The most underrate pleasure- Cooking

Since I was a kid, I loved to read books related to cooking.
Out of all the books that I read, cooking and food related books are my favorites.
Give me anything that talks about the history of cheese making which involves diseases also born due to cheese and its processing, I am the happiest person on earth.

I have watched endless food shows, read food related articles, books even biographies related to food and its artists- chefs.

And if anything that will always stay with me throughout my life I think that will be my love towards home cooked delicious food.

Some of my cousins also have these amazing cooking skills, my own sisters who takes immense proud in her sea food and non vegetarian delicacies, I think we all have inherited this love for home cooking from my grandmother. My grandmother was one of the few people who would take cooking as a part of happiness in life. She would sprung to her feet if there is an opportunity to cook something only she can make as the Karela sabji or steamed Modak or Upama with her own style. I have seen her in her 80's toiling near stove, taking her time and preparing the best tasting food she can by giving it time and taking a pleasure out of it.

I recently watched a beautiful documentary which explored the food around the world through the elements which are absolutely required for the preparation of the food Fire, Air, Water, Earth...

I couldnt get enough of it as I was watching something beautiful unfold in front of me through centuries and the present food culture.

I dont know how and why I gain so much of the pleasure through cooking or rather even thinking or reading about it, but its an absolutely unforgettable experience of making something with  your own hands which has its own behavior and culture and history and taste and smells, it has to be one of the best meditation practices to achieve something out of some raw ingredients.

To the hungry me....



Cooked

Travor Noah-Born a Crime(Stories from a south African Childhood)

There are some people who we are met by accident and mesmerized by the way they speak or react to the situation. And on one such afternoon while surfing anti-Trump squad comedians, I found Travor.

I was totally engrossed by his subtle humor and laughing dimples and intelligently dropped jokes, that I spent 2 weeks going (Fangirling) over all his shows available on youtube.

Then I came across his interview with Obama and it just left me speechless with the  whole Travor Aura he was sporting around with president Obama and I just wanted to know who the hell is this man.

And then I had to order his book which recently became New York times no. 1 best seller.

Travor Noah-Born a Crime(Stories from a south African Childhood)

It says “Essential reading… fast paced, funny and inspirational… Travor Noah’s life is all about achieving the impossible” with a wall mural face of laughing Travor on a wall and a African woman staring at him with such an admiration.

Today when I finish his book after two weeks or so, and I look back at its cover again, I feel how appropriate it is for the tale he has to tell. His ruined parts in his mural kind of depicts his difficult and lonely childhood along with the abuse he witnessed and went through, yet his brilliant brown eyes are shiny with a good humored laugh he sports, I feel a sense of envy for his mother and himself for the amazing journey they have been through.

Travor shares his birth story and his mother’s reasons of having a colored child from a Swiss man, he shares his fears and the lessons his mother made him learn as well the ones he learnt through his journey.

 I have been following the whole paradigm shift with the racism in recent year, and as it goes on, being a south African comedian as one of the leading comedy shows is of course an achievement. Travor is of course inspirational for most of his success story, but in the book the whole time you cant forget but admire Patricia , his mother who turns out to be his team mate and the beholder of how his life and thoughts are shaped.

Patricia gives sex lessons and manners to 10 year old Travor , teaches him to behave and makes him a man she wishes he should be. Patricia tries hard in her marriage, and prays for the God beyond any of the obstacles in between, giving hope to Travor by her weird eccentric positivity. Patricia even bails him out of jail, while teaching him valuable lessons along the way and it just blows  your mind.

As how can someone be so positive and creative despite being born into horrific conditions and still hope for the best in future. How can one be so calm and considerate despite being shot in head just few hours ago.

I slowly fell for Travor and his story of achieving the impossible but after having this read, I would say Patricia, his mother is the real hero behind his morals and the reality based opinions.

While I go through the hard moments Travor has when he gets the news that his mother been shot, I missed my own mother terribly and my eyes welled up for his grief. She survives like a miracle and yet praises God for blessing a son like Travor I laughed at their lovely bond and closed the book with a new found respect for him and his mother together.

A Refreshing read after many days!

Travor Noah- Born a Crime…

Some memorable quotes from the book:

If God is with me, who can be against me? She was never scared, even when she should have been…

Don’t cry about the past. Life is full of pain. Let the pain sharpen you, but don’t hold on to it. Don’t be bitter…

She taught me how to think…

Being more of a man doesn’t mean your woman has to be less than you.

Regret is an eternal question you will never have to answer to, “what if…”,”If only…”,”I wonder what would have…”you will never, never known and it will haunt you for the rest of your days.

The richer you are, the more choices you have. That is the freedom of money.

He only wants a woman who is free because his dream is to put her in a cage.

I saw the futility of violence, the cycle that just repeats itself, the damage that’s inflicted on people that they in turn inflict on others.

You don’t have to teach me a lesson twice.

You want to live in a world where someone is good or bad, where you either hate them or love them, but that’s not how people are.

Mercy!

Born-Crime-Trevor-Noah

Change of roles

So this post is about a day when I felt as if changing from one person into another by a 

quick change of time and situation. 

After so many times of deciding to go for an event of social event arranged by my company I had a good opportunity this weekend. 

After a long night surviving half of the movie “Mohabbatein” -(my roommate insisted on this that I must watch this movie , because duh…who hasn't watched Mohabbatein?) , I woke up in haze in morning so sure of leaving

for the day. 

we left our place and went into office first to get the projector and I bought 4 bars of energy bars, just to be handy in case we get hungry on the way. 

We met a guy who was also coming with us for this event and then we set onto our way to Anchetty which was the village(2 n half hour away from Bangalore) for teaching the kids in high school computer programming. 

I was quite happy and excited about this rather than my usual nervous one. 

We slept while going there since the road was too long and weather was amazing. 

We reached there and I was quite surprised to see a young boy of mere 25-26 being the headmaster 

of the school. 

The students on the other hand were looking at us with curious eyes as if we were some kind 

of new animals in zoo. 

I loved this feeling of role reversals since this is the reason I wanted to do this. (when I was in college,

if any people from company would come around I would feel super cautious as if what they must

be thinking about us). 

I found out that they just feel like helping us. I just wanted to tell them to keep going and one

day they can reach at the same place I was standing. I took control after some time, tried to teach 

them what I knew. and made sure they understood whatever I taught. Later I received a feedback from one of the manager who was with us that I was pretty good at whatever I tried to teach them. 

That was the best part of whole day, when you know you have done something worthwhile by putting yourself in a different kind of situation. 

The whole experience reminded me of my school and my college days, also gave me a realisation that I have begun to understand how to be social when I meet new people. 

And also that none of what we do in our life goes to waste. 

Of course as per Ayn Rand, “there is no selfless altruism”, and that people do things for others

because it makes them feel good about themselves . 

So as long as both are benefited from the act of a good deed. I don't mind doing it. 

selflessly or selfishly… 

We returned from this place after 3 hour session

and a 3 and half hour long drive from Bangalorean traffic, and then we had plans to go out for a party 

which was in a club. 

I changed from my so called descent attire to a party wear with heeled boots and red lips, arrived at a dark place where people drink and smoke and a weird stench welcomes us. 

It was as if walking into a garbage chute. It took a while for me to adjust to the dark 

and lights and the smell. 

But then as per time i was quite used to it. I don't drink so I couldn't do much except stare

at the people around me drinking beers and wines and LIT’s and blowing smoke from 

hookah in the air. When the Dj started everyone was pretty high and 

we were on the dance floor. The thing I love about this is that nobody gives a crap about what you are wearing or how you dance or what your name is. 

You become a part of unknown feeling of letting go and it takes you in regardless of your identity. 

The disco lights were twinkling above and the beats filled the room. 

The Dj was amazing , so we didn't stop till it was the last song of the evening. 

As always I danced like crazy, laughed like a mad woman getting high on the feeling of being with high 

people. Checked out some people, some checked me out. 

But that was sort of like the ambiance of the place. We saw a mild fight which fortunately didn't

turn into any argument. 

watched a women get way too high and loose control. And then left for the night, wearing glow sticks and 

stamps on our hands , as the proof that yes we spent an evening in a crazed place. It was raining outside and I switched on to  Coldplay song. 

As always a weird feeling surrounded me of being two person in one day. As if both people from those two situations maybe won't even recognize me in crossovers. 

Why be happy for selfishness then, or

why be happy for the freedom and the regret that comes with it. 

I felt as if I am balancing the sum and it all ends up into a big zero anyway. 

So this one is to being two people at once. 

To the point where you can't get the difference.