They just love their morning walk.
They are very intelligent and smart.When I am up in the morning and getting ready to take them out,they have already sensed it.And if there is some delay,they ask me "What's up,why the holdup".Today,it rained quite heavily in the morning.I decided to take them separately.Mango was taken to the Oval Maidan.He absolutely enjoys it.It is 20 minutes of paradise for him.He eases himself,then starts smelling grass,bushes,trees,cricket nets,what have you and chases the crows if any.Jumps into small cesspools of water and has great fun.Cherry had gone through a surgery.So I had to be extra careful.I took her separately on the nicely paved footpath leading to HLL,ICICI,etc.The road wore a clean look;freshly washed by the rains,no hawkers to litter the place,absence of cars and people.It was a calm and serene setting which Cherry loves.

Cherry and Mango 

The Tavernaki Bar 

Wow,a cool place to hang out with your business friends. 

Baigun-bhaji 

Goat cheese nicely garnished 

A smash hit with goat cheese. 

Pitta Bread-yummy 

Great guy-cooked some fantastic veggy stuff for me when he had practically closed shop.And fixed me a strong drink for the waiting period. 

Tavernaki-my favourite Greek restaurant at Dusseldorf 

Bonglish

Many Bengalis do have a problem pronouncing English vowels. Cheek very often becomes chik."Konkona has red chiks". Swimmingpool becomes sweemingpull and Sen becomes Shane. So they end up saying, "Are you going to the sweemimgpull Shane?".

There is a story of one Mr Bannerjee who visited the TISCO plant in Jamshedpur many years ago.He was taken around the plant by one Mr.Chatterjee who asked him whether he knew metaalurjee(metallurgy). He replied,"No,I am Banerjee". Then Bannerjee asked Chatterjee,"so,you makes still here?"."Yes,we make stiill here"."Do you make still in small pieces"."No,we make them still in long shits(sheets).

And that reminds me of a column written by an old acquaintance Jug Suraiya in the TOI. When JS went to meet a bureaucrat in Writer's Building,the babu guarding the door would not allow him inside.He said "he is not in his shit".When JS tried to again persuade him to allow him entry, the agitated babu said "I am telling you,he is not shitting on his shit".

The cool southern breeze becomes the south bridge and the new Howrah Bridge becomes Howrah Breeze. What flies in the sky is a baard and Rabindranath Tagore becomes a bird.

When Pranabda wanted to visit USA there was some trepidation and even a discussion whether an interpreter would be required to 'breeze' the gap between his Bonglish and the "yankee" English accent. Donald Rumsfield was amused and is reported to have said,"let's have the guy on board".From all accounts,the meeting was a roaring hit.Rumsfield hadn't laughed so much since the beginning of the Iraq war.When our Pranabda explained what he meant by piss(peace) keeping,Rumsfield exploded into uncontrollable laughter.

About 30 years ago when I was working in our Bangalore factory,we had a visitor.Gopal Moni Ghosh.Our Director-in-charge.He was very impressed with the precision tooling that we made and the quality of our electrical stampings."How much baar(burr) do you tolerate?".I was foxed.I said the variation between two bars is --."No no, how much baar?".Then I knew what he wanted.

And in the old days when British directors were on our Board,our English Chairman never had a clue of what the shareholders had to say.When they gesticulated angrily,he would go red on the face and I would have to translate into his ears from Bonglish to English.And when his time came to answer the questions,he skipped most of them by saying that "your english is much better than mine.you have used words that normally i don't use.but i have understood what you meant". With that lighthearted banter, the ice was broken and the AGM ended "pissphully".

I must conclude with a small anecdote.One day about fifty years ago in our house in Calcutta,my father suddenly realised that my brother Venkatesh was missing.He asked his friend Samirbabu,whether he had seen him.Pat came the reply,"Bankatesh is Bhandering in the Beraandah".

Collins English Dictionary-The New Edition

Indians have always fascinated the British. After our cuisine(nan and chicken tikka) for which they have fallen 'hook,line and sinker' and their recent attraction to Bollywood,it is now the turn of our hindi,theek hai? The latest Indian attraction in Britain is "Hinglish". And who gives the seal of authority.Collins.

According to their new edition reccently published,Hinglish is a fusion of Hindi and English. Words to be used in everyday English in the UK. About 30 new words have found their way in the dictionary.Badmash and haramzada are some of them.When young we were told that if we wanted to learn a language fast,learn the bad words. It looks as if Collins is following that theory.

Of course,besides the hinglish words,there are some new english words,e.g. scrote,band-aid baby,scunnered,bird flu,hobbit and green-light district!.Really,a "gaggle of new entries". And the best of all-vuvuzela (an elongated plastic instrument that football fans blow to make a loud noise identical to the trumpeting of an elephant). I am sure my soccercrazy friends in Kolkata are listening. My next posting will be on their Bonglish.

Two Struggling Newspapers

I am sure that there are many more. But,I am aware of two newspapers who are struggling to survive. One is the 'Overseas Chinese Commerce of India',a Chinese newspaper. C.J.Chen is the Editor of India's only Chinese newspaper. Located at Chinatown in Tangra in Kolkata, which had a 40,000 strong Chinese population,today the newspaper has a circulation of only 300.With 12 people on the payroll and a coverprice of Rs 2.50, the OCCI is a four page daily covering mainly international news. This is Chen's 56th year in Kolkata. At 82,he remains very active. He wants the bonds of friendship between India and China to strengthen.Will his newspaper survive or not? "It is extremely difficult to run the newspaper", says Chen. That is a million dollar question. Or now it is a question of the 'yuan'. He thinks that after he is gone,someone will take control and run the newspaper.That is called optimism.Never say die.

The other newspaper which is sailing on a similar boat is a Sanskrit two-page daily published from Mysore. Sri K.N.Sampatkumar is the Editor of 'Sudharma'.It is 36 years old and was started by the current editor's father Sri K.N.Varadaraja Iyengar. I have been reading this newspaper for the last one year.For an annual subscription of Rs 500,I get all the issues by post.I enjoy reading 'Sudharma' as it helps me to improve my vocabulary and proficiency in Sanskrit.Besides current domestic and international news,there are very interesting anecdotes and short stories,poems,extracts from our Ramayana and Mahabharata,and 'subhashitam' (aphorisms in the form of poetic couplets) which makes reading a pleasureable experience.

But then the irony is that the giver of pleasure suffers from pain and agony.His paper has a minimal circulation and he is struggling to keep it afloat. When I read his editorial on the birth anniversary of 'sudharma',my eyes turned moist. I love Sanskrit. I like to read it and chant shlokas.I am trying to speak it.What can I do to help the Editor and Publisher to keep this only devabhasha newspaper in the world alive.I would be happy to receive suggestions from my readers.

The Red Flag Flies High

Recently an international TV channel conducted a poll to adjudge the 'greatest philosopher' of the world. Karl Marx got 27.93% of the votes cast in the contest. It must have warmed the hearts of the Jyoti Basus,Surjeet Singhs and Karats. And E.M.S.Namboodripad and S.A.Dange must have turned with satisfaction in their graves. West Bengal,almost the last bastion of the Communist philosophy, had something to rejoice about. And Marx had a comfortable lead over his nearest rival,David Hume,who could get only 12.67% of the votes cast. The pecking order was like this:

1) Karl Marx (27.93%)
2)David Hume (12.67%)
3)Ludwig Wittgenstein (6.80%)
4)Friedrieche Nietzsche (6.49%)
5)Immanuel Kant (5.61%)
6)St.Thomas Aquinas (4.83%)
7)Socrates (4.82%)
8)Aristotle (4.52%)
9)Karl Popper (4.2%)

In my student days ,I had read about the classification of philosophers into four distinct categories. a)the social philosophers, b)the speculative philosophers, c)the political philosophers and d)the philosophers of science.Now,in which category do the above named philosophers fall?

Marx-political.Hume-speculative.Ludwig-?.Nietzsche-speculative.Kant-speculative.Aquinas-speculative.Socrates-social.Aristotle-social.Popper-?.Isn't it interesting to note that 4 out of 9 were speculative philosophers.And I was surprised with some glaring omissions.Plato,Confucius,Emerson,J.S.Mill,Adam Smith,Hegel,Darwin,Copernicus,Einstein,Schpopenhauer,Shankaracharya , Ramanujacharya and Madhavacharya.I don't know why all the philosophers of science and some famous speculative philosophers were left out of the contest!

At one time, Marxist thought ruled 33% of the world population.Who says Capitalism has now taken over and that Marxism is no more relevant.Our CPM friends who are supporting Congress today have a good chance to win more seats in the next elections and come closer to power.It is not an impossibility.It is very probable.

The Arrival Of The Modern Wada Pav

Dheeraj Gupta,an MBA has done it.Along with his wife.It is no more a street sold commodity.It is the modern version.In a state-of-the-art central kitchen,potatoes are washed,peeled and mashed with the help of modern technology.The patty is blast frozen and sent to the nine outlets between Borivli and Dadar.The kitchen then fries the wada and packs the product.Woila! Isn't that hot and tasty?.It is the wadapav in its new avatar.Thoroughbread.

Jumbo King consult with Johnson Diversey's to maintain world class hygiene standards.And have even been inspired by Ray Kroc's "Behind the Arches".Based on the McDonald strategy,Gupta is expanding.He started with an initial investment of Rs 2 lakhs.Today his sales is touching Rs 4 crores.He plans to raise it to Rs 20 crores by mid 2006.He also plans to have a 100 strong network in a year's time.Providing street food under hygienic conditions for Rs 6 is competition for McDonald which sells at Rs 20.And for guys like Manohar Mangesh Satam who runs his wada pave centre at Flora Fountain since 1971.And Ashok Haldavnekar who set up a wada pav stall on a handcart at Girgaum in 1968.He was blessed by the Shiva Sena chief. It was called the Shiv Sena wada pav.

And now with their popularity on the wane will Ashok' fortunes also take a tumble? Has the wada pav become so powerful? Time alone will tell whether Gupta survives or the Satams and Haldavnekars.

That's it.Strategically located near the Charni Road railway station.Seem to be doing roaring business. 

Quite a rush for the hot stuff. 

It takes only a few minutes,friend.Have a heart.I am not going to stand that long! 

That is the cheese wadapav.Pretty wholesome. 

And the frozen patty is fried in hygienic conditions. 

I am getting my cheese wadapav in a jiffy. 

Haute Cuisine

Did Prez Bush get it right,I wondered. That was my first reaction when I read about the banquet he hosted for our PM and his wife during their recent visit. Was he under the impression that MS belongs to the BJP?. The silk table-clothes were saffron coloured and chocolate lotus blossoms were on the platter.The food appeared to be vegetarian,though Manmhoan Singh is not. Dubya is known for his faux-pas and I thought this was yet another one! Apparently not.Halibut is a flat fish and these are normally eaten on holy days.(I had to check this out on the net.) And Dubya had done his homework. Manmohan Singh has a weakness for fishes like Vajpayee has for chicken.

It was a four course dinner.The menu card read as under:

1)Chilled Asparagus Soup and Lemon Creme

2)Pan-roasted Halibut and Ginger Carrot Butter

3)Basmati Rice with Pistacchio Nuts and Currants and Herbed Summer Vegetables.

4) Salad of Bibb lettuces and Citrus Vinaigrette.

5)Chocolate Lotus Blossoms With Mango,Chocolate-Cardamom and Cashew Ice-creams.

In all there were 134 guests and a Jazz band was in attendance.

They hit off well. Unlike our ex PM's name which Prez Bush always forgot,this was an easy one. He had to just sing(h) a song and dance. Which he did well and the two built up a good rapport.

But then everything is not hunky dory.While the father praised Prez Bush for improving the relations between our two countries,the daughter was giving the US government sleepless nights on the inhuman treatment of Iraqi prisoners.

Coconut Water-The Great Healer

Coconut water is a very effective diuretic and a wonderfully refreshing drink.Once you get hooked on to it,you will never leave it. It is one addiction worth holding on to.Nariyal pani piyo aur khush raho.

The Japs Have Arrived

It is not unusual to see the Japanese in Dalal Street these days. And it is a refreshing change. The traditional bowing ceremony,exchange of visiting cards and conversation in slow,halting and measured tone. "Ohayo godaimaaz","konnichi wa" and "domo domo" are japanese words which our gujju brokers have picked up fast. They even move their face to the right and left to signify a 'yes' and up and down vertically to indicate a 'no'. Exactly the opposite of what we do. They are the contrarians. They have come with 'yen 'and 'zen' and are pushing the sensex and nifty higher and higher every passing day.

The story is not over. They are also pushing your minds. It is dekho,dekho,sudoku! .The puzzle game which is sweeping Mumbai. In Japanese it means digit or single number. The puzzle grid is made up of a 9*9 matrix. That is,nine rows and nine columns. Every three rows and three columns constitute three boxes of nine cells each. Some numbers are already there in the puzzle. You have to fill in the blank cells so that every row and every column has the digits 1-9 in it. No number can be repeated in a particular cell,row or column. Every puzzle has only one correct solution. And according to the experts,you can keep on playing with a new number combination infinitely almost. Do you need to be an expert in maths or number theory to master the game. No,not at all. What you need is clear logical thinking and sharp eyes.

Like the compulsive net surfer,you have today the compulsive sudoku player. Till they have solved the day's puzzle they just won't do anything else. Invented by a New Zealander called Wayne Gould,it has spread like forestfire. Sudoku is being recommended to keep the brain active and ward off Alzheimer's. Build up what is called a 'cognitive reserve'. Maintain your brain and make sure that when you are 80,your brain is still there with you.

Solving time varies from 10 minutes to 30 minutes,depending upon the proficiency you have acquired. And many say that the adrenaline rush is what they enjoy and feel at the end as if they have conquered the world.

Just type sudoku in google and get going(www.sudoku.com). You may soon start getting this puzzle every morning on your cellphone too. Suffer its agony and discover its ecstacy. Go solve it.

'The Forum' -A Swanky Mall In Bangalore

The Forum-A Swanky Mall At Bangalore
Originally uploaded by gopoo.

During my recent visit to Bangalore my sister enquired whether I had shopped in 'The Forum'-a relatively new mall that had come up in Bangalore.When I said that I hadn't, she urged me to visit it as it would be a very memorable shopping experience.
I had then just concluded a tough labour negotiations meeting quite successfully,and I imagined that I definitely needed a break and that a quick jaunt to this wellspoken of mall was justified en route to the airport.
I therefore set of for the old Mico road and when I saw the mall from a distance,I realised that the mall culture has indeed arrived.I must say that I was very impresssed. A humongous place,ample carparking space in the building,huge shops,you name the internationally known brands and they are all there. When I mentioned this to my Kannada friends they said,"enri,neevu garuda nodlilva.adu ondu doddu maalu! alli hogbittu shop maadi" (hello,haven't you seen the 'Garuda'.that is a huge mall'.go there and shop").Garuda is the latest addition to the long list of malls coming up in Bangalore.

Last month ,the CEO of Wal-Mart met our PM and showed interest in establishing some WM outlets in India. The increase in spending habits and spending power of the 300 million middle class is a great business opportunity which the big ones will not ignore. And India tops the list of the 30 most attractive countries in emerging markets for mass merchandise and food retailers. Russia has been pushed to the second place. The current moves by the Government to ease restrictions on FDI in this retail business is pushing global players to capture first-mover advantage. Carrefour,Casino and Tesco will surely and quickly enter India using a combination of different business models like M&S and Benetton who are already there.The Red is red in its face and has warned the PM not to make any concessions on FDI while in the US. They want the local kiranawallas and small mom and pop shops round the corner to continue. Unaffected.And MS has shot back that he needs no sermonising. But then political compulsions will be there when the Govt tries to liberalise the retail business.Backing out on BHEL disinvestment is the latest example.

Many years ago when I visited Kolhapur to discuss sale of fertilisers in the sugar belt,I was struck by the huge shopping store(not mall),I visited. For a 2 tier or 3 tier city,it was a big jump.Now with old textile mills and unviable manufacturing units closing down, in different parts of the country,a lot of urban space is coming into the market and is being devoured by property developers for housing cum commercial centres. Recently,17 acres of prime land was bought by the Delhi based DLF at Mumbai for an eyepopping Rs 702 crores.Y'day I read about 5 acres of prime land near Shivaji Park going for a mindboggling Rs 350 crores.

The Retail boom has arrived. Gurgaon is set to get the mother of malls.40 lakhs square feet.It will be spread over 32 acres and will have parking space for 10,000 cars.Bigger than Minniapolis and Shangai,the biggest malls in the world today,the DLF mall is expected to cost Rs 1500 crores and will be ready by 2007. Who says we Indians can't think big?

The Pantaloons and the Food Worlds better watch out.Consumerism is driving the retail market and the smaller players may get driven out. And brands are proliferating.Tommy Hilfliger,Louis Vuitton,Dockers,Red Tape,Bulgari,Chambor,Corelle,Magpipe and a host of others are knocking at the door or have already gained entry inspite of the Reds asking the Govt to show them the door. Soon our retail industry will be on par with its counterparts in the developed world.

Life at 70,feels like 60

Life at 70,feels like 60
Originally uploaded by gopoo.

While I was travelling in Germany last year,I met this 'young lady' on a train. She was 70ish,but I was amazed at how she took her age lightly. She was travelling to her son's place and was carrying a bagpack slung on her shoulder and hand bags (heavy) in each hand(gifts for grandchildren) and when I offered help smilingly she declined it. I was very impressed with her attitude. She was 70 but acted 60.

We are all getting older but people today act younger than their parents did at the same age. Scientists have come out with a new age theory to explain why populations are ageing but simultaneously getting younger. Age is not measured by how many years you have lived,but how many more years you can look forward to. Sanderson and Scherbov have estimated how elderly people in USA,Japan and Germany will change in the years to come. Middle age in 2050 would come around 52 instead of 40 as in 2000. As people have to live more years,they are behaving as if they are younger. The focus should be on how many years we have to live which would help in designing a useful and effective healthcare system says Sanderson. In the discussion on ageing,how many years we have to live has been completely ignored so far.

So,going by this concept I feel I am now 50.Like someone said,Fifty is the old age of youth and sixty is the youth of old age.Look at it the way you want.

And here is the weirder side of it. Go try out http://www.deathclock.com. A clock will start counting off the seconds that you have left. After you have entered your date of birth,weight,sex,attitude(pessimistic,optimistic,sadistic) and whether you smoke or not. When you hit enter,a popup window gives you your date of death.

Chill. All is OK.

FIFO(Fish In Fish Out)

FIFO(Fish In Fish Out)
Originally uploaded by gopoo.

I am not referring to the accountant's inventory management acronym. I am referring to 'fishy' matters.And normally accountants don't like to meddle in such things.
Exactly a month ago,on Margashira day,the Bathini Gaud brothers for 2 days were pushing small fishes laden with a medicine down the throats of asthma ridden patients. And there was an unprecendented traffic problem in Hyderabad and elaborate bandobust had to be made. And this is an annual ritual for more than 30 years now.
Every year once,under the right constellation,the brothers administer this medicine.It is a secret handed over to them by a Sadhu and they will not reveal it even to the High Court whose intervention was sought by some organisations.They said faith in the medicine was its strength.Some 26 food items have to be avoided for 40 days for the medicine to be effective.Thousands of patients who came from all over the country could care less.We are getting relief,why should we bother with all this opposition was their typical reaction.

And in Kolkata,Satyendra Nath Boral,a Vaishnavaite and living in Bowbazar,once every week,at high tide releases 3 kgs of fishes that he has bought from the market bitten by penitence for all his past killings of fishes.He has been doing this week in and week out for the last 25 years or so.He even feeds cows,dogs and pigeons in the neighbourhood.He has also given up drinking milk (Maneka Gandhi would be very happy to hear that). He is now forming a trust to carry on these activities when he is gone.

And in both the cases-the Gauds and Boral,the fisheries department of the respective states have been more than cooperative.While AP supplied more than 65,000 murrel fingerlings at 32 counters priced at Rs 10 each, the WB government offer him fishes better able to adapt to the Ganga at a reduced rate and that too Bhetki for his indulgence.

Who says the bureaucracy does not have a heart?

All That Glitters Is Not Gold.

Gold
Originally uploaded by gopoo.

Mariya,Mariya,Mareeeeeeeeya!.Remember that old hitsong. That was what was on everybody's lips last week at Wimbledon when she was playing Venus Williams in the semifinals. But chanting of that mantra did not help the women tennis's fashion diva from crashing out.

Tall,goodlooking,longlimbed and blonde ,Maria Sharapova had established against her opponents that she had no feet of clay. She made her feet glitter. The sweet seventeen had just turned eighteen. The superstar wore 18 carat goldstudded sneakers for Wimbledon. She became an ambassador of the yellow metal. Her tennis cloak had gold details,and even a gold zipper.Long gold danglers,which complemented her golden mane.She went around with a gold trimmed bag. Gold prices in the bullion market started shooting up and was expected to reach stratospheric levels. Such was the sudden demand for gold.

But then all the psyching she did on her opponent did not help her. Venus remained unfuzzed and quietly stole victory.Maria's grunt while serving which is worse than a siren not withstanding. At the end it was a dejected Maria who walked away carrying all the gold sans the golden Wimbledon cup.She learnt a hard lesson.Gold does not always glitter.

But then offcourt she continues to win.Her businesses are flourishing.She even has a mobile phone named after her(Maria Moto),a mobile game and a perfume too.She has a keen eye for business and wants to become a fashion designer some day.Her 18 million dollar looks surely will help her.

And there is an icon and rolemodel for our Saniabeti. And a message. "I know what I am good at and I will stick to it."

Caught in the Net

Caught in the Net
Originally uploaded by gopoo.

Are you addicted more to your morning 'kaapi' or to the internet? Would you rather give it up than your vsnl/mtnl/hathway connection? Particularly when the homely kaapi is getting a sophisticated trendy flavour.Demerara or special coffee sugar. We will come back to that a little later.

What is interesting to note is the recent 2005 Web@Work survey.It says that 52% of US employees would rather give up their addiction to coffee than their internet connections.93% of all employees in the US access internet at work and that many log on to do their personal work.12.6 hours is spent averagely every week accessing the internet.Almost 50% of this goes to work-unrelated browsing. As expected,women employees are more disciplined.54% admit to nonwork surfing against 62% by men. Visit to investment and sports sites was common among men and some even played games. 25% admitted visiting porn sites though a third of them indicated that it was the slip of the finger.

What does the survey recommend? To maintain and enhance overall productivity and morale,the employees must be given the freedom to fulfil their need of the personal use of the Web.

And if a similar survey were to be done in India what would it reveal? Frequent visits to the filmi sites,astrology sites and even shaadi sites? It would be interesting to know the surfing Indian's preferences.

Barista,Coffee Day,Starbucks,better watch out.Hip India's signature beverage is under siege.Inspite of demerara sugar,the pull towards the net is only increasing.It may be a good idea to provide internet access in your cafes.

The Coffee chains can then eat the cake and still have it in their hands.

And recently I heard a surfer saying ,"Not that I love my kaapi less,but that I love my Internet more". Kool!

The Colourful Crows

kaka
Originally uploaded by gopoo.

Crows are held in special esteem in Mumbai.And therefore when recently there were a spate of crow deaths,the Mumbaiwala was very sad.What caused these deaths is still a mystery but then about 450 of them seemed to have met their end rather suddenly.One might say that in a population of 500,000 or so in Mumbai alone,it is a miniscule percentage.Even then,there is a tinge of sadness in the hearts of the Mumbaikars.
Crows have struck fear in the minds of people from time immemorial.Particularly those who are superstitious.Even Sita in Ramayana when her breast was plucked by a 'raven',knew that some doom was imminent.It is even thought that a crow striking at the window is summoning a human soul to the grave.
Inspite of these minuses,the crow is still a very popular bird.And during 'sraddha' when the pindams(rice balls) are offered to the 'pitrs'(ancestors),they are supposed to be partaking of the offerings in the form of the crows.They are clever,enterprising,adaptable and smart.However like Sardarjis,they are the objects of fun and jokes.Sanskrit books abound with stories of the foolishmeess of crows,like when it tries hard to change its colour or when it is induced to sing by a jackal so that the flesh which it had picked up drops for the waiting jackal to snatch and run away.Oh!,kakasya moorkhata!
But then ask the naturalists and they will go ga ga over its gait and flicking of its wings.They are quite intelligent,have a sharp memory and when hurt can take sweet revenge.They are a bit human.After all,people who lagao maska(butter) to their bosses are known as kaka pidichifiers(in tamil).May the crows live long!

SOAM

SOAM
Originally uploaded by gopoo.

It was 29th June,my 61st birthday. We decided to dine out and I was given the choice by my better half to decide on the restaurant. I remembered having seen this new eatery having come up opposite Babulnath Temple at Girgaum Chowpatty. I didn't have to scan Times Food Guide or go through Rashmi Uday Singh's 'Around the World in 80 Plates' to get the bearings of this spanking new foodjoint.

We headed for 'Soam 'named after the Babulnath deity. Valet car parking was very welcome,as it was drizzling . Though there was a sizeable crowd waiting for seats,as we were just two we got our turn rather quickly though I suspected it was a bit out of turn probably to impress the newcomers. Gleaming white flooring,comfortably airconditioned,neat and clean and good ambience. Essentially a cafe for short eats-chaat,snacks and mini meals. All veg-idlis,dosas,gujju snacks and gujju/marwari chota meals. We were served on peepul leaves,bronze-copper Rajkot thalis and there were a variety of chutneys and aachars on the table. We looked at the menu card and after some debate decided to order the following:

1)Thandai Ice Sherbet

2)Bajra Methi dhebra with launji

3)Paanki Chutney

4)Gatto nu shack with satpadi roti.

The food was tasty and filling.Their service was courteous.And to top it all, the total bill came to only Rs 275.We even carried one bajri roti away in a doggy bag!.Strongly recommended for light veggie chaat cum meal.

Like Son,Like Father

Black Buck
Originally uploaded by gopoo.

The son did it several years ago. The father emulated him on June 3. Both are now charged for similar crimes. Killing an endangered species. The black buck.

Mansur Ali Khan, the Nawab of Pataudi,ex MP,former cricket captain of the Indian team finally surrendered to the Haryana police after going underground for more than two weeks. During this period,his near and dear ones,moved heaven and earth to get him off the hook. And the senior police officials seemed to have cooperated. Dame luck was not in favour of the killer of the buck though . Finally he surrendered and was in lockup at Jhajjar for 2 days. What a fall. Finally,the hunter was hunted down. The Nawab spent nearly 48 hours in a dingy room with minimal comforts and bread and boiled potatoes for lunch and dinner.

It is an enigma. What made a sophisticated,educated,urbane,knowledgeable,enlightened person indulge in this barbaric act. Perhaps all the qualities attributed to him,he did not really deserve. And this was not an one off incident. It was his bad luck that he got caught.When his Gypsy boot was opened in a routine manner,when he was leaving the forest area,perhaps he did not expect the chota police official to have the gumption to question His Highness the Nawob.Out came the caracasses of the black buck and two rabbits. Surprisingly,he was not detained.He was let off. That he couldn't remain untouched for long is a different story.

One explanation for this seemingly mad behaviour which I tend to agree with is the Nawabi arrogance that no mortal can question their actions. Otherwise how do you explain the killing of thousands of birds in one single day by the Nawab accompanied by the begumsahiba and chote nawab in Kashmir?

Whether he will be ultimately brought to book is something to be seen but Raymond's 'complete man' has been shorn of all his clothes and stands naked in front of all animal loving people.He killed a female deer and one which was carrying.His crime therefore gets compounded.It is said that shikaris don't shoot during the mating season. Also that they do not kill a female deer. And also not when she is pregnant.And Pataudi violated all these unwritten rules.Shikar ka nasha hai,nahin to aur kya.

The Baishnoi community for whom the black buck is like a guru has sworn to take revenge.They follow the 20 and 9 commandments laid down by their preceptor. Bees aur nau and that is why they are called baishnoi.

Naveen Patnaik,the CM of Orissa is anguished. He fell in love with the black bucks when he saw them in his father's constituency,Aksa. And so carried away he was with its beauty that he immediately painted a black buck on canvas and wrote an appeal in Oriya asking his people to preserve the endagered black buck and bring no harm to them.

Sharmila Tagore says that she has great faith in the country's judiciary.I don't know what that means.But for the crimes that the three have committed,they deserve to go to the gallows.

Lassi Masti

Lassi
Originally uploaded by gopoo.

Heard of Abhinav and Nidhi Agarwal? Well,they run the Chaat Masala restaurant near the Bombay Stock Exchange.You can dine in style and pick your favourite chaat from a spread of about 30 different chaats.Their paanipuris are awesome.And here too you have a great choice.Have you tried paalak ki chat? Crispy spinach leaves and green chillies with sweet and sour chutney and chaat masala.
The main course has multani dhingri kebabs,paneer tikka masala,mirchi ka saalan(made famous by the hyderabadis)and superb desserts as the finale.Moong dal halwa or tiranga kulfi.
A bit stiff on the purse though. Re 400 per head. Though not big money for having street food in a sanitised ambience. Oh,I completely forgot the main reason for posting this blog.

Lassi. Strawberry,kala khatta,kesar etc. Absolutely heavenly! And why don't we make lassi our national drink. Even Lalu wants coke,pepsi and other drinks to be replaced by buttermilk(a diluted form of lassi) in khullars(clay pots)!.Chalo,kuch thanda ho jaaye.

Made famous by the Punjabis,lassi is the ideal drink in the hot season.The lactobacilli in lassi acts as a lubricant and helps us to digest food easily.It also relieves one from gas and constipation.Containing protein,vitamins,iron and calcium,it can be consumed in all age groups -from newborn babes to the elderly.

It is the quintessential Deshi drink.

Lassi piyo aur masti karo.

Airfare Warfare

Airfare Warfare
Originally uploaded by gopoo.

It is no more plain vanilla stuff. The subject of airfares has become so complicated that the math is maddening. An airline can have thousands of fares with different set of associated rules for each leg of a trip. If two persons take a round trip together with three flights going and coming, there can be as many as 1000 to the power 12 or 10 to the power 36 airfare combinations. isn't that mindboggling?

Computer scientists Jeremy Werthaeimer of MIT and Carl de Marcken have developed a software that is now being used by many airlines.It is an airline pricing search engine. But no airlines can guarantee the cheapest fare.

Now comes the question as to how are the ticket prices determined?. It is completely determined by the airlines. Prices are calculated based on number of passengers on an aircraft and cost of operating the aircraft. And airlines offer different fare levels on different flights. How does that explain the drastic fall in the Delhi-Mumbai return airfare after Spicejet and Kingfisher decided to join the fray? And this when the aviation fuel prices are rising.
The fundamental rule to follow to get a cheap ticket is to buy the ticket early.The price on the ticket has got nothing to do with the length of the air journey.It is a question of supply and demand. Airlines want to maximise total revenue and they avoid flying with any empty seats. These are the main goals. There are other subgoals as well. Customer loyalty(frequent flyer programmes),weaning customers from other airlines etc. And there are further complications like flying on a particular day of the week or at an unpopular time. Attractive fares for less congested aiports. And what is the result of trying to meet all these different goals? A complex airfare system resulting in different passengers having paid different fares on the same flight.It may even be cheaper to fly Mumbai-London-Delhi than Mumbai-Delhi direct.

But then there is peace in war also.Though there is intense competition generated by the low air fares,the airlines work in tandem as well. For example recently when my IA flight from Bangalore did not take off,the IA aiport officer immediately put me on a Jet Airways flight though I was holding an Apex ticket. It was sheer luck that I got the best seat.The new mantra is competition with cooperation.

The order books of Boeing and Airbus are overflowing. So much so that Airbus has decided to call off its protest against Air India's recent orders on Boeing.They even wanted the matter to be referred to our Cental Vigilance Commission. In the recent Airshow in Paris, the orders generating from India were so many-80 airbuses,100 boeings etc etc that millions of eyes popped out at the billions of dollars of orders on these two born enemies.

It is being said that 2005 will be the year of R.K.Lakshman's common man flying? Will it be so? Time alone will tell.

The Free Fall Of Air Fares

Free Fall
Originally uploaded by gopoo.

airfares@1re.isn't it incredible? or is it ludicrous? hard to say. but now that is the ground reality. gone are the days of monopoly by indian airlines.we now have jet airways,sahara,kingfisher,spice and air deccan all over our skies.and some of them daring to venture beyond.

but then you needed a guy like captain gopinath to set the place on fire. audacious,innovative,lots of chutzpa. his inagural flight about a year ago ran off the tarmac. a bit superstitious as i am,i thought it was a bad start. no fears.he is blowing great guns. he was the one who came out with the one buck fare. limited seats in every air deccan flight for re 1. the exact modus operandi though not clear to me. it is,i am told on a first come basis. but then people are excited. flying from bangalore to delhi for re 1 is more than a steal. of course they have to pay some re 221 as taxes bringing the fare to re 222. but then that is small change.

when this scheme was announced,the air deccan call center received more than 10,000 calls and its website had more than 50,000 hits. someone said what will happen to their image,if they sell tickets so cheap.

the inspiration for col gopinath comes from cartoonist r k lakshman whose 'common man' is the brand ambassador of the airline.and the suggestion for re 1 airfare seems to have come from lakshman.

the irony of it is that when it was first introduced early this month an infosys employee flew on a re 1 ticket! col gopinath wants more people to fly. that makes sound economic sense. and he is going to make it possible. it is a miracle and nobody is complaining.
now how does the math work out. let us take a chota break.

Jamai Sasthi-Work can Wait

Jamai Sasthi
Originally uploaded by gopoo.

All play and no work makes 'jamai'(son-in-law) a good boy. When I landed in Kolkata on Monday the 13th June, little did I realise what was in store for me. I had lots of work to do. My colleagues didn't think that was possible. Because it was Jamai Sasthi. A day when the mother-in-law pampers her son-in-law no end with food.

A spirit of gaiety was hanging around the whole city. And in particular in all govt offices where the employees had set their work aside to enjoy jamai sasthi. I should have looked at the Bengali almanac before making my programme. It was the sixth day after amavasya(new moon) in the month of jaishta and for bengalis it is a very memorable day.

Notwithstanding Buddhababu's(CM) call for a new work culture,around 2 pm people wound up their work and headed for sasur bari(in-law's house)with a pot of rosogolla in hand. Not only jamais but women too left their work to prepare an elaborate meal for their favourite sons-in-law. The brahmachari saw no point in being left behind. Offices looked bare,thanks to this self-declared holiday. And there were fewer buses and taxis on the road. Because the drivers and conductors too did not want to miss this one- in- a -year opportunity of being pampered by their sasurma.

And on Tuesday I thought it was all over. No,in Kolkata it is different. The whole forenoon was spent in discussing the previous day's jamai bhoj!

Palapazham

Jackfruit-2
Originally uploaded by gopoo.

That is the Tamil equivalent for jackfruit.On a hot sunny afternoon while I was driving down a busy Basavangudi(bastion of tambrahms) road,I could not resist the temptation of buying the jumping jack.I took the snap of the vendor and then the lady-in-waiting.I put it in my bag and rushed off for a meeting.And in the evening I became a jackfruit myself-so much of the fruitsmell emanated from me!

Jackfruit

Jackfruit-1
Originally uploaded by gopoo.

I love jackfruits.But then I am a poor buyer.And always end up paying more and getting a fruit which is not ripe.Hence I have decided to buy only after it is cut and tasted by me for its quality.I have to therfore perforce buy and eat one sample piece on the streets.Not that I mind it at all,but the question is whether the one piece I test is safe enough to be eaten.I am careful, though,and choose only a vendor who has a clean cart and clean hands.Back home they are thoroughly washed,dried and eaten dipped in honey.
Madhu,Madhu,Madhu.That is what our ancient sages said about honey.And when you take it with jackfruit it is paradise.

Jackfruit-3

Jackfruit-3
Originally uploaded by gopoo.

If you are suffering from abdominal pain,this is what the doctor has ordered.The highly nutritious ripe bulbs are laxative and provide quick relief.
Jackfruit has its origins in India,near the western Ghats.Now it has spread as far as to Jamaica!.Associated with Ramayana and Mahabharatha,a common blessing to a would-be mother is that she should bear a bonny baby like a jackfruit.
Wood from the jackfruit tree has been used for building palaces in Indo-China.It changes colour with age-from yellow to brown or dark red.It is not easliy attacked by termites,bacteria and fungi.Largest among all the fruits,it can weigh around 40 kgs.The ripe bulbs smell like banana and are eaten raw,cooked or made into chips,papad etc.The seeds are roasted and added alongwith sambhar.
It is highly nutrious.Rich in carotene,carbo,calcium,potassium,vit-c etc,it also contains phosphorous and iron.It is taken as a tonic by the Chinese.And the Buddhist monks boil its wood chips and dust in water and extract a dye which they use for dyeing their robes.It is indeed a mutifunctional fruit.It is a jack of all fruits.

From Kanyakumari to Kashmir

From Kanyakumari to Kashmir
Originally uploaded by gopoo.

It has defied the law of gravity so to say.And moved up from KK to K.It is crowding out Wazwan,the mutton delicacy.With the silence of the guns,thousands of tourists are pouring into Kashmir and it appears to be good times once again.An interesting off-shoot of this development is that the average Kashmiri is being exposed to the pan-indian flavour and he is waking up to it.And masala dosa is a favourite among the Kashmiri youth.