Photographs have come to this blog.....

Technophobia is diminishing! V has deciphered how to download photographs from our digital camera onto the laptop. I have uploaded them onto an online server and here is the first ever photograph on this blog.....


Serene Buddha of Lantau

This is the Buddha of Lantau. 20 feet high, solid bronze and 286 steps up a hillock on the picturesque island of Lantau. Utterly serene and completely beautiful.

of new things....

This last week has gone by in such a hurry that I have had not a mo to post some bits of new news. So here goes (in random order):

1. Trips and engagments: V & I landed two Saturday ago from our Hong Kong holiday and he left again on Sunday for New York (3 continents in as many days for him!). There he met an old buddy of ours. The news is that she and her he (also our good buddy) are now engaged. I have not heard the full 'so-how-did-he-propose' story. Needless to say I am very thrilled!
2. Babies are born: Two dear school friends have each delivered a beautiful baby last week. A little girl Tara on the 16th and a little boy Neel on the 18th. New life and innocence is blossoming.....
3. Old movies: V got back last Saturday morning and we went almost immediately to watch a hindi movie being screened by Pratham as a fundraising event. It was at the Prince Charles Cinema in Soho and we watched 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' from lovely plush red seats. V bid for and bought 10 Amitabh Bacchan movie DVD's as part of the intermission fundraising auction. That night we watched 'Amar Akbar Anthony' after dinner with friends.
4. Globe-trotters return: Our globe-trotting friends have returned from their adventures in South America. They have been our guests since last Saturday while they settle back to a London rhythm and each evening has been a wonderful wine and tale.....!
5. Of bones...: Went to Tayyabs in Whitechael for dinner on Sunday with our globe-trotters (one of whom rightly had a craving for the kebabs) and a delicious pork chop splintered and embedded a bone in V's tooth. Luckily the Royal Free Whitechapel is across the road (hmmm, I wonder is it coincidence or design?)and so we went to A & E. Beside a very drunk youngster who launched himself forward and hit the wall just ahead of us, there was no excitement. The nurse could not see anything and the doctor was too busy with the drunk guy. An hour later they sent us home with the bone still uncomfortably lodged in V's mouth. The dentist removed an mm speck from his tooth next morning and he is fine and raring to go to Tayyabs again. As you can see Tayyabs is just that good!
6. ....and snow: On the way back from A & E it began to snow. Rather late in the day considering its the end of February and we were waiting for spring. On Monday BBC advised us to expect 'Siberian winds' during the week and sure enough its been below freezing and there have been flakes in drifts and drabs. Nothing substantial (unfortunately) and each morning the dusting fo snow quickly turns to slush. But as it falls it looks so beautiful....

And so another week toward 30 passes by in a flash....

Tayyabs: 83-89, Fieldgate St,London E1 1JU Tel: 020 7247 6400

3eads or threads

This post (as the name does not easily explain) is about 3 reads/ three reads....

The weekend before we jetted off to HongKong V and I went to Greenwhich Market. A not so secret attraction of Greenwich market is that beside the weekend food market there are a few bargain bookshops which sell paperbacks for about £3 each. Here's the 3 I got and read (hence 3eads!)

Book 3: Fury by GM Ford
I had previously read one of Ford’s novels from the Leo Waterman series and enjoyed that immensely. So when I chose this book I expected Fury to be of a similar genre and voice and overall an easy-read American crime novel. Fury introduces Frank Corso, a once shamed and now reclusive columnist and occasional reporter for the Seattle Sun is the star. Once fired from the New York Times for fabricating a story, he is hired by the Sun's owner, Natalie van der Hoven, who is convinced that despite everything Corso is an “unusually honourable man". So when Leanne Samples (thus far star witness) claims, six days before the death penalty is to be carried out, that her vital identification of Walter Leroy Himes as the Trashman serial killer was a lie, Natalie calls in her marker to get Corso to follow the story. Delving backwards into the original material that helped convict Himes, Corso comes across unusual resistance from the Seattle city administration – indicating that something more than an unfortunate miscarriage of justice is at stake...and of course, like any good hero, he and his assistant, Meg Dougherty, turn things around just in the nick of time.

The plot was just about satisfactory – what makes this book a good read was the pace. The twists and turns are definitely not new in the world of crime thrillers but Ford’s satirical world-view and descriptions of the world of Seattle’s graffiti artists are riveting. Corso was like any other hero. It is Meg Dougherty who stands out as a character to reckon with. She dominates the book as six feet of "pure Seattle Gothic", vitally contributing her knowledge of Seattle street life (and much else) to the case. Her background story is shadowy and interesting making her one of the more convincing characters to read.

This book was a good read but definitely not in the league of the best. My recommendation is to read it only if you come across it by chance, on someone’s bookshelf, or in a library. Don’t go looking for it.

Book 4: The Remorseful Day by Colin Dexter
I’m admittedly a Poirot (Agatha Christie) and an Inspector Wexford (Ruth Randall) fan. I have watched read some of the books (but don’t recall either names or plots) and watched some Inspector Morse episodes (TV serial version) with John Thaw but never found either gripping enough to remember or pursue more wholeheartedly. It was the words on the cover of this one ‘The final Inspector Morse novel’ that caught my eye. I plucked it off the bookshelf of the bargain bookstore and resolved to give it a chance as my holiday book (for Hong Kong).

Morse is an eccentric British detective, almost as enigmatic as any of the suspects and victims he encounters. The Remorseful Day was wonderful. It revisits the life and death of Yvonne Harrison (a nurse) whose murder has baffled the Thames Valley police for more than a year. The unsolved murder is abruptly reactivated by an anonymous phone call to Morse's superior, who gives Morse the case despite his stiff opposition to getting involved. Reluctantly, Morse begins to He finds that the victim's hyperactive sex life has provided a surprisingly large number of potential suspects, all of whom have had time to hide or confuse their tracks.

There is a timeless quality about this book. You don’t need to have read any of the others in the series to appreciate this one. It moves at a steady pace and brings together elements of puzzle, comedy, thriller, word-play, description and village atmosphere. Indeed an engaging read - much encouraged.

Book 5: Deception Point by Dan Brown
This is the least good of Dan Brown's books I have read so far. I was introduced to Dan Brown’s work with the Da Vinci Coade which I devoured over two nights in Madrid on holiday. That was an amazing book.

With other books clamouring to be read after Da Vinci, it has taken me almost 10 months to sit down with another Dan Brown novel. And I am disappointed beyond belief. Deception Point felt as if it had been written to a formula for thrillers. The style seemed set and stilted by comparison with Da Vinci.

The whole plot is wrapped around the structures of power in Washington D.C. - the White House, presidential candidates, governmental agencies such as NASA and NRO. The basic plot is that NASA is coming under serious review for its huge spending and not-so-magnificent results. A Presidential candidate is scheming to change NASA’s future drastically and make space exploration a private venture. The incumbent President is the proverbial good guy and he recruits the Presidential candidate’s daughter (the daughter can't stand her father so there's no love lost) into his scheme to save NASA.

The central plot of the book is a discovery, conveniently by NASA, of a certain object buried in the ice somewhere in the Arctic zone. The discovery begins in a certain way, only to quickly reveal itself as something else entirely, which is exactly the fuel needed for the twisted plot to take off.

For fans of the genre, the book will be an entertaining read. Dan Brown is a confident writer, using typical tools building a thriller with a ever turning plot. The book is peppered with James Bond-ish hi-tech technologies supposedly used by the US defence forces. A notice at the beginning of the book claims that "all technologies described in this novel exist." While this could certainly be the case the book is far-fetched in dimension, relying on deception on rather a massive scale and in rather exalted circles and that makes it almost science fictional in nature.

Suffice it to say that this is a bestseller and I imagine that a lot of people will love it. It was not my favourite Dan Brown book by a long shot and I will not return to it for a while. More seriously the other two Dan Browns in the series that I have not yet read (Angels and Demons) are in peril of remaining unread till I am inspired enough again.

Till Book 6.....keep reading!

Into the grey

It's no surprise to anyone but me that as one approaches 30 the odd silver-grey hair pokes through an otherwise abundant head of brilliant black hair. Needless to say my least favourite colours at the moment are silver and grey. Needless to say that very soon I'll have to join the junta of hair-dying humans. Needless to say that no matter how healthy I get, no matter what veggies I ingest, this is an irreversible process. Ah well, I guess this is life!

However the point of this post is not to talk about hair, grey or otherwise.

V & I are back from Hong Kong. I loved every minute of it, not least because we stayed in a warm friendly house with friends. V liked it (note: not loved) but only as a one-off holiday spot, mainly because he was with me (ahem!) and because he had no choice! The sightseeing in HK can be kept to a minimum because there is not a lot to see in a city sized country.

Day 3: We MRT'd it to Kowloon and KCR'd (MRT and KCR both being rail systems) it to HungHom to get our Digital camera gaurantee converted to a worldwide one and to swap the instruction manual for an English one. Done and dusted by an efficient service centre, we went to the Jade market in Kowloon where I proceeded to spend some of my hard earned dough on beautiful trinkets. I am strangely attracted to Jade and bought a few beautiful pieces to jazz up my otherwise boring London blue-black attire. Walked through Nathan street (sent my last despatch from there but was too excited to write in any kind of detail) all the way to the Star Ferry Terminus, admiring all the shops. The ferry ride was cheap and fun and since it was bright and sunny, an altogether lovely experience.

Day 4: The big parade which I was so keen to see was a huge disappointment - there was no view from the planter I had to stand on; no crowd control to escape from it and what we did manage to capture on our camera and in our minds was greatly influenced by the US - cheerleaders and american marching bands interspersing many of the floats. Not enough oriental bits. Disappointing to say the least.

Day 5: The 1st of 3 days of Chinese New Year celebrations. We took the ferry across to Macau (or Macao as the Portugese say) but were sorely disappointed by the worn down industrial look. Macao's only highlight was the A-Ma temple (built into a rock hill) and the New Year celebrations (including noisy firework bursting) right outside.

Day 6: Took the MRT to Tung Chung which is on Lantau Island. Apparently Tung Chung used to be a backwater, with a few villages, a simple fishing harbour, and old rice fields. The modern world has since arrived with a vengeance - all connected to the development of the nearby state-of-the art Chek Lap Kok airport. After a long winded bus trip around hairpin bends of Lantau (that reminded me of the climb up to Ooty) we reached our destinantion - the Buddha is one of the most distinctive landmarks and in all it's bronze glory stands at 34m tall and weighs about 250 tonnes. The Buddha is part of the Po Lin Monastery which is at an altitude of 450 meters. We climbed all 268 stairs to reach the platform but it was well worth the effort for the wonderful view of the Lantau, of the little islands that surround it, and of the blue South China Sea. Back on the bus we noticed the neat villages and hamlets dotting Lantau's coast and lowlands. There's a cluster of them in the east, near the ferry pier at Mui Wo (or Silvermine Bay). Boosted by commuters and holidaymakers, they appear relatively prosperous. So too villages along Lantau's southern road, which are close to long, sandy beaches. It was an overcast but beautifully serene day and we enjoyed it very much.

From the entire trip the highlights for me were mainly the shopping - of which I did copious amounts - and the rolling fog we woke to each morning. Shopping so much so that we ended up buying a new strolly (haha - it was on the plan anyway!). My best buy was the Jade jewellery. The evenings with friends were great and Lan Kwai Fong will stick in my mind for some time to come.

The weather was mainly bright, mild - hot, sunny and clear - interspersed by the odd misty drizzle and rolling night to morning fogs. Back in London it is grey, greyer and greyest this week I am afraid. True to my predictions every year, February is colder than any other month. Shocking our systems and preparing our bones for much needed summer sun (she says hopefully). So we are back, at home, very much in the grey....

2nd despatch from HK

We are having an absolute blast in Hong Kong. I've been here before on a short stop over enroute to Australia in 1998 but for V this is the first time. For all practical purposes this is my first time as well - my memories from the 24 hour in 1998 are alternately blurred and sharp - some things seem familiar while others are a completely pleasant surpise.

Anyway sitting in Pacific Coffee shop in Kowloon's Nathan Street and posting as we have not had a minute to spare (having fun is so time consuming!)or any access so far.

Spent two lovely evenings with our hosts, pubbing in Lan Kwai Fong which is the central club/ pub/ disco area - crawled from 'Stormies' to 'Insomnia' to 'Beirut', ate Hagen Daz icecream at 2am to coat the alohol!

In the 2 days that we have been here this is what we've done:
Day 1: Went to the airport to meet my bhua who was enroute from India to SanJose. Walked around Central and Admirality and shopped some
Day 2: Spent the day at Ocean Park, fed and watched Sea Lions, watched a Dolphin show and rode he 'Raging River', gazed lovingly at the two pandas JiaJia (female - slept with her back to us) and AnAn (male - who came and sat right in front of us with a huge bunch of bamboo and delicately plucked each leaf off till he had a whole bunch to chomp - show off!), finally bought our digital camera (after checking in 4 shops and comparing prices a zillion times!) - so pictures are coming to this blog soon!

Bhua: father's sister or aunt

1st despatch from HongKong

V & I are in Hong Kong - a long planned trip to see friends and celebrate Chinese New Year.

Highlights from the flight:
1. More than 100 empty seats so we got front row seats, plenty of space and all the attention of the crew
2. To remain fresh / prepare for HongKong (after what would be a 13hr long flight) I drank water, walked around; V watched a chinese movie called 'Three of a Kind' and declared that it was just like a hindi movie.

Impressions so far: very foggy, long long escalators, loads of very helpful chinese people (as one would expect!)

More later!

Eminently avoidable and definitively enjoyable

After reading all the reviews on the net (very mixed) but getting one verbal recomendation from friends, V & I decided to hunt down 'The India Club'. If you don't have a map and/or sharp eyes you could be forgiven for missing it. It's in the Strand Continental Hotel (very distinct from the Strand Palace Hotel) which is behind the Indian High Commission in Aldwych.

It was not a good start - the hotel is just a scarred black door on the main street with a well matched unassuming sign board. You enter straight onto steep and narrow stairs and climb to the second floor (passing a small hotel reception painted in fluorescent blue and lit dimly with a tube light on the first) all the while wondering if you have reached some other century via a time tunnel. On the second floor is the restaurant (my head hurts every time I have to call it that - it is so unworthy of the name!). Enter and its as if you have been transported to an oldy wordly sarkari office - pale yellow walls adorned with dusty framed prints by MF Hussain & a portrait of Rabindranath Tagore complemented in no way by a well scratched linoleum floor. The tatty tables and chairs look like they have been stolen from a shaadi pandal and are so worn out that it would not be incorrect to imagine they were transported to England oh about 100 years ago and subsequently forgotten.

I'm not fickle. Decor is not everything (although this is worse than any I have ever seen in a self-respecting eatery). We have eaten in humble places and almost every dhaba between Delhi and the outskirts, so we decided to be open minded and receptive to the experience. In we went and chose a table by the window in an absolutely empty restaurant. The lone (& very) surly waiter approached us and quickly shooed us to a corner table where the only view out of the very drafty window was of the scaffolding holding the building upright. The menu was short and uninteresting. As for service, what service? We ordered what we thought could not be stale - a masala dosa each. Limp, soggy and completely bland pretenders arrived soon after accompanied by a unclean jug of tap water and similarly stained beer glasses. While we ate in silence and contemplated our next move a stately old Englishman all suited and booted came in and sat down at the table next to ours. The waiter seemed familiar with him and not needing to take any fresh orders quickly brought him his meal. Other entrants included a table of 8 and a desi tourist with his elderly father. The table of 8 seemed to be familiar with the place as 2 of them quickly went out and procured some beers to have with their meal. The desi tourist wandered up to our table to enquire whether he had to order at the counter or if he someone would come and take his order. About 20 minutes after we had finished eating the waiter announced that his bill book had finished so he would mentally calculate our bill!

Never again! All hope that the quality of the food and service would belie the surrounds was dashed.The overall experience was exceedingly dissappointing and although the price was not unreasonable, it was still grossly overvalued. What can I say about the old man and the table of 8 except that I feel desperately sorry for them if they think this is the 'real' thing. I hope the desi tourist found someone to serve him. The India Club is apparently a relic of the raj, claiming to be the oldest Indian restaurant in London. All I can say is that I am shocked by it and all the people who think it's auhentic. Open your eyes! And definitely DO NOT GO THERE!

Shocked by the experience we indulged in some retail therapy before completing planned chores. All chores completed we ambled into wonderful Covent Garden where like moths to a flame we ended up at Paul. For the uninitiated Paul is a small French bakery (of which V claims there are many all over Paris) with a board hanging outside claiming 'Maison de Qualite'. Of this I can vouch. We were introduced to Paul by some friends soon after we came to London and have been hooked by the freshness and sumptuousness of its many products ever since. It's a small, unassuming bakery with a cafe behind. There is always a line for both bakery & cafe and its not surprising considering how delicious all its breads and pastries look & taste. V & I bought some fresh wholemeal bread, a slice of (sinful) chocolate cake, a salmon and spinach quiche and a strawberry tart. Charged home with our re-enforcements and proceeded to enjoy a wonderful tea, each bite lessening the horrors of lunchtime.

In the evening we hooked up with friends and ventured to central London once more. This time to eat a meal at Busaba Eathai. Busaba is fast becoming a favorite of mine -even the half hour queue was not daunting enough to put us of. Read the menu under the street lamps while we waited. Once inside the atmosphere was great with big square dark wood tables (shared by 10 people) and low lamps. The menu is basic but very interesting, the staff polite and efficient. V chose a prawn & crabmeat noodle stirfry and I chose a chicken jungle curry & jasmine rice - both meals were wholesome, tasty and excellant value for money. Thankfully there was no music, just voices and laughter. V recommends the Chang beer! Busaba is certainly on our visit again list...

As you can see it was a busy Saturday in our foodie wonderland with one extremely disappointing meal losing out to two London gems. It's no wonder we only ended up having one meal and a very long walk on Sunday!

Paul: 29 Bedford Street, Covent Garden, London WC2 Tel: 020 7836 5324
Busaba Eathai: 106-110 Wardour Street, Soho, London, W1F 0TR

Sarkari: of the Goverment
Shaadi pandal: marriage marquee
masala dosa: a south indian crepe of fermented batter served hot & crisp and filled with cooked mashed delicately spiced potatoes and onions

Book 2: Zanzibar by Giles Foden

I knew there was a book called ‘Zanzibar’ before V & I had at the greatest ever vacation there in September 2004. I postponed picking up this book till after because I wanted it not to influence our trip in any way by setting up preconceived notions. I was right to do so.

It's setting is beautiful Zanzibar and Tanzania and it's main plot is guided by real events: the 1998 bombing of the US Embassy in Tanzania by Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaida network. Nick Karolides (USAID marine biologist), Jack Queller (a spy) & Miranda Powers (an American embassy worker ) are Americans in Tanzania, and the book is narrated around their activities, all embroiled in the events of the bombing in Dar.

Quiller is an interesting character, battling the loss of his wife and perceived failures, trying to make recompense and drive a deeper understanding of the forces behind terrorist activity. Nick is escaping from the rut of working in Florida, a mother who is increasingly religious in the wake of her husband’s death from a shark attack and the memories of his father. Miranda Powers is beginning her career in the US diplomatic service with her first posting in Dar and aiming to ‘make something of herself’ to fulfil the wishes of her dead father. Wisely, Foden skirts past the bombers who, though crucial to the plot, are incidental to the narrative. Real events are reported so as to make one sit up and take notice – a balanced mix of fiction and reality.

From the author's note I got the following interesting information: Apparently, Foden completed most of the novel before September 11, 2001 changed the world. For many, history stopped that day and when it started again the world was a more dangerous place. Although there is no mention of those events, 'Zanzibar' trashes the notion September 11 was a one-off.

This book is so different from how I imagined it. The image that lingers is not the white sands and palms of Zanzibar but the haunting vision, only barely allured to, that Bin Laden will strike again. The book explains how the hydra-like nature of cells that make up the al-Qaida network ensure this. The book really shows off the diligence of Foden's research into the organisation.

Some of ‘Zanizbar's’ power was diluted by the completely unconvincing love story between Nick and Miranda. Yet, it was an enjoyable read - a book that provokes thinking about modern day history – to suggest a view of both Islamic fundamentalism and American Imperialism and the struggle between them.

As a thriller 'Zanzibar' is a slow read, setting the scene meticulously for two thirds of the book. The action occurs in the last third of the book and leaves one shivering with the thought of living in a time when the cold realities of modern day terrorism can wreak havoc anywhere, anytime and often without warning.

For me, just the scenes of Zanzibar described by Foden alone made the book worth reading. The descriptions of the sea, sand, palm trees and marine life made fresh my memories of our fantabulous time there. All in all a book worth reading.

Do your bit to help a good cause

We recently got this e-mail from a friend of ours inviting us to come to a special screening of 2 very popular hindi movies in London, all to help raise funds for literacy projects of Pratham in India.

Formed in 1994, Pratham has provided pre-primary and primary education to over 1.5 million children so far and has an ambitious goal of having every Indian child in School...Regularly and Learning Well.

V & I are going for one of the movies and hope all the desi's in London that read this can join in too. It's a great way to revisit a hit of the past and contribute a small bit to helping a worthy cause.

On 12th February 2005 - Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
On 19th February 2005 - Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
(both with English subtitles)

On both days:
Time - 1-5pm
Prince Charles Cinema, Leicester Square
Tickets - £12, (£10 concessions)
Available from the box office - 020 7494 3654 (daily from 1.30-8.30pm)

I hope that

1. you can attend both or at least one of the screenings to support this worthy cause, and

2. spread this information to more people who you think would be interested in the event

Be tempted: A selection of Indian snacks will be available for purchase at the venue

Be very tempted: Think about your own good fortune and the educational opportunities you have been privilaged to have, think about children in India who need this start in life and what a simple contribution this is.

See you there!

A saturday evening at Dalchini

It was a busy weekend but the highlight of it was a fabulous meal of Indian-Chinese food.

Chinese food in London is usually characterised by smells quite subtle, quite chines-y. The chinese food you get in India, on the other hand, is a wonderful blend of the ingredients [that may have chinese connections] and strong flavours that are the hallmark of Indian food. For desi's who are parted from the food of their country by geographical complications, certain tastes and smells are divine. In London the one place where desi's will feel right at home is Dalchini (147 Arthur Road, WImbledon Park). Its a place V & I have come to enjoy very much.

On Saturday night we joined 8 of our friends [all desi like us] for an evening of Indo-chinese delghts. It's comendable that all 5 couples made it to Dalchini [and very nearly on time] as being located in Wimbledon Park it is really the opposite end of where any of us live. So for coming from the far corners of London and many tube rides away, I thank you all.

To the food: we had a multitude of starters and main dishes, all with reassuringly known names such as schezuan chicken, hakka noodles, chilli potato, vegetable fried rice, crispy lamb. Each dish was well prepared, flavoured to suit our very Indian palates and with no crisis over the food, it was a meal with laughter and great conversation.

Dalchini is the perfect antidote for a desi's homesickness in London. Nothing like great food that reminds one of home!

We ended the evening by stopping of at Brogans in Fulham Broadway. It turned out to be a lovely pub playing very 80's music (recognisable to us oldies!) and was a great ending to a delightful evening.

Dalchini: 147 Arthur Road, Wimbledon Park Tel: 020 8947 8885
Brogans: 1, Fulham Broadway, London, SW6 1AA Tel: 020 7385 2003

A dose of culture.....

I'm no culture vulture but I do so enjoy watching the BBC's Culture Show on BBC 1 every Thursday.

Last night's episode had some interesting sections including one on the folk music of Scotland. It explained how folk music (which was surprisingly soothing to the ear) has flourished in Scotland (not in small part due to festivals such as Celtic Connections) but how English folk music is struggling to find it's own strengths, focus and place.

There was another piece on Charles Saatchi, the collector and philhanthropist who kick-started the BritArt phase. It talked about how he made a fortune from dealing in art and how his Saatchi Gallery, though undoubtedly grand, is not big enough to hold a fraction of his great collection. Andrew Graham-Dixon was discussing how the new collection going on display soon is once again changing direction, moving the focus from installation pieces (like Damien Hurst) to paintings. Dixon claims that by selling his original collection of American focussed art (Warhol and the likes of it) to more than a single buyer, Saatchi (and the world apparently) has lost the most wonderful collection. What alternate choice does Saatchi have? Also if he didn't change his collection or the direction of his exhibits ever so often we would end up with a stagnating gallery. This way Saatchi gets to buy newer/different art, possibly things he likes & can afford, promote new & forgotten artists, create new trends and be considered the sometimes lord master of good taste in art. And the public gets to enjoy a large variety of art, see emerging artists work and question its own taste in good art.

I must say though that I really enjoyed Graham-Dixons questioning of Charles Saatchi's motives - he was questioning the difference between being a collector and being a dealer. Saatchi would like us to think he is a collector but by changing his collection he is marking his place as a dealer. Either way he has influenced how the British public look at art.

I have yet to go and see the Gallery - have probably missed all of Damien Hursts pickled animals (eeew! and thank goodness I missed it!). For this season of paintings, 2005 will definitely be the year to go.

Easy peasy Butter Chicken

Butter chicken is the national dish of Delhi (hahaha!). It's one of the foods I miss most from India. I got this recipe from a book and ammended it to make my own version.

Recipe 1: Easy peasy butter chicken

Really easy, do the prep work the night before, assemble in 5 minutes and pop in the oven for 1hr and 10 minutes before eating.

You need:
1 kg chicken (preferably thigh, preferably fillet - so no skin, no bone). Cut into manageable but fairly large pieces (basically each thigh should give you 2 -3 pieces).

In a blender blend 180gms of blanched amonds (can buy blanched and peeled from any supermarket), 6 cloves garlic, 2 inch piece of ginger, 1 green chilli (keep the seeds) and 3 tbsp of dahi (natural yogurt).

Put this mixture in a bowl, add 1 tsp chilli powder, 2 tsp dhania (corriander) powder, 1/2 tsp clove powder, 1.5 tsp salt, 1 tsp garam masala and another 3 tbsp of dahi (natural yogurt)(total 150gms dahi) and 1 can of chopped tomatoes (400gm can); mix well and then add the chopped up chicken. Mix lightly, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate.

On the day of serving, chop 1 large red onion & 1 green chilli. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok, fry chilli and onion till golden brown. Add chicken mixture and turn lightly with a spatula for about 4 minutes (all on high heat). Almost nothing will be seared by this time but never mind!

Put it in a big baking dish. Add 6 tsp chopped dhania (corriander) leaves and 4 tbsp of double cream. Mix lightly with a fork so that all this gets mixed in well. Do not cover. Pop in pre-heated oven at about 200 deg C. Bake for 1 hour. At the end of 1 hour take it out and let it rest for 10 minutes. All the oil and extra juice will come to the top: spoon this off. Serve with naan.

It's incredibly moist and tasty.

Enjoy!

I will try and add a picture next time I make it. In the meantime, trust me and try it!

New food

Over the last few years V & I have entertained in our home on average 3 times a month. Each time it was usually a few couples for a meal on a weekend. And while V's large collection of wine worked well, my cooking became kind of average (not in taste {my middle name is not Modesty!}, only in variety).

I chose to cook Indian when we entertained because that's what I am most familiar with and seemed easiest to fill plates and stomachs. I seemed to be dishing out the same standardised Indian menu for every gathering: chole (or rajma), sukhe aloo (or baingan bharta), U.P.kadhi (or a Rajisthani gatta). So if you came to my house for a meal in the past two years you pretty much would have got a selection of 3 dishes from the above set.

It was all getting repititous and boring. Drastic measures seemed called for and I took to buying a few exciting cook books. Now I'm trying new things often and our taste buds are enjoying the ride. Will try and post recipes as I try, ammend and perfect them.

And now I'm reading....Book 2

I like to think of myself as an avid reader - most subjects, anytime - give me a good book, plonk me on something comfy, turn on some music in the background and I'm in heaven! I'm planning on a sidebar link up to interesting book reviews, but till I understand the technology I'm just going to post on what I'm reading and how it turned out for me.

In 2005 I intend reading 30 books and reviewing them all. I read about 6 books over the Christmas/ New Year break but my speed is down due to the renewed pressure of work. Since the begining of 2005 I finished only 1 book. So Book 1 is A Patchwork Planet by Anne Tyler. It's a grand book (like all her others). The main character is Barnaby Gaitlin whose great-grandfather invented the 'Twinform', a wooden cut-out model with a custom-painted face, used for trying out clothes and accessories together, so that a lady might plan an outfit without having to get undressed. The Gaitlin family has been well-off ever since. All except Barnaby who is considered the black sheep of the family. Almost 30 (coincidence that I would pick this as my first book of 2005!), he has spent his adult life working for Rent-A-Back Inc., an agency that arranges to do chores for the old. He has fraught relationships with his parents, his ex-wife, his brother and his 9 year old daughter. But to his clients he is a hero - endlessly patient and hardworking. Anne Tyler paints a brilliant picture of Barnaby as a misfit on a personal journey that will change his, and everybody else's, view of himself. Uplifting in spirit, this story is worth a re-read every so often!

Here's what I'm reading now:
2. Zanzibar by Giles Fodden

My review will follow when I'm done! So far so good....

What book is in your hand at the mo?

Black is gone

For the very few who have so far viewed my blog, and deigned to come back (thankyou thankyou!), you will notice that I've changed the template. Black was just making me feel low! It looked great to start with - all sleek and neat. But as the number of posts grew it seemed to be bursting from the seams, incoherent and sad looking. I like the new template - pastel blues and greens. It's very me!

If you enjoy what you've read so far please and intend visiting, please add me to your list of bloglinks - I'm currently feeling like the most under-read blog in history! More than half the numbers on the stat counter are me coming back to see if anyone has linked on!!!!!!

3 years and counting

Today is 3 years since I came to live in London. It's my first home since V & I got married. And this morning when I woke up I remembered quite vividly the hugs and kisses from my folks at New Delhi, the excitement of the flight here, V waiting for me at the airport barricade, the Picadilly Line, the endless changeover at Green Park, the Jubilee Line and then finally our street, home in Swiss Cottage. It was a mini flashback, no less clear for all the time that has passed. Some memories do etch themsleves inside your eyelids!

Anyway, it's been a fabulous 3 years. And now I think I qualify as a Londoner! After all...
1. I did vote in council and mayoral elections in 2004
2. I have done most of the sightseeing things and can guide my guests quite confidently
3. I can traverse the tube with the ease of one who owns it! (for what it costs to travel I might as well own it!)
4. We have a fairly large social circle of desi's and nons
5. I have been a working human for 2 years
6. We have a favourite in each category: chinese, indian, fusion, american-esque etc
7. We have visited many of the quirky London markets over and over; Greenwich is our favourite; Borough comes in a close second

Two things I love about London are that firstly it gives every festival its fair share of the limelight and secondly that Londoners are a unique breed, mainly from diverse ethnic backgrounds, all comfortably nudging their way into the tapestry.

After 3 years I can say that London is my home!

Here's to all Londoners!

A & P - Engagement

Today is my cousin A's engagement to a very special girl, P. In Gurgaon, in Delhi, in India - and most of my family is enjoying it. I will live it vicariously when the pics arrive!!!!

I love Saturdays

Just knowing that I have two full days to unwind, relax and not worry about work is the real treat for working very hard for 5 days a week! Saturday morning sets the pace for the weekend - and I like them to be full of action yet calm and peaceful.
5 things I love about Saturday:
1. Waking up at 6am (body-clock!) and realising I can go straight back to sleep
2. Going for a relaxing swim or walk
3. Reading and dozing off alternately in front of the telly
4. Calling India and yakking with folks
5. Going out for a calm, quiet meal (often with friends, doubling the joy)

I LOVE SATURDAYS!

Is your blog your letter home?

I was/ am not about to put out my real name on the blog to start with or anytime soon. I like the idea of being a bit anonymous and an unknown quantity. Things known are perfunctory: age 29, lives in London. All other things remain irelevant (at the moment) and will probably emerge as I continue to blog.

Initially the plan was to use the blog as a notepad (for myself) to write down interesting day to day happenings, bits of news that catch my eye, foodie stuff, holiday stuff etc. Then the plan also assimilated the thought of moving away from a monthly e-mail that I write to about 100 family & friends. Now that it's here I'm not sure if this will adequately fill the void of email as that is a much more personal month-to-month recital on our lives. I am reluctant to give up the letter writing because its my way of staying in touch with everyone I know outside London. But I am also bored of it because I've been doing it for over a year and very few people actually ever reply at any length. Maybe I will email round the idea and see what the reaction is....or maybe not. Any ideas anyone? Is your blog your letter home?

Design Museum London

My place of work conveniently closes down for two weeks at Christmas time, traditionally from the weekend before Christmas to the weekend after New Year. It gives everyone a chance to unwind properly, breathe deeply, safe in the knowledge that other organisations we collborate with may be open but not really functioning. So anyway, this year I decided to be a London tourist once again and made a list of museums and interesting places I wanted to visit/re-visit. First up was the Design museum.

On a cloudy December morning 2 friends and I set off for the Design Museum. It's location is perfect - a few minutes walk from the magnificant Tower Bridge, nestled among very swanky building, this white box-like building is home to design in London in its many forms. It's a rather compact museum spread over 2 floors (+ the ground floor which house the cafe, reception and shop) and was showcasing the design of Mark Newson. His design is mainly futuristic, sleek with clean, bold colours and lines. The more functional designs were appealing (like Nike shoes, watches, chairs)but others were just plain bizzarre (Kelvin 40 - a plane of some kind). Overall appealing but not extraordinary.

The second floor had an exhibit on car design and another on seating through the years. The car design exhibit was appallingly small and not at all well thought through - they had just bought different (mainly vintage) cars and lined them up. The seating exhibition was also disappointing in its application (looked more like a furniture stall) although the variety of chairs was admitedly wide.

The last exhibit made all the other mediocrity seem worth getting through - Under a Tenner. This exhibition featured what 14 different people, all from different parts of the world, had picked as good design costing under £10. Not only was the idea brilliant, it was well executed and a joy to go through. What amazing things people had picked - chopsticks, steamers, egg cups....The public was invited to join the fray by commention on the collectors choice and add their own examples of good design to a post-it note wall. Sadly, this exhibit is only on till the 27th of February 2005. It is a gem of an exhibition and happily made design seem less lofty and formidable, more approachable and it's understanding so within the layman's grasp.

It was a good choice of museum to begin the holiday with....