Snacktime

Yes, indeed! Winter is snacktime, and almost-winter is even better! Half of November has already slipped by, and the nip in the air is back, though you thought it would never make it, considering the heat of summer (which looked like it planned to stay forever) and all those nasty climate-change rumours.

In short, it was time for one of those famous samosa-jalebi parties. There are few things more satisfying than fresh, hot jalebis and samosas on a chilly evening when however bravely you might wear capris, you tend to have the prudence to team it with socks below and poncho above.

As we set out to get the goods, my nose felt cold and had, I was sure, turned a nice shade of pink: a sure sign that the weather was just right. And voila! The particular samosa-jalebi wala we patronize was surrounded by a happy looking crowd, ordering everything from pakodas to chowmein! And oh, it was the ultimate theli-wala-chowmein... you could tell just by the smell! As dad made his way through the crowd, I placed myself strategically, where I wouldn't get jostled, but would still have the aroma of that wonderful chowmein wafting by.

There is just no way I can have samosas and jalebis without thinking of nani and the numerous samosa-jalebi parties we had. I remember one we had in Calcutta, shortly before they shifted back here... through the hallucinations and confusion and everything, nani wanted to have a samosa party! She's passed her love of all things snacky and yum to me, I suspect.

As dad handed me the packet, complaining that his hands were sticky, my hands made an involuntary dive into the packet to grab a jalebi before it had the time to lose even half a degree of heat. And so, throughout the drive home, I was munching on jalebis, and then, to offset the sweetness, on the crisp sides of the samosas. No wonder I don't lose any weight.

However, as I see it, it's ok, cause I may as well enjoy it while I can. You never know about the future, specially with all the 'end-of-the-world' movies they keep making every so often. Even if they manage to save the world, suppose they don't manage to save any of the good samosa-jalebi walas??

The future according to astrologerical people isn't any more promising... if there are foreign climes on the cards, then I should actually devote every possible moment to savouring things like this, that I just know I will crave for if I can't have!!!

Interestingly, as I wrote all this, I remembered samosas being made at home in Baraut. I think that may well be one of my first memories of it!! There was always something being tried out there when we were much too young to appreciate most of it. I think I ought to try it too. I might need it in those foreign climes on a dull and cheerless day!!!

Rambling

Why should it be so difficult to realise what we are doing? While we are doing it, I mean. Why is it that it all seems to make sense and have a logic of its own and even an inevitability of some kind, but in the end, why does it all turn out to be a fabric created by own imagination, coloured by our own fanciful palette, tasting faintly burnt, specially around the corners?

While its always nice to hope that it won't actually turn out that way, why does it feel like it might? After all, it wouldn't be a really bad thing, except for the burnt around the corners part of it... that's going to be called regret, I believe. For the rest, it would be experience (though the experience may be nothing more educational than one page filled with colour for a two year old. How many pages of scrawled colour make for one pretty picture, after all?) and there is always the possibility that if I have to get it wrong, I'm getting it wrong Now, thinking that it'll turn out to be all wrong Later.

It's past three in the morning and I'm just home after a rather long movie which I quite enjoyed, though it could have done without about three or four songs that made it drag a bit; that explains why I'm rambling, though it doesn't give away Why I'm rambling thusly (wink wink)

I'm a bit disappointed with Archies Gallery. After making such a hue and cry about Daughter's Day and etc., it turned out that the only piece of merchandise that anyone would have been tempted to buy was not exactly merchandise at all. There was a nice long poster on the window of most AGs saying 'My Daughter, My Hero', with a rather cute cartoony girl under the slogan. I wanted that poster. I had already decided to stick it on the door of my room. And it isn't even merchandise... just promotional. Blah!

Heights of Sights

There is in this part of the world a rich tradition of decorating vehicles, not just with the regular pictures of peacocks, cow and calf, or flowers of various kinds, but also with written matter. There is a lot of artistry that goes into writing even simple things like 'Horn Please' (in any of the numerous spelling variants including 'Horan Pelas', among others). Some people, of course, go beyond the mundane public-service messages like 'Use Dipper at Night'*, and there is every possibility that you will get to read a nice sher or two behind the most unlikely looking vehicles. Some messages are gems.

This one says 'Jinhe jaldi hai, ve chale gaye; hum to aise hi jayenge'
(those who were in a hurry have gone, we will go like this only)

*Incidentally, I always thought 'Dipper' was some kind of a mosquito repellant... like GoodKnight or something...

For future reference...

1. Watching movies... good ones... for most of the day will definitely take your mind off whatever is troubling you, long enough for you to have one slightly less torturous day.

2. However, if you still can't get it off your mind, you are likely to end up feeling acidic.

3. If, being in this state, you can't somehow manage to do the rational thing and have some digene, you will at least be in a position to largely ignore the discomfort.

4. Having an interview the next day for something you are unsure about is not likely to help in the least.

5. A mild headache is to be expected.

6. Despite all the diversions for the mind, planned or otherwise, throughout the day there will be more moments of clarity than could be hoped for.

7. It is possible that the tension between diverting the mind away from all issues and applying the mind to the same for new and original solutions might have given rise to the heartburn in the first place.

8. At the end of the day, you may or may not have enough energy to write down everything that was learnt in the numerous inner revelations during the day; however, do your best, it's likely to be a rare something - good advice that you gave yourself.

9. It's unlikely that you will be able to take any drastic steps; however, they will start to appear entirely do-able, which is a feeling that may even make it to the next day.

10. You will realise how absolutely fantastic you are, which will make you sad when you think about how strange (and hence depressing) it is that no one else seems to have caught on to it, but then again, it will amaze you to see how that thought makes your hair look wonderful again.

Night all.

Another reason to grin stupidly...

http://poetreecreations.co.uk/the-genius-of-the-workforce/

:)

It may not mean a thing
If I hope and pray and wish
For all the best things for you
And that they should all come true
But still I do! :)

The joys of cooking!

What delicious flavours
what rich colours
blend, yet hold their own
as the ladle swirls them around
with one harmonising twist
of the cook's wrist
and with oh, such a lot of sound!
bubbling, sizzling
noisily melding
while the aroma wafts around
Soothing my tummy's growl!!!