now.

So..after an hour's spree at Figurine, I felt i did deserve a cheezzzy dinner....we were comfortably seated on low sofas in the semi-open..soft music playing behind us...n tried to find solace in the atleast 5 tummies around us ;)..this is just to elaborate on the fact that we are not the only food freaks in bangalore :P.

The 'Special Tacos' were good...with a generous filling of cottage cheese, kidney beans and not to mention soft cheese. And then we had the kill...for the regulars it is B9 from the menu..an indigenous pasta stuffed with Spinach (a Lil Italy favorite called Rivoli), cooked in roma tomatoes, olives, brocolli, white sauce n ofcourse a lot of cheese...just yummy (:blush).

Thanks to some needlessly intruding phone calls we did not have the apetite for anything else...though I would not mind a helping of crostinis or wood-burn pizza.

No more outta home dinners till Abhishek joins me at Figurine ;)

Cafe Masala - 10 Days Continuous Buffet

2008-06-30T03:29:00.000-07:00

Each time I think of blogging - I ask myself?...Why do I only wanna write about food? :P....something very mysterious about me..my creativity starts in my tummy and ends in my taste buds :)
Well...here I start off..this weekend after all my adminishings to Abhishek about how fat both of us have become we decided to "hog" for the nth time before commencing our GM Diet. So Cafe Masala it was at 10:45pm this friday night.

Very festive I must say with a live local band playing/singing John Denver...we found a table for 2 amidst gangs of office-goers all of whom were there to hail the weekend. Looking at the lavish spread of 5 veg and 5 non-veg starters and just scrumptious-looking dessert we promptly agreed to order the buffet (399/- + taxes) - the unanimous choice was peculiar because off-late me and my husband disagree on almost everything ;).

Well..the starters were good..must say the grill-on-the-table concept has been very skillfully flicked from Barbeque Nation...I must mention the Crab...have not had anything like it in the past 2 years...just heavenly...buttered crab roasted in garlic n pepper...simply melted in my mouth...must admit for 400 bucks I had only about 8 medium crabs and 4 varieties of choc pastries and brownie?

Its been very long that I have had Italian...think Little Italy's calling ;)

Post 25

2008-03-02T00:28:00.000-08:00

Its laziness all the way. I just cant get myself to get back the energies I used to possess in the yesteryears. It doesnt look like it was the same me. My appetite has virtually doubled but I dont burn as many calories. My paunch has blossomed for sure. Is this the flip side of 25?

Into that heaven of freedom...

2008-02-26T06:22:00.000-08:00

What is the ultimate liberation?
Getting out of school and into college? Or getting out of college and into a job? Or getting paid without having to go to work? Or getting to spend infinite time with loved ones with loads to cash to splurge and no worries?
Assuming the last wish is granted to me. I ask myself - will I be eternally happy and free then? After 1-2 months, wont I get bored of my lifestyle and want to be part of something different? I get my answer - life in its diversities is at its best.
And so I rhetorically ask- do I always need to abide with the laws of nature? Will I always experience the vagaries of "change"? Is there a way to the ultimate freedom..where the "me" does not fathom change, has no desires and is absolutely joyful.

Something to ponder about...

2008-02-25T07:45:00.000-08:00

What was our 1st act when we were born? Though some people claim that we cried/laughed, science stands testimony to this fact that we actually did not! Before letting out a loud cry every baby has inhaled the air that nature has to offer .
And what will be our last act before collapsing on the lap of the mother (earth)? - The answer: let out a long sigh, finally liberated from all entanglements of life while comrades around lament for the body that has left them..forever.
So what is this life?..countless breaths between the 1st and last breaths? Some people feverishly concentrate on amassing millions, while some pursue oceans of wealth, some are not even aware that they are living, and yet some others make themselves aware of each little breath between the 1st and last one, making the most of every moment and becoming eternally joyful.
In which category am I?

Barbeque Nation

2008-02-24T21:42:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite hangouts in Bangalore. I was pleasantly surprised by the concept: each table has a grill where they place '90% cooked' vegetarian and non-veg tikkas/kebabs which you can grill to perfection in the myriad sauces they offer. The prawn tikkas and veg kebabs are definitely worth a mention.
The bar menu is OK - the coke/sprite/soda comes complimentary with the drink, so does mineral water. I loved the 'Barman's Special' - a vodka-based chocolate drink with hazelnuts.
The main course encompassed biryanis, mutton/chicken rogan josh, veg delicacies, pasta topped with mouth-watering tiny julab jamuns for dessert.
A nice place to visit if you are really hungry and wanna binge :)