tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71172805121854470882024-03-19T15:33:14.107+08:00In Singaporeshobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655473817517247961noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-61483533929011275022010-08-11T14:34:00.004+08:002010-08-11T14:36:12.569+08:00My HOME!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Finally I got my own pad! </span></b></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Lots to blog about that, so watch this space...</span></b></span></span></div>shobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655473817517247961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-83127954981031594932009-11-08T13:54:00.010+08:002009-11-08T15:16:00.099+08:00Saturday Nights and Sunday Mornings<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Last night I attended a BIG b'day bash complete with brilliant music, flowing drinks and all the dancing to fill your heart. The event was @ </span></span><a href="http://www.lebaroque.com.sg/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Le Baroque</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, </span></span><a href="http://www.chijmes.com.sg/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Chijmes</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> and was chock-a-block with fellow Indians, and expat Bangaloreans in particular. Swapping stories, finding common acquaintances, and picking up some hot gossip (hehehe), it felt like I'd never been away.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><a href="http://sites.google.com/site/shagies/theband">Shagies</a>, the fount of all that wonderful music are top notch. Apart from being talented singers and players, they are great performers - drawing in the crowd, getting everyone singing along, grooving and eventually even on the floor dancing (what to say, we are shy lah).</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Of course, being desis (and very happy to be so, thank you), we head to Rupee Room, to finish off the night. There was the usual Bhangra hour (an hour too many IMO) followed by the more popular (at least with me) Bollywood music (no, Not "HINDI" film music but dhinn-chhik Bollywood music). Ah perfection. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">So after all that halla-gulla of last night, and being perfumed by the stench BO (need I explain?) and malt in the air (JD and beer being the religion of the majority of last night's masses), this morning I needed a reprieve. Or was it just a longing for momma and daddy and home? To replicate the parental household, this morning I made venn-Pongal. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">And what connection, those of you not acquainted with my parental stamping ground might ask, does this have with that? </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Simple. Sundays was always, but always venn pongal brekafast day at the parent's. Picture this: Saturday night party scene in Bangalore. All the beer in the world, all the hard rock and metal, followed by a spot of dancing somewhere (there is always someplace). You totter home minutes before the milkman (ah the good ol' blr days), worn out with all the chilli vodkas, the G&Ts, and whatever else have you's, more usually than not, followed by the lousiest-oiliest-spiciest-nastiest (it only tastes that way the next morning) post drinking trash that passes for food. You wake up feeling like the aforementioned food and REEKING of smoke and malt that seems to have fermented in your clothes. At that moment, salvation is served in the form of, thats right - Venn Pongal! </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Here's my simple-dimple recipe for venn pongal. It's not the same as the homestead's (I don't have Puchka to do the chopping and grating and cleaning and korumbu making.)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><b><i>Ingredients</i></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1/2 cup moong dal</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 cup rice</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 tsp jeera</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">peppercorns</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">pinch haldi</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">pinch hing</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 tbsp chopped ginger</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">curry leaves</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><b><i>Method</i></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1. Wash rice and moong dal in a cooker, add appropriate amount of water (2 and a 1/2 in this case or thereabouts), salt to taste and plonk it on the gas for 3-4 whistles (I like my venn pongal mashy.) After the 5 whistles, wait till you can open the cooker lid.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2. In a small sauce pan/takda pan/tadka spoon take ghee (can use oil but the taste of ghee does the trick here). Once the ghee is hot, add jeera, peppercorns, haldi, asafetida, chopped ginger, sizzle it all up till you can smell the ghee fried jeera smell, and the peppercorns start popping (1 min or 2) and pour this tadka into the cooker atop the rice and dal. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3. Mix it, mash it and eat hot. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The parents would never serve this without mendiya korumbu or at the very least tomato gotsu/gojju. In Tamil Nadu, restaurants serve it with coconut and other chutnies. In Karnataka, restaurants serve it with cucumber and onion raita. Feel free to eat it with whatever you like, only remember to EAT WHILE ITS HOT.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Shubha Bhojanam!</span></span></div>shobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655473817517247961noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-27644087427037932532009-11-02T10:54:00.024+08:002009-11-02T11:33:33.195+08:00Calories from Soup Spoon<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Since Singapore food stalls do not display calorific and nutritional value of the food they sell, I've tried to find some of that information by emailing a few people. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">One of the foremost restaurants/food stalls I contacted for this information was The </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Soup Spoon - makers of delicious soups, sandwiches, mini brownies and salads. I am fairly a regular there, so knowing the nutritional value of something I consume regularly, can only help, right? </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Many thanks to Anna Lim from Customer Care @ The Soup Spoon for this information.</span></span></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span><table class="MsoTableGrid" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="359" style="width:269.6pt;border-collapse:collapse;border:none;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-thememso-yfti-tbllook:1184;mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4ptcolor:text1;"> <tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-irow:0;mso-yfti-firstrow:yes;height:18.75pt"> <td width="137" nowrap="" style="width:103.1pt;border:solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;background:#4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade: 128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">SOUPS</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> <td width="47" nowrap="" style="width:35.55pt;border:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;border-left:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor: text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background: #4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Carb</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> <td width="47" nowrap="" style="width:35.55pt;border:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;border-left:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor: text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background: #4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Fat</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> <td width="63" nowrap="" style="width:47.6pt;border:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;border-left:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor: text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background: #4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Protein</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> <td width="64" nowrap="" style="width:47.8pt;border:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;border-left:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor: text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background: #4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Calories</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow:1;height:18.75pt"> <td width="137" nowrap="" style="width:103.1pt;border:solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor:text1;border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Roasted pumpkin</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="47" nowrap="" style="width:35.55pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">23.7g</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="47" nowrap="" style="width:35.55pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">3.7g</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="63" nowrap="" style="width:47.6pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">3.2g</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="64" nowrap="" style="width:47.8pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">130.7</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow:2;height:18.75pt"> <td width="137" nowrap="" style="width:103.1pt;border:solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor:text1;border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;background:#4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade: 128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Tangy tomato</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="47" nowrap="" style="width:35.55pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;background:#4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade: 128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">27.7g</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="47" nowrap="" style="width:35.55pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;background:#4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade: 128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">10g</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="63" nowrap="" style="width:47.6pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;background:#4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade: 128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">4.1g</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="64" nowrap="" style="width:47.8pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;background:#4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade: 128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">266.8</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow:3;height:18.75pt"> <td width="137" nowrap="" style="width:103.1pt;border:solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor:text1;border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Mushroom</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="47" nowrap="" style="width:35.55pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">24.2g</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="47" nowrap="" style="width:35.55pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">13g</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="63" nowrap="" style="width:47.6pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">4.9g</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="64" nowrap="" style="width:47.8pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">252.6</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow:4;height:18.75pt"> <td width="137" nowrap="" style="width:103.1pt;border:solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor:text1;border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;background:#4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade: 128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Beef goulash</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="47" nowrap="" style="width:35.55pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;background:#4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade: 128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">27.1g</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="47" nowrap="" style="width:35.55pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;background:#4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade: 128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">12.9g</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="63" nowrap="" style="width:47.6pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;background:#4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade: 128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">22.4g</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="64" nowrap="" style="width:47.8pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;background:#4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade: 128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">307.8</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow:5;height:18.75pt"> <td width="137" nowrap="" style="width:103.1pt;border:solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor:text1;border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Tokyo Chicken</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="47" nowrap="" style="width:35.55pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">15.4g</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="47" nowrap="" style="width:35.55pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">4.3g</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="63" nowrap="" style="width:47.6pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">18.2g</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="64" nowrap="" style="width:47.8pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">177.2</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow:6;mso-yfti-lastrow:yes;height:18.75pt"> <td width="137" nowrap="" style="width:103.1pt;border:solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor:text1;border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;background:#4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade: 128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Meatless minestrone</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="47" nowrap="" style="width:35.55pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;background:#4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade: 128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">22.9g</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="47" nowrap="" style="width:35.55pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;background:#4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade: 128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">6.3g</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="63" nowrap="" style="width:47.6pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;background:#4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade: 128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">11.8g</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="64" nowrap="" style="width:47.8pt;border-top:none;border-left:none; border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor:text1; border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1;mso-border-top-alt: solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-left-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;background:#4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade: 128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">194.3</span></span></b></p></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table class="MsoTableGrid" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="365" style="width:274.1pt;border-collapse:collapse;border:none;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-thememso-yfti-tbllook:1184;mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4ptcolor:text1;"> <tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-irow:0;mso-yfti-firstrow:yes;height:18.75pt"> <td width="158" nowrap="" style="width:118.25pt;border:solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;background:#4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade: 128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">OTHERS</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> <td width="46" nowrap="" style="width:34.25pt;border:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;border-left:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor: text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background: #4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Carb</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> <td width="39" nowrap="" style="width:29.55pt;border:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;border-left:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor: text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background: #4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Fat</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> <td width="64" nowrap="" style="width:47.75pt;border:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;border-left:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor: text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background: #4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Protein</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> <td width="59" nowrap="" style="width:44.3pt;border:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;border-left:none;mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor: text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background: #4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128; padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Calories</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow:1;height:18.75pt"> <td width="158" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:118.25pt;border:solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor:text1;border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Smoked ham and cheese</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="46" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:34.25pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">52</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="39" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:29.55pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">30.7</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="64" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:47.75pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">30</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="59" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:44.3pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">700</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow:2;height:18.75pt"> <td width="158" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:118.25pt;border:solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor:text1;border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;background:#4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade: 128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Roast beef wasabi</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="46" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:34.25pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background:#4F6228; mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">55</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="39" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:29.55pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background:#4F6228; mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">28.2</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="64" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:47.75pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background:#4F6228; mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">40</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="59" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:44.3pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background:#4F6228; mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">670</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow:3;height:18.75pt"> <td width="158" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:118.25pt;border:solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor:text1;border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Chicken Caesar</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="46" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:34.25pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">60</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="39" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:29.55pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">27</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="64" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:47.75pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">41</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="59" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:44.3pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">720</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow:4;height:18.75pt"> <td width="158" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:118.25pt;border:solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor:text1;border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;background:#4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade: 128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Tuna mayo</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="46" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:34.25pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background:#4F6228; mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">51</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="39" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:29.55pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background:#4F6228; mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">44</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="64" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:47.75pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background:#4F6228; mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">26</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="59" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:44.3pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background:#4F6228; mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">720</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow:5;height:18.75pt"> <td width="158" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:118.25pt;border:solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor:text1;border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Falafel wrap</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="46" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:34.25pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">90</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="39" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:29.55pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">17.6</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="64" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:47.75pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">21.3</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="59" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:44.3pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">635</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow:6;height:18.75pt"> <td width="158" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:118.25pt;border:solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor:text1;border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;background:#4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade: 128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Prawn wrap</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="46" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:34.25pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background:#4F6228; mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">81.9</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="39" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:29.55pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background:#4F6228; mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">15</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="64" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:47.75pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background:#4F6228; mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">26.2</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="59" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:44.3pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background:#4F6228; mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">590</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow:7;height:18.75pt"> <td width="158" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:118.25pt;border:solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor:text1;border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Chicken tikka wrap</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="46" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:34.25pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">83.1</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="39" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:29.55pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">14.2</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="64" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:47.75pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">37.5</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="59" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:44.3pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themepadding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:text1;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">600</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></p> </td> </tr> <tr style="mso-yfti-irow:8;mso-yfti-lastrow:yes;height:18.75pt"> <td width="158" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:118.25pt;border:solid black 1.0pt; mso-border-themecolor:text1;border-top:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt; mso-border-top-themecolor:text1;mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor: text1;background:#4F6228;mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade: 128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">Caesar salad</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="46" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:34.25pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background:#4F6228; mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">34.6</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="39" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:29.55pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background:#4F6228; mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">12.6</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="64" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:47.75pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background:#4F6228; mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">20.7</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> </td> <td width="59" nowrap="" valign="top" style="width:44.3pt;border-top:none; border-left:none;border-bottom:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-themecolor: text1;border-right:solid black 1.0pt;mso-border-right-themecolor:text1; mso-border-top-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-top-themecolor:text1; mso-border-left-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-left-themecolor:text1; mso-border-alt:solid black .5pt;mso-border-themecolor:text1;background:#4F6228; mso-background-thememso-background-themeshade:128;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; height:18.75ptcolor:accent3;"> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#FFFFFF;">462</span></span></b></p></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; "><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" border-collapse: collapse; font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Healthy eating!</span></span></div>shobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655473817517247961noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-6277279991701863442009-09-10T13:40:00.003+08:002009-09-10T13:53:22.587+08:00Heaty and Cooling Foods<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">By </span></span><a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ruth_Tan"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ruth Tan</span></span></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), 'heaty' and 'cooling' are common concepts related to the balancing of ‘yin’ and ‘yang’. Most people, especially the Chinese in Asian countries such as China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singaporeans are familiar with this notion of heaty or yang, as opposed to cooling or yin, as it is a Chinese form of expressing certain set of symptoms or sensations often associated with emotional or physical reactions. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">These are symptoms of heatiness:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">• Irritability</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">• Short temperedness</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">• Fever</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">• Constipation</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">• Flushed face or cheeks</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">• Dark yellow urine</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">• Sore throat</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">• Nose bleed</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">• Outbreak of pimples and acne</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">• Rashes</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">• Mouth ulcers</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">• Indigestion</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Excessive 'cold' energy in the body, on the contrary, makes us feel: </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Georgia;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> weak</span></span></span></p></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">lethargic<br /><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">tired<br /><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">restless</span></span></li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The constitution of each person is influenced by congenital factors as well as the acquired lifestlye (e.g diet, stress level, amount of exercise and sleep, living environment), and this varies from person to person. In other words, different foods act upon the human body in different ways and affect our state of health. The body's metabolism, functioning of organs and organ structure all combine to determine our susceptibility to these heaty and cooling effects of foods.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Cool (yin) Foods:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Bamboo shoot, banana, bitter gourd, clam, crab, grapefruit, lettuce, persimmon, salt, seaweed, star fruit, sugar cane, water chestnut, watermelon, lotus root, cucumber, barley, bean curd, chicken egg white, marjoram, oyster, pear, peppermint, radish, strawberry, tangerine, and yogurt, broccoli, cauliflower, zuccini, corn, tomatoes, pineapple, turmeric.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div></span><p style="text-align: justify;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Neutral (balanced yin and yang) Foods:</span></b></span></i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Corn, abalone, apricot, beef, beetroot, black fungus, carp, carrot, celery, chicken egg yolk, cuttlefish, duck, fig, honey, kidney bean, lotus fruit and seed, milk, olive, oyster, papaya, pork, potato, pumpkin, radish leaf, red bean, plum, sunflower seed, sweet rice, sweet potato, white fungus, yellow soybean, brussels sprouts, snow peas, sweet potato, taro, dates, figs, raspberries, raisins, sage, rosemary, thyme, brown rice, apple.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Heaty (yang) Foods:</span></b></span></i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pepper, cinnamon bark, ginger, soybean oil, red and green pepper, chicken, apricot seed, brown sugar, cherry, chestnut, chive, cinnamon twig, clove, coconut, coffee, coriander (Chinese parsley), date, dillseed, eel, garlic, grapefruit peel, green onion, guava, ham, leaf mustard, leek, longan, mutton, nutmeg, peach, raspberry, rosemary, shrimp, spearmint, sweet basil, tobacco, vinegar, walnut, jackfruit, durian, leek, shallots, spring onion, , apricots, blackberries, black currant, mangoes, peaches, cherry, mandarin orange, grape.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">How a food is prepared also matters. For example, Prok is considered as neutral, but if you have it deep fried or grilled, it would be considered as heaty. In addition, there are some interesting broad guidelines to determine whether a certain food is heaty or cooling.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Heaty/yang foods:</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">• grow under the hot sun</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">• are sweet</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">• have lots of fats</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">• rich in sodium</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">• are hard, dry or spicy</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Cold/yin foods:</span></b></span></i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">• grow in little sunshine</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">• are salty</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">• are lean</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">• rich in potassium</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">• soft and wet</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The heatiness and cooling effect of foods refer to their capacity to generate sensations - either hot or cold in our body. They do not refer to the state of the food but its effect on our bodies. For example, tea is a cooling food. This means that it generates cold energy in our body. </span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">To seek a balance in diet, we can classify food as predominantly yin or yang. Hence, if you eat predominantly yin foods, your body is capable of producing only cold energy, in contrast, eating predominantly yang foods produces hotter energy. If a person suffers from cold rheumatism, eating foods with a warm or hot energy would be helpful. If a person suffers from acne eruptions due to consumption of fried foods, it is beneficial to eat cooling foods to counter heatiness and relieve symptoms.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Source:</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><a target="_new" href="http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/heaty.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">www.benefits-of-honey.com/heaty.html</span></span></a></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Article Source: </span></span><a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ruth_Tan" target="_new"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ruth_Tan</span></span></span></a></p><p></p>shobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655473817517247961noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-62732796339783989532009-05-27T20:05:00.074+08:002009-05-28T13:03:59.519+08:00A Local [Af] Fare<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/Sh4Z4S0xB6I/AAAAAAAAAFs/vKUgFQzWgug/s1600-h/SANY0801-1.JPG"></a><span xmlns=""><p style="text-align: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Chints came to visit me in Singapore for some R&R. So while I worked during the day, he slept, ate, swam, and protected his skin from sun exposure. I introduced him to my Singapore, and together we discovered some more of Singapore. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family:Georgia;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/Sh4Z4S0xB6I/AAAAAAAAAFs/vKUgFQzWgug/s320/SANY0801-1.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340734663024510882" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">He arrived on Saturday morning. I wanted to sleep some more and he wanted to be out and about. 'Atithi Devo Bhava' and all that bolke I got dressed and took him out for breakfast. I fed him to the gills with Eggs Ben, Waffles, Brek-O-Day, Tea & Coffee @ the <a href="http://www.coffeebean.com.sg/coffeebean/">Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf</a>, West Coast Mall. </span><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Then I took him for a Saturday morning stroll to the bustling West Coast Market. It's a typical Singapore local market selling fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, flowers, grocery, shoes, shoes, clothes, etc. Being Saturday morning it was pleasantly full of people, noises, and smells. Not the biggest or the best, but it's the closest @ hand and will do very nicely. We inspected all the food stalls, vegetable and fruit stalls, bought flowers, and bookmarked certain places for a revisit. At the end of a happy hour spent browsing and shopping Chints was finally ready to hit the sack. Bwahahaha!</span></p><p style="text-align: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family:Georgia;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mA5Pg0YWQps/Sh3lpxwkBRI/AAAAAAAAAk8/CzzDEmaB1iQ/s400/orchids.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340677239025698066" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 281px; height: 400px; " /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">We made our way back home via a short cut and it was hot as only the equator can be! We reached home hot and sweaty, turned on the aircon, turned on the fan, drank grape fruit juice, followed by lime juice, followed by snapple juice and collapsed into bed. We slumbered the whole afternoon away till awoken by the rumble of our stomachs'. Lunch was a rack of Pepper Spare Ribs from Cold Storage [Recommend!] which we washed down with some Merlot. That done, it was back to slumber - Part 2. After all, it is the weekend.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">In the evening we made our way to Clarke Quay and Jumbo. First stop, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_Pale_Ale">India Pale Ale</a> @ <a href="http://www.highlanderasia.com/">Highlander</a> accompanied by very gamey <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venison">Venison</a> Sausages (Brahmanical license apparently). </span></p><p style="text-align: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mA5Pg0YWQps/Sh0t56mLcyI/AAAAAAAAAiU/0urFq8KIFEA/s320/SANY0641.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340475206136460066" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Then I showed him all around <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarke_Quay">Clarke Quay</a>, all my favourite places, sketching out their pros and cons and checking out all the people. Then we made our way to my favorite <a href="http://www.jumboseafood.com.sg/">Jumbo</a>, where we dined on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kang_kong">Kang Kong</a> with Minced Garlic, Egg Rice, and Pepper Crab (Totally Recommend!). As the food took effect, jetlag hit Chints like a ton of bricks. So we quickly went back home and he slept. Again. Well, I did say he came for R&R! </span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Sunday was spent cooking. Breakfast @ home consisted of egg, ham, cheese and tomato sandwiches. Then shopping for raw materials in Sheng Shiong and then I started cooking lunch. I made large batches of Peanut Korma, Tomato Chutney, Corn Pulao, Sambar, and Cluster Beans subzi so Chints would have some home food to turn to when hungry. </span></span></span></p><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mA5Pg0YWQps/Sh0ulJS8w4I/AAAAAAAAAic/UortSQgu1IU/s320/PICT0021.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340475948816712578" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;">We needed to walk off the lunch so I took him to West Coast Park for a walk. We did the marsh walks and the sea front walk, circled the full park and came back home much exercised, read:<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">exhausted.</span></span></span></div></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family:Georgia;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mA5Pg0YWQps/Sh3dy9om4cI/AAAAAAAAAj8/rkqxG0SMuic/s400/westcoastmerge.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340668600739357122" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 142px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span xmlns=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">In the evening we went to Vivo City and browsed around the huge mall and stopped at Marche for dinner. Marche calls itself a Swiss village, has lots of counters serving different items (like a buffet or live food stations) and you only pay for what you eat, so it's not like paying for the whole buffet. We had roasted veggies, marble potatoes in butter, Rosti, Portabello Mushroom Crepe, Focaccia, and Strawberry Yogurt Drink [Recommended!]. Its pricey and not really value for money, okay for once in a while @ best. Nice decor and nice concept, but do we <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">have</span> to pay Euro prices?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family:Georgia;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mA5Pg0YWQps/Sh3ePtaoWyI/AAAAAAAAAkE/P39rwsOLc08/s320/marche.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340669094601972514" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 202px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span xmlns=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Come Monday I was off to work and Chints slept his beauty sleep, ate breakkie, swam, and lazed around. In the evening, we went to Asian Civilization Museum but didn't make it in time. So we took the bum boat ride instead. But before that, we stopped for a sip and a bite at <a href="http://www.timbre.com.sg/">Timbre</a>. I strongly recommend their 2 glasses of beer or wine and a pizza deal, the pizza was thin crust and very good. [Strongly recommend] (Darn! I remember taking pictures, where are they?) The bum boat ride was predictably good, the commentary was on, so we soaked up all the "info" on the various bridges on the Singapore River from Clarke Quay to Marina Bay. [Recommended.]</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family:Georgia;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mA5Pg0YWQps/Sh3erzAczDI/AAAAAAAAAkM/t9q-bQXcT1w/s320/SANY0705.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340669577139113010" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Next I took him to Chinatown, where he went to town with his shopping. He bought nearly everything he wanted for everyone from here. As usual, Chinatown is a big hit with everyone I take there. [Strongly Recommend!]. Chinatown started shutting down before we could decide what we wanted to eat so we took the MRT from Chinatown to HarbourFront and ate a delicious dinner of Veggie Spicy Black Noodle Soup, Pork Dimsum, and Egg Rice @ the <a href="http://www.theasiankitchen.com.sg/">Asian Kitchen</a> in Vivo City. [Totally recommend]</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Tuesday he visited the botanical gardens and Clarke Quay with other friends. Wednesday we made it well before closing time to Asian Civilization Museum and spent 2 lovely hours there. [Recommend] </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family:Georgia;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mA5Pg0YWQps/Sh3e3OoeXSI/AAAAAAAAAkU/-KzXDIIv8fg/s320/ACM.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340669773533306146" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 216px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Wednesday we decided we wanted to have local fare. We set off to Clementi Market and browsed all the stalls that were newly put up, from crockery, to furniture, from plants to school bags, these shops sold everything! I heard this is called a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasar_malam">Pasar Malam</a> or Midnight Market – the only thing midnight about them I think is that they disappear overnight to another location, otherwise they are on all day. I lost my heart totally to an amazing wooden inlay-worked extendable dining table [Strongly Recommend] and a Chinese Standing Lamp [Strongly Recommend]. Both of these were beyond my budget to I settled with my third Chinese Tea pot, and a few ceramic mini spoons.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">For dinner I had Pork Dimsum Soup [Totally Recommend] from the innermost Clementi Food Stall and Chints had Laksa [he says it tasted like warm Arabian Sea with Noodles]. We shared a plate of Kang Kong in Oyster Sauce with a bowl of Rice. [Nice]</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Thursday we went to Little India, where I took him to my favorite South Indian Non Veg restaurant, Anandam on Upper Dickson Road. [TOTALLY Recommend]. We ate Pepper Chicken, Biryani Rice and Economic Meals. Awesome bole to, uff! too much and so reasonable. This was followed by shopping @ Sim Lim Square, which was followed by shopping @ Mustafa where Chints bought the cutest Talking Parrot [Recommend]. This bird repeats whatever you say to it, but in a faster and higher pitched voice. We enjoyed ourselves enormously with it; most entertaining and a most worth-it buy.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family:Georgia;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mA5Pg0YWQps/Sh3fpeATQPI/AAAAAAAAAkc/53UnydzswJU/s320/talking+parrot.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340670636653232370" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 221px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Friday we went to Orchard, ate @ Food Republic, Wisma Atria. I played it safe and ate Roti Prata with Potato and Daal [Recommend, but the stall staff are RUDE esp if you are brown skinned]. Chints tried the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yong_tau_foo">Yong Tao Foo</a> [Gabbu Noodles with Drainage Sauce] and swore that he will make me eat that tomorrow while he dines on lovely Roti Prata. To pacify him we had yummy cookie crunch desert @ <a href="http://www.haagen-dazs.com/">Haagen Daz</a>. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Then I took him to Arab Street, which was jagmagaoing with people, hookas, food, and music. We got a drink @ a restaurant set outside a shop front and then moved to another cafe opposite a CD shop (who seemed to be the official DJ of Arab Street) to enjoy the cafe's Turkish coffee, tea and shisha and the DJ's Arabic music. [Recommended]</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family:Georgia;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mA5Pg0YWQps/Sh3gUCj7OZI/AAAAAAAAAkk/pQRRrqRgRDE/s400/merge.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340671368020834706" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 212px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Saturday we partied the night out in Clarke Quay. We started with <a href="http://www.thetapastree.com/">Tapas Tree</a> [outside: Recommended, inside: Bad Service]. Ate all their food and drank sparingly because of the heat. Then we walked around looking for our next spot, were sorely tempted by the <a href="http://www.streetdirectory.com/restaurants/singapore/reviews/restaurant-THE_TENT_Mongolian_Fresh_Grill__Bar-1000000300.php">The Tent, Mongolian Grill</a> but were too full just then to do justice to it. So we continued walking and landed up across the bridge and ate a lovely dinner @ A971 Café. Once the stomach was full, we worked it off by dancing in <a href="http://www.chinaone.com.sg/">China One</a>. Drank a drink or two and then moved to <a href="http://www.therupeeroom.com/">Rupee Room</a>, where your's truly has danced like no tomorrow. [Recommended: Only if you like Bollywood Music]. Danced like crazy but were driven out by excessive BO of patrons. Wound up the night @ a respectable 4am. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Sunday we were invited to X'namurty's house for Lunch, which we not only ate but also packed and brought back shamelessly. Anita, you're a great cook ma. Thanks so much. [Recommended]. Their <a href="http://img.st701.com/cms/property/condodir/d22/lakeshore_p1_m.jpg">condo</a> in Lakeshore has such huge pool it runs the whole length of the condo!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family:Georgia;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mA5Pg0YWQps/Sh3hCMm47zI/AAAAAAAAAks/c7xmC5ClFX0/s400/xmorty.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340672160991604530" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 205px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Sunday night we went back to Clementi Market to cull out the Dimsum Soup place but ended up eating in the Pasar Malaam Maket. The following items were non-stop consumed till we could eat no more:</span></div><span xmlns=""><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hainanese_chicken_rice">Chicken Rice</a>, Ananas Café</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Chicken Wings Satay</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Fritters – Raw banana, Ripe banana, Sweet potato</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://www.weirdmeat.com/2006/10/birds-nest.html">Bird Nest drink</a></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Appam Balik – made like appams with peanut power inside with palm sugar</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://eatingasia.typepad.com/eatingasia/2005/09/streetside_swee.html">Putu Piring</a> – small conical 'puttu' with palm sugar/jaggery stuffing</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Pork Satay</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Thai Coconut Jelly [AWESOME!] – tastes like nungoo jelly</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramly_Burger">Ramli Burger</a> – chicken patti wrapped in egg, with tomato sauce, mayo, cheese, and stuffed in a burger bun</span></li></ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Monday Chinti left, and I want to thank him profusely for being such an adventurous foodie, helping me discover more of Singapore, making me laugh non-stop and last but not least, for all the tea. Come back soon da, love raj!</div></span></span></div>gugiinsingaporehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202654108019484469noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-60156847953594326292009-05-11T14:12:00.012+08:002009-05-11T15:49:33.966+08:00Gugi the Cook Strikes Again!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">And so the cooking continues. It's a lovely rainy day and I continued my cooking spree. Today I made the following:</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SgfTFB7ivDI/AAAAAAAAAFk/5DWo_s3zsec/s1600-h/PICT0009.JPG"></a><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Baingan Fry</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Peanut Korma</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Tomato Chutney</span></span></span></li></ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family:Georgia;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SgfRoeMTSOI/AAAAAAAAAFc/3JzISURmAyE/s320/PICT0013.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334462776873273570" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Baigan Fry is the simplest thing in the world to make. Well that's true for cooking as well I suppose. As long as you don't mind chopping and grinding and sauce making, and have a store of patience, cookings easy as falling off a buttered log. <br /></div></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Baingan Fry </span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; ">(baingan/brinjal/egg plant/aubergine) </span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The way my mom makes it, I think.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family:Georgia;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SgfTFB7ivDI/AAAAAAAAAFk/5DWo_s3zsec/s320/PICT0009.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334464367014624306" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div><ol><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Take 2 baingans (medium sized), wash them, chop off the stem parts (off with their heads!), and cut them up into cubes of any size you want. The theory is the smaller the better.</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Heat oil in a kadhai/vessel/saute pan on meduim high flame.</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Once hot add mustard seeds/rai. Allow the rai to splutter, hold a lid close to the top of the pan and contain the splutters.</span></span></li><li><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Now turn down the heat to lowest and add the following:</span><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> - Hing<br /> - Curry patta<br /> - Haldi<br /> - Dry red chilli<br /> - Chilli powder<br /> - Cumin powder<br /> - Coriander powder<br /> - Amchur or Tamarind powder<br /> - Salt to taste<br /><br /></span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Mix all this up and increase the flame to medium high again. Give it a good browning and allow the fragrance of all the spices to permeate the air around you. Hmmm...</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Now toss in the chopped baingan and give it a good mix up so all the spice powders coat the baingan pieces.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Add 1/4 cup of water to the kadhai, cover it, lower the heat to medium low and cook till the baingan is done. Check and add more water as needed. Don't add too much or it'll all turn to mush.</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Once the baingan is done, take off the lid, dry up any residual moisture by turning on the heat to highest and stir frying the baingan.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">If you want your baingan to be crispy, then add some more oil to the vessel and let the baingan roast in the open pan.</span></span></li></ol><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; font-family:Georgia;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Tomato Pachadi/Raita</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">My mom's recipe</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family:Georgia;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SgfRn_VOcWI/AAAAAAAAAFM/RnXnsJWDNCM/s320/PICT0003.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334462768589205858" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div><ol><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Take 3 medium sized tomatoes and blanch (add to boiling water) them in hot water till the skin comes off.</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Remove the skin, and chop up the tomatoes.</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">In a tempering spoon (huge spoon/tiny pan), add 2 tsps oil.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, hing (asofesita), green chillies, dried red chillies.</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Let it all sizzle and crackle and become fragrant.</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The moment it becomes all fragrant, turn off the heat and pour it tempering on the chopped tomatoes.</span></span></li><li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Add curd or thick buttermilk to the tomatoes and you are ready to spoon the raita! </span></span></li><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div></ol></div></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Peanut Korma</span></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Insipred from </span><a href="http://chitra-ammas-kitchen.blogspot.com/2009/01/avare-kaalu-kurma.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Chitra Amma's Kitchen</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> blog.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family:Georgia;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SgfRn-VZHeI/AAAAAAAAAFU/JrsqpByIhsA/s320/PICT0007.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334462768321469922" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The only changes I made were to use groundnuts/peanuts instead of avare kaalu, adding a tomato and cooking everything in a pressure cooker. I had to cook it for 15 whistles or so 'cause the peanuts took forever to cook. If you are one of those lucky people with a farm, or get your produce straight from a farm, you'd have to cook it much less.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">P.S. - Add chopped coriander/cilantro on top of everything, it's a tr<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;"><span style="line-height: 115%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">è</span></span></span><span style="text-decoration:none;text-underline:nonecolor:windowtext;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">s</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"> Indian thing to do.</span></span></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"></span></span>gugiinsingaporehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202654108019484469noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-53835731101282446642009-05-10T17:27:00.041+08:002009-05-10T20:59:41.640+08:00Gugi the Cook<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mA5Pg0YWQps/Sgat-LSq6dI/AAAAAAAAAgk/Xm9tOnLHdbE/s1600-h/Simple+Cabbage.jpg"></a><p style="text-align: justify;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">And it’s yet another long weekend! So post the partying, eating out, reading, shopping and other such crucial holiday activities, I found myself with some time on hand. Hmm.. what shall I do after doing everything that <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">has</span> to be done during a long weekend? Ah! My much neglected hobby - cooking! </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"></span><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mA5Pg0YWQps/Sgasf0kMSCI/AAAAAAAAAgE/_8WVXNi3_xI/s320/PICT0536.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334140471353296930" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></p><ul type="disc"></ul><p></p> <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;">The next question was, what do I cook? I sat down to think about this and even before I could sit I knew what I wanted to cook - my Momma's food. So, I made the following dishes, in my mom's Iyengar style:<br /></div></span><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Parupu Korambu/Sambar</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Beans Karamedu/Subzi</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Simple Cabbage Leaf Subzi</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Pooshnika/White Pumpkin Kootu</span></li></ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Here are the recipes, if you want to try them.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; "></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; ">Sambar<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; ">My mom's recipe:</span></span></span></div><div><span style=""><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mA5Pg0YWQps/Sgat99njktI/AAAAAAAAAgc/BVkPQXPCnf4/s320/Sambar.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334142088691028690" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 146px; " /></span></div></span><ol start="1" type="1"><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">In a pressure cooker take 1/2 cup toovar/toor dal/ tovaram parupu and wash/rinse it. 3 times thorough wash/rinse is what I go with.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Once the daal is clean, add 1-1.5 cups of clean (needless to say) water to it and a pinch of turmeric.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Put this on the stove, fix on the pressure cooker lid, fit in the weight (don't forget the weight) and cook the dal till its mushy fine, about 5-7 whistles.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">After 5 whistles, remove from heat, let the pressure go down, open and see if its all mushy. If not, put it back on for a few more whistles. If done, take a masher or a ladle and swirl and make it a smoothish paste.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Next chop up 1 tomato, as many chilies as you like, and any veggie you want to add to the sambar. <br />Potatoes, pumpkin, beans, brinjal, carrots, any squash, capsicum are all excellent options. (I do not mention onions 'cause I don't like it in my sambar and I did say these ware a Iyengar recipes)</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Wash some curry leaves/kari patta and coriander leaves/ dhania patta and keep them handy.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Mix 1-2 tablespoons of dry tam to 2 cups of water. You can also mix one lemon sized round of real tamarind to 2 cups of hot water and strain out the liquid.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Put on a stove a paatram/cooking vessel, turn on the heat to medium high, and add 1 tablespoon cooking oil.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds/rai/sarson. Wait till it splutters. Holding a lid near the top of the vessel helps contain the splutter.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Now turn down the heat to low and add hing/perunkayam, 2 dry red chillies, 2-3 tablespoons sambar powder, the veggies, the tamarind water and salt to taste.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Turn up the heat to medium and cook till the veggies are cooked through.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Once the veggies are almost done, add the mushy toor dal, curry leaves, jaggery/sugar, and dhania patta/coriander leaves.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Boil for another 5 minutes or so and voila!</span></li></ol><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Serve with steamed rice and ghee. </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Accompaniments: raita/pachadi, applaam. </span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; font-family:verdana;"></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; font-family:verdana;">Beans karamedu i.e. subzi<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; "></span></span></span></div><div><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; ">Mom's recipe</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mA5Pg0YWQps/Sgat9cBzaDI/AAAAAAAAAgM/FmKI-8c4jJM/s320/beans.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334142079674312754" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div></span><ol start="1" type="1"><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Chop up (French) beans into small pieces. If the beans and tender slightly bigger pieces are not bad, if isn’t too tender, I'd advice you to go for a fine chop.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Add 1 tsp of oil in a kadai/cooking vessel and keep on a medium high stove.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Add kadugu/rai/mustard seeds, allow them all to splutter.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Add a pinch of powdered hing/asafetida/perunkayam.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Add 2 broken dried red chilles to the kadai.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Add the chopped beans, salt to taste, sprinkle 1/2 cup of water and put a lid on it.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">In about 10 minutes the beans will be done through, sprinkle grated coconut on it for an authentic Iyengar touch.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; "></span></span></li></ol><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; font-family:verdana;">Super simple steamed cabbage</span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"></span></span></div><div><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Hemu's mom's recipe (not an Iyengar recipe)</span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mA5Pg0YWQps/Sgat-LSq6dI/AAAAAAAAAgk/Xm9tOnLHdbE/s320/Simple+Cabbage.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334142092361525714" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div></span><p></p> <ol start="1" type="1"><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Take out all your anger on the leaves of a cabbage and tear them to pieces.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Take a deep breath. Exhale.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Put a vessel on medium high heat, add oil, rai/mustard seeds.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Once the seeds have spluttered, add a pinch of turmeric/haldi.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Add a slit chilly or two (optional).</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Add some grated, or chopped ginger (non optional, this is what helps you digest the cabbage leaf).</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Add the cabbage. Mix it around.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Sprinkle a tablespoon or 2 of water (cabbage releases water so watch out), add salt to taste, put a lid on it and say in 5-7 minutes, you are done with this veggie.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">If there is residual water, remove the lid, turn on the heat to high and stir the leaves around, personally I love the water, it keeps the veggie moist.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; "></span></span></li></ol><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; font-family:verdana;">Simplest pooshnika/ white pumpkin kootu</span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"></span></span></div><div><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Mommy's recipe</span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_mA5Pg0YWQps/Sgat9xwLuyI/AAAAAAAAAgU/KB1RFu3zQbs/s320/Pooshnika+Kootu.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334142085505989410" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div></span><ol start="1" type="1"><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Chop up some white pumpkin. Discard the seeds and the skin.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Put the pumpkin in a vessel with just enough water to cover it (it needs very little water), salt, and a pinch of turmeric powder. Cover the vessel and put it on medium high heat on the stove.<br />Alternately, you can cook the pumpkin in the microwave. In a microwave bowl add the chopped white pumpkin with with some water, salt, and the pinch of turmeric. Cover it with a lid and cook till the pumpkin gets cooked (it'll kinda get translucent).</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">In a small mixer grinder (popularly called mixie in India), add some fresh coconut, jeera/cumin seeds, and green/red chilli to taste (say 1-2). Grind to a smooth paste with some water.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Add this ground paste to the cooked pumpkim and mix well.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">In a tempering spoon or pan (any small pan will do) add 2 tsps oil, rai/mustard seeds, a few curry leaves. And once all the spluttering is done, pour this into the veggie mixture.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Give it all a stir or two and you can eat this hot or cold.</span></li></ol><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Now I'll go keep some rice and wait for dinner time.</span><br /></div>shobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655473817517247961noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-23291776093776506822009-04-27T14:46:00.029+08:002009-04-28T09:39:27.908+08:00Wiser by a year<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">What better time to party than a birthday. Since I've just come out of the celebrations, let me tell you all the action while it's still fresh in my mind:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">The first night of party started on Thursday. Dips, my cousin, transited in Singapore on his way to Philippines. I started the evening by taking him first to </span></span><a href="http://www.thetapastree.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Tapas Tree</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">, Clarke Quay. I looove the </span></span><a href="http://www.thetapastree.com/TheTapasTreeMenu2007.pdf"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">menu</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> in Tapas Tree; their portions are thankfully medium sized; neither huge nor skimpy. It was a lovely balmy night, we found a table by the river, and proceeded to order the house down. We feasted on the following items, washing it all down with White Wine Sangria.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SfVbyASz9OI/AAAAAAAAAFE/fwqZ0WVbddY/s320/c.png" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 245px; " border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329266648693339362" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-size:13px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">After all that food, we wandered out for a walk to recon what else was happening that particular night in Clarke Quay. We found a Belvedere launch party at the Arena, with live music. This seemed like as good a place as any and we wandered in to listen more. The Belvedere guys fixed us with a more-than-generous splash of Belvedere Vodka and Lime drinks. We hung around watching the performance, sipping the cold cold drinks in the sultry heat. We lasted there till the performer was on stage and the drinks were drowned.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">After which, I had to get Dips an original Singapore Sling. Where else but Raffles? Next stop Long Bar, Raffles Hotel, South Beach Road, where we ordered the mandatory drink and behaved in the mandatory manner, i.e. we slung back our Slings, ate peanuts, dutifully threw the shells on the ground (mandatory!). We also threw a few at each other for good measure, just in case someone mistook us for mature individuals. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></div></div><div><img src="http://images.leonardo.com/imgs/4/447331/447331_REST_02_J.jpg" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 480px; height: 356px; " border="0" alt="" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">(We sat at the table closest to you in the photo. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">The drink on the right is the Singapore Sling)</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Once we settled down after a few sips of the potent brew and our peanut throwing competition, we could hear some lovely notes wafting from somewhere overhead. Looking up we saw the cutest ornamental fan system (see photo), after which we realised the music was one floor above us. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">So we carried ourselves and our slings up a spiral staircase (like the sling is not enough) seeking the music. There we found an adorable old fashioned band, with amazing vocalists and an even more amazing saxophone player! We sat there sipping and applauding till the band wound up - all too soon.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">The next logical stop from Long Bar has to be Chijmes! (For non Singaporeans, it's across the street). Since we didn't quite get our fill of live music at Long Bar, I decided Insomnia would be just the thing. Cjhimes is a beautifully (restored?) monastery which now holds bars, cafe, restaurants, spa, shops and night clubs. Insomnia has an amazing band, that belts out hits after hits! I cannot imagine how they have the energy to do this, and what state they are reducing their vocal cords to, but hats off to them for keeping us all dancing! We quickly got into the groove and continued dancing after the band stopped and the DJ came on. We'd have gone on till morning except we both thought Dips should get at least 40 winks before his morning flight. Thus ended the first installment of my b'day celebration. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">The second installment was much tamer. Friday evening, I went to Takashimaya for the Bags and Shoes exhibition at Takashimaya, bought myself my favorite </span></span><a href="https://www.e-royce.com/items/nama/1174939_1207.php"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Royce Nama Bitter Chocolates</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">, and did some window shopping. Then it was Chopper Chimney in Little India for dinner. It was supposed to be the wonderful Andhra restaurant Shankrati upstairs but they were full and I was famished. Dinner was very Comme ci, comme ça but the paan we had outside Anand Bhavan was lovely.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">The third installment was on Saturday: Lunch with Pari and her parents at Shakuntala. Yummy! </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">sapaad </span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">prawn masala</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">mutton pepper fry</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">spiced buttermilk </span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">chicken biryani </span></span></li></ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">4 hours of spa treatment later I was ready to face my b'day Saturday night. Met Laksh at Renn Thai, Clarke Quay, for dinner. She got me bed linen in bright orange as my b'day gift. We worked our way through: <br /></span></span><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Chicken with Cashewnuts and Dry Red Chilies (very similar to the Indian version of dry Kung Pao Chicken)</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Chicken with Peppercorns and Basil</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Thai Green Curry with Chicken and Vegetables</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">King River Prawns</span></span></li></ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Then it was </span></span><a href="http://www.yellojello.sg/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">yello jello retobar</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"> with Monu and Mukund. Nice band with lots of 60s, 70's and 80's music. Monu gave me Turkish headband and top as b'day gifts. We were joined by Sumit and Cee (my bro-in-law, remember?). Mukund got us a bottle of bubbly, Cee got us a cake, and the band played Happy Birthday! Awwww! What more can a girl ask for? I was happy as happy can be. And then of course, they made me drink a <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink3536.html">Flaming Lamborghini</a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">which spun my head sideways.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nweR-eu0Jjk/SSLbToGZItI/AAAAAAAAAKY/JMndNaqontg/s400/flaming_lamborghini.jpg"></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nweR-eu0Jjk/SSLbToGZItI/AAAAAAAAAKY/JMndNaqontg/s400/flaming_lamborghini.jpg"><br /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_nweR-eu0Jjk/SSLbToGZItI/AAAAAAAAAKY/JMndNaqontg/s400/flaming_lamborghini.jpg" border="0" alt="" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px; " /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Lots of alco, dancing, and one street brawl (moi an innocent bystander) later we decided to go to OT, a rather risqué establishment, which someone mentioned during the evening, and I got a bee in my bonnet about visiting. We went with a hundred safety instructions drummed into our heads by Mukund, but thankfully found the place less scary than what we had anticipated (or maybe our ignorance was our bliss). So hung out there for a while, observing the women, the lady-boys, the clientele, and even managed to shake a leg or two. Afterwards we moved to Mukunds favorite haunt Krrish. After another drink and a few dances to Hindi songs I made my weary but very satisfied and happy way back home. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">The final chapter of my b'day was on Sunday. Met Cee for lunch @ Al Qasr in Holland Village. It took the better part of 2 pots of tea and a mezze platter for us to open our eyes after the excesses of last night. The mezze platter consisted of:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><ul type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5incolor:black;"><span style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Pita bread</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5incolor:black;"><span style=" ;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hummus"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Hummus</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5incolor:black;"><span style=" ;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baba_ghanoush"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Baba Ghanoush</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5incolor:black;"><span style=" ;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabbouleh"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Tabbouleh</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5incolor:black;"><span style=" ;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falafal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">Falafal</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5incolor:black;"><span style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 51, 102);">Salad</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5incolor:black;"><span style=" ;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Cheese cigars </span></span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">This we followed up with Mutton Shewarma and Lamb Chops. We were as stuffed as 2 Boa having eaten 2 elephants. The weather had turned lovely with a cooling downpour and we slithered and slipped in the rain to reach Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf where we settled ourselves with tea and expresso to digest the elephant.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Dinner was home cooked by a talented colleague, Vegetable Sambar with Rice and Pickle. Followed by Wall's <span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Carte D'Or Chocolate Inspiration </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;">Ice Cream and a discussion on Indian politicians. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Thus ended my 4-part b'day celebration and much much thanks to everyone for making it such a happy and fun-filled one.</span></span></div></div>gugiinsingaporehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202654108019484469noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-39365967607581472782009-03-07T23:47:00.019+08:002009-04-15T15:34:42.986+08:00In love with the city<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://208.122.3.214/tm/admin/uploaded/singapore%20downtown.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://208.122.3.214/tm/admin/uploaded/singapore%20downtown.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><div style="text-align: justify;">One year ago, exactly on this date, I visited Singapore to collect my Employment Pass to work here. I can't believe it’s been a year already. I can't believe it’s just been a year. This is what Singapore does to me. I feel like I've always lived here, and every once now and then, I am amazed to realize that I am actually here. 1 year yet to be up and I'm still not jaded. Okay, I know, ask me after 5 years, but am guessing my answer will still be the same.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The last time a city made me feel like this (is it love?) was when I moved to Bombay. Bombay was.... tantalizing, alive, more sharply in focus, pulsating, energizing. A city wearing a huge Mona Lisa smile, like it knows so many things you don’t. A teasing, seducing city that was always one step ahead. Ticking to a clock that runs always a little brisker. Where things seemed to happen just a little faster. The city was more alive than anything living (or non) I’d seen and with more personality to boot!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><img src="http://www.bombayproperty.com/citynights.gif" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 557px; height: 430px;" border="0" alt="" /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Soon enough my blood started to respond to this pulsating city, my eyes could detect its small, subtle motions just a tad quicker. Life was never slow and ponderous, it was brisk, happening, moving, changing! Oh the exhilaration! I felt like I was in the nerve center of the world! I felt more alive than I’d ever felt before; as if been half alive before I came here. I fell head over heels in love with its heat, beats, energy, pace, whirling, attitude and its total<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">bindaas</span>-ness.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Its called a city of dreams and rightly so. Of course, the "real" reason is because of "Bollywood" (whoever hates that name, really, you should have done something much earlier, no use crying now ninny!). And it was for me too. (No, I didn't and don't remotely have any thespian aspirations.) It was a city of dreams for me because it felt like everything happened there, like the sun rose and set and decided it course from there. It felt marvellous to know that I lived there! It was (still is mostly) a dream come true place.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On a more pragmatic note, one could go on endlessly about the shopping and eating in the city. What an economic range of eateries and shops it provides - from SST (sasta, sundar aur tikau) to fancy schamsy, you get it all. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Shopping - Fashion Street, Colaba Causeway, Linking Road, Vama, Colaba Market, Satyams Card Shop, Maker Arcade, Linking Road shops, Benzer, Premsons, Amarsons in Breach Candy, Rustomjee's in Colaba, Cross Words in Pedder Road, and what-was-that-place in Kemps Korner, ... [exausted]<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As for food - chat in<a href="http://www.indianfoodforever.com/eating-out/restaurants/mumbai/kailash-parbat-colaba-restaurant-mumbai.html"> Kailash Parbat</a>, pani puri in C Road, oh! the most awesome Pav Bhajis EVER from the various Sagar's around town, Yankee Doodle ice cream in Napean Sea Road, the sandwiches in Beach Candy, pizzas from Sunshine Corner(?) in Colaba market, next to the post office, Mongini's, Chetna's, Vada Pavs from G.D. Somani and Nariman Point footpath stalls, home delivery Chinese from a mobile shop on the little road connecting Prakash Pethe Marg to Nariman point, farsaans during tea time from all Colaba to Santacruz market (and beyond), Bade Miyan's stall, Swati gujrati food in Tardeo, the Goan/Konkani/Manglorean resturants in Fort, Yoko's, Kamat, the losbster masala and paya soup from Khyber, and on and on and on! (Seriously, I’ve not even touched the tip of the iceberg here.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Readers will excuse my limited coverage of Bombay, I was (still am?) a townie, which, by Bombay lingo, means that I lived in the South Bombay, plus your truly spent only 3 years there, and finally 'cause technically this blog is supposed to be about me in Singapore [wink].</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I loved Bombay and now I love Singapore. My stint in Bombay lasted 3 years, and I hope my Singapore stint lasts me longer - or rather may it last as long as I want it to. Cheers!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">(Photos belong to others,)</div></span></div>shobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655473817517247961noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-52339518668989828122009-02-06T11:41:00.003+08:002009-02-17T18:40:57.666+08:0010 days of Singapore<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:'Times New Roman';"><div style="border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; width: auto; font: normal normal normal 100%/normal Georgia, serif; text-align: left; "><div style="text-align: justify; "><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">6.30 AM on X'mas morning saw me taking an MRT to Changi Airport. I reached by 7.30 (yes people, that how long it takes to reach the airport if I take an MRT). D had arrived in Singapore. We behaved typically like 2 girl friends meeting each other after 6 months - we screeched, hugged, and hopped around in joy. We dashed back home (not MRT thank you, one way is more than enough) and D pulled out all the goodies she'd ferried for me from Bangalore. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I am unashamed to say most of it was food, and from Nagarjuna. Food my loving parents had packed for me on my request (am so shameless). I have to list it people, please! </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">~ Chicken Biryani </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">~ Chicken Sholay Kebab </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">~ Chilly Chicken</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><clapping>Joy! Joy! Joy! Joy! Hapiness! Hapiness! Hapiness! Hapiness! Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap! This was the BEST X'mas gift I could get! My BFF (Best Friend Forever) in town and my favorite food! (Pays to be a good girl you know.) Quickly packed the food away in the fridge and D away to bed, where she was out like a light, the poor mite. But not for long, for you see, we had plans. </clapping></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">It was finally X'mas!!! The day Singapore seemed to be waiting for months! I'd got my gift and now I HAD to spread the cheer! We had places to go and parties to attend! Well 2 parties actually. One @ Pari's place and the other @ my cousin Such's place. They both were as awesome as they were different. While D slept, I shopped and packed our goody bags with champagne, chocolate X'mas logs, flowers, and other X'massy goodies for our hosts. Then, a bleary-eyed D and I were off visiting. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1st stop Pari's place. It was a lovely Indian family X'mas affair, with her parents, and aunts and uncles. I stuffed myself on awesome Chicken Fry and Mutton Biryani, made by her mom and dad, partook of all the X'massy spirit, chatted and got high laughing. Basically had the time of my life. After all this food and bonhomie, I was ready to crash and D was positively asleep in her chair. But, as they say, no rest for the wicked and we dashed home, freshened up, changed into new plumage and flew off to Such's place. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Such's and Cee's party was all about new friends. None of their usual suspects were in town, i.e. people I'd met when staying with her, it being X'mas and all that. So I met loads of new friends. We all mingled and chatted and debated and laughed along with large glasses of wine, and even larger selection of food. Happy and buzzed, what more can one want? Getting back to the selection of food, it seriously was a cornucopia of food. There were @ least 20 dishes and all made from scratch! Maaaaan! Why does all this food have to come on the same day? I cannot forgive myself if I don't list them, so humor me. There was:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">- fresh feta with crackers </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">- home-made hummus with pita </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">- fresh olives in olive oil </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">- baba ganoush</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">- potato patties stuffed with mince </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">- Moroccon meat balls</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">- chicken satay</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">- mousakka</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">- mushrooms in cream sauce </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">- salad</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">- baguette </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">- and more</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Languidly the evening wore on and night fell. Before D collapsed on me, I got her back home. We settled down and watched a sweet X'massy (ugh!) Singaporean made movie called Delivering Susie (one of the guests in Such's party played Santa in that movie) on TV before we surrendered our stuffed bellied, alcohol soaked, satiated selves to gentle Morpheus. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Next day we woke up laaate, lazed, went to West Coast Plaza for breakfast, came back home and lazzed. Then D ate the dal pulao I made for her and I ate the biryani which she got for me. Happiness! Contentment! Blisss! Post lunch we set out for Singapore darshan. In the evening we met up with a mutual old friend (we were classmates and colleagues), in Clarke Quay. Three girls out to have fun - as you can imagine we had a rocking time! We took the bum-boat cruise along the Singapore river and wore the night out drinking, dancing and chatting @ Rupee Room, Cuba Libre, and Highlanders. (All pics on Facebook).</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The rest of our days followed pretty much the same pattern, i.e. wake up late, laze, eat lunch @ home, and set out in the afternoon for loafing. We covered Orchard Road, Takashimaya, Paragon, Plaza Singapura, Asian Civilization Museum, Boat Quay, Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, Sentosa, Aquarium, Vivo City, Botanical Gardens, Bugis, Arab Quarters, Little India, and of course Chinatown. One morning we managed to wake up early and take the The Time Of Empire walk, which was really nice, and concluded most satisfactorily - us getting drunk as skunks on the Singapore Slings at the Raffles Hotel. N i c e... hic! </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Undoubtedly without a doubt, shopping and eating was done in all the aforementioned places. But maximum time was spent and fun was had in Chinatown. D loved it and we visited it as many times as we could. New Years was spent, predictably, in Clarke Quay - the countdown in Rupee Room, fireworks, courtesy Singapore government, overhead in the Clarke Quay sky (sort of), and dinner @ IndoChine. All too soon it was time for D to leave; our 10 days had whizzed past us, as time usually does when we are having fun.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">D's recommendations:</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">- Foot massage in Chinatown</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">- Shopping in Chinatown</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">- Dresses in Chinatown</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">- Tops from This Fashion</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">- Spicy Doritos from any supermarket</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">- Singapore Sling from Raffles Hotel</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">- Singapore, for being so clean, convenient, and safe</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br /></div></div></div></span></div>gugiinsingaporehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202654108019484469noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-33844694969977962502009-01-30T00:15:00.002+08:002009-02-04T22:21:56.699+08:00The tenth month in the Roman calendar<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">I know I have a lot of missing months to blog about, but after much deliberation (and an emergency board meeting) I have decided that I will rewind, for now, to December. Any blanks that come up, I will fill as I go along. The only thing I have to tell you is I have moved into a house (I share it with a couple) and it's in West Singapore (but that's not crucial to the story).<br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Singapore was geared up for X'mas by October end - light festooned streets, giant X'mas trees in shopping malls, extended hours of shopping, Christmassy knick-knacks all over, piped-in carols, caskets of red wine, white wine in green bottles, basically all the what-have-yous. Swirling in Boy George's 'red, gold and green' December came twirling. </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297067562645230002" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SYL24ha2kbI/AAAAAAAAAEc/8_Tqq-Wrrgg/s320/08-11-08_2003.jpg" border="0" /> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">A pictorial example of Christmassy knick- knack is given here. Rather cute I thought! (The snap is technically early November). </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">The first three weeks of December whizzed past. And the other 2 weeks even faster. The first three because there was lots and lots of work. And thanks to the slow economy my company gave us 2 weeks shut down instead of 1, so stop work from Dec 20! Can you imagine the tension?! But of course it had its good side - I was deliriously happy to have a full proper winter vacation like in school! Yippee!!</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Weekends in the first three weeks were the only party time and were spent mainly: </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><ul><li>hanging out with Laksh (in photo) in Orchard</li><li>reading, of course (found a lending library somewhat close by, not really happy with it but it's better than nothing)</li><li>eating Pepper Chicken in Anandam, (Upper Dickson Road, Singapore)</li><li>chicken tikka in <a href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/28/50213619_22166d5566.jpg">Samy's Curry</a>, Dempsi</li><li>dimsumming in Din Tai Fung</li><li>cooking (we cooked dinner one full week!), shopping (Vivo City) and Clark Quaying with flatmate</li><li>buying dresses from Qoosh, Vivo City and This Fashion, Dhoby Ghaut </li><li>attending Monu's birthday party @ <a href="http://www.equinoxcomplex.com/">New Asia Bar</a> (very hip!)</li><li>and thanks to Monu, my first time ever in a dance bar! (Yes, this was in Singapore. And my HP friends, I know <span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic">exactly</span> what you are reminded of, so was I and it didn't help).</li></ul></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Dec 18 mid-night was a red-letter day. I was the bearer of bad news. The fact that I live to tell the tale shows how thoroughly civilized my colleagues are by not shooting the messenger (it also helps that I used SMS to convey the message heh).<br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">So here's how the story unfolded. </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic">18 Dec, Thursday night, 11.58+ P.M. Singapore time.</span> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">It is one day before shutdown. I was working - fast and furious - late into the night, fixing as many defects as I could before the time ran out (darn it, am <span class="Apple-style-span" style="FONT-STYLE: italic"></span>an adrenalin junkie?). I am at home, the only sounds I can hear is the clicking of the keyboard and mouse, all else is dead quite. Ping! a new email. I go to open it and I get this horrible tingling sensation at the back of my neck. I take a deep breath and open the email - I forget to breathe out. Retrenchment announcement in email from the CEO! </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Aaaaaaaaaaa! Waaaaaaaaan!!! Aaaargh!!! I fished out my mobile and SMS-ed all my colleagues to check their email (I was too chicken to tell them myself). Slowly everyone came awake, and then started the frantic calling, messaging, chatting. We consoled each other, had multi-way conference calls and popping chat windows, reassured each other and make up reasons why they could not be fired, all with a churning stomach. The whole team was up all night oscillating between calm acceptance and nerve racking tension. One hour later, another email - meeting request for the whole team, U.S. and Singapore, at 2 A.M. Singapore time. This time we could not keep the dread at bay. At 2 A.M. we all gave attendance. The first thing our manager said, "We are all safe" and then she burst into tears. </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">It was a close call. She asked us all to take the next day off to restore our nerves. Which, naturally, we all did. By the weekend I was back to normal.</div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297081604069281090" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SYMDp1zOTUI/AAAAAAAAAEs/nVF-Xjx-vu8/s320/PICT0094.JPG" border="0" /> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">By Monday, I was back to being tickled silly in happiness of my first long winter vacation since 1999! </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">A new mall West Coast Plaza has (apparently re-) opened opposite to my humble abode and I boosted the economy in my own small way by spending my hard earned there. Bought a Van Gogh in the passing among other inconsequential junk. </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Got a few decent eateries opened up there, including Coffee Bean and Subway. The weather was unusually chilly for Singapore and the next 3 days whizzed past in acquainting myself with the new mall, reading books from the library, and chilling @ home. </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Then bright and early on X'mas morning D arrived on! And that, my dears, needs a post all on it own! Watch this space and I promise the next post will next Friday.</div>gugiinsingaporehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202654108019484469noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-89008782164677297432009-01-16T15:09:00.012+08:002009-01-16T15:47:32.363+08:00A new year<span xmlns=""><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">When last year was new as a freshly minted coin, I was driving down to Chennai. My life looked like I was seeing it through rose tinted glasses. It felt like finally everything was coming together and the last pieces of the puzzle were falling into place. The world was my oyster again, and I was triumphant. I was going to a new life, to fulfill a long cherished dream, it felt as if I was going to my destiny. Well… I proved fast enough that I was a lousy judge of my destiny.<br /></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">In a lot of ways I was right, in others I was so way off the mark even F1 drives seemed to be getting someplace compared to me. Life, essentially, was not rose tinted or rose water scented. In fact some things stank real high. Chief among them were two very important things:<br /></p><ol><li><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">my relationship<br /></div></li><li><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">my job<br /></div></li></ol><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">The two things I'd moved to Chennai for.<br /></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">But I have an irritating habit of looking for fun even when there is none. So despite minor issues like my moving town to find a dead relationship and an even worse job atmosphere, the other areas of my life rocked – I had the best time ever with my cousins starting with Suba (who I stayed with), my aunts & uncles, and friends. The weather was also awfully nice to me, I had my car, my work place was minutes away from Suba's place, enroute was a fabulous beauty parlour, and the cutest botique-cum-tea shop, and I even found a charming little house to rent. So life was not all without happiness. </p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">The lief motif being अइसा नहीं के हमको कोई भी ख़ुशी नहीं, लेकिन यह ज़िन्दगी तो कोई ज़िन्दगी नहीं।<br /></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">I was plodding along, being happy enough when WHAM! out of the blue a miracle happened! (Lucky for me my fate felt worse for me that I did.) I got a chance I was looking for a long long time – a job in Singapore! I'd have dug my heels in (like the bull I am) and tried to make the best of my situation but I suddenly had something that was so much better and more than I expected. I packed my बोरिया बिस्तर, bid a heartfelt tearful farewell to everyone who had made my stay in Chennai so wonderful (I still consider it one of the best times ever) and headed to Singapore.<br /></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Once in Singapore life was one big party. As you know from my previous posts I've been having a really nice time here. First my stay with Such and Cee, and all the fun I had with them. My Orchard Road office and all the shopping and eating with my colleagues. Then the new friends I made here, and some old friends I met up with, and all the fun I had getting to know Singapore.<br /></p><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Now as I begin another new year amid an economic crisis I am reminded of a quote I read, "The measure of success is not whether you have a tough problem to deal with, but whether it is the same problem you had last year." So I can say that I have been successful, 'cause although the year brings a lot of tough problems, at least they are not the same ones I had last year. So here's wishing you all safe time treading through this new year and may it be a happy one.</p></span><p>P.S. - Yes, am back to blogging.</p>gugiinsingaporehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202654108019484469noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-51150994907850345802008-10-27T22:31:00.004+08:002008-10-27T22:39:24.470+08:00~Happy Deepavali~<a href="http://www.wondercomments.com/"><img height="311" alt="diwali Comments" src="http://www.wondercomments.com/holidays/diwali/diwali_comment_01.gif" width="399" border="0" /></a><br /><em><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:180%;color:#ff0000;"><strong>Wish you a very very Happy Deepavali!</strong></span></em><br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><em><span style="color:#009900;">आप सब को दीपावली की हर्थिंक शुभकामनाएं</span></em> </span><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="color:#ff6600;">தீபாவளி வாழுதுகள்</span> </span>gugiinsingaporehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202654108019484469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-22682714551751737172008-10-02T14:54:00.038+08:002008-10-06T17:27:18.426+08:00Not 2 but 3 Visits, Lotsa Food, and Clarke Quay<div align="center"><em><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">"</span>The most uncomplicated love is the love of food."</span></strong></em></div><div align="center"></div><br /><div align="center"><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></em></strong></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SOSHz6M28vI/AAAAAAAAAD8/oAmFhEnQI4k/s1600-h/salad.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252472391287108338" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="246" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SOSHz6M28vI/AAAAAAAAAD8/oAmFhEnQI4k/s320/salad.jpg" width="216" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:verdana;">So back home, back to work, back to gym, back to swimming, back to Such's fab salads and life is going pretty. Only cloud on the horizon is our office moving from my beloved Ngee Ann City to Fusionopolis in Singaporean boondocks, but before that I have 2 social and 1 official visit to look forward to.</span><br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The first visit was from my cousin and her husband from Pune. They arrived on Thursday 11 July via KL on Thursday late afternoon. We hugged, we clapped, we jumped up and down in joy, got ready and hit <a href="http://www.cafeiguana.com/">Cafe Iguana</a> on Clarke Quay.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SOSIaZmANUI/AAAAAAAAAEE/ED1LOEzq1YU/s1600-h/cafeiguana.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252473052549100866" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SOSIaZmANUI/AAAAAAAAAEE/ED1LOEzq1YU/s320/cafeiguana.png" border="0" /></a> Mexican food, margaritas, Singapore river - nice. Food over, it was dancy time across the <a href="http://www.streetdirectory.com/stock_images/travel/simg_show/11496617610964/1/clarke_quay_view_from_read_bridge/">Read bridge</a> to the other side. </span></div><br /><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">We settled in Cuba Libre but Pune cousin and I being complete Bollywood music lovvers I had to show her <a href="http://www.harrys.com.sg/Rupee.htm">Rupee Room</a> and do a little bit of झूम बराबर झूम। The place was empty (not that I ever mind that) <span class="">and </span>so they music was all ours! The DJ, with no one else to play to, was really sweet and played everything we wanted. And we danced and danced full दिल खोल के (with abandon) till the search party came looking for us and we were dragged home. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Back in office bright and early next morning and I finished off as much work as possible. Met cousins for lunch in Food Republic, where we lagaoed Thai food consisting of:</span> </div><ul><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Phat Thai (Flat noodles)</span></div></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Kaeng Khiew Wan Mangsawirat (Green curry with vegetables)</span></div></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Fragrant Thai Rice</span></div></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Ruby Red</span></div></li></ul><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SOSLbW2cXeI/AAAAAAAAAEM/nJ0y9pjbO8o/s1600-h/phat_thai.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252476367527501282" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 260px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 161px" height="162" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SOSLbW2cXeI/AAAAAAAAAEM/nJ0y9pjbO8o/s320/phat_thai.jpg" width="276" border="0" /></a>Then we walked around Lucky Plaza, Tangs, and Far East. I was bribed to bunk office and go off with them to Chinatown but being the conscientious person that I am, loserly, I went back to work.<br /></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;"><br />Evening time saw us in our collective favorite <a href="http://blujaz-cafe.blogspot.com/">Cafe BluJaz</a> on Bali Lane. Belly dancing, sotong sambal, chicken fireballs, hunk burger, chimichanga, Arab street walk, drinks, and many many hours of live jazz music later we were happy to be back home.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Next morning Cee made us pancakes for breakfast over which we sat for hours over till it was time for Pune cousins to catch bus back to KL.<br /><br />The next visitors came a week later on Friday, 18 July. This time it was another cousin and a sis-in-law cousin both from Chennai. Again super excited, we did <a href="http://www.cafeiguana.com/">Cafe Iguana</a> again, we did Cuba Libre, we did <a href="http://blujaz-cafe.blogspot.com/">BluJaz</a> but more than all this we did so much shopping! Unfortunately I was in office during most of these shopping trips but if there were ever in Orchard I did not miss the opportunity to join in the fun. More on that in a bit.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Between these 2 weekends there was a week - as there usually is, otherwise we’d all be happy troopers. The week saw my boss in Singapore. It was the first time I was meeting her and there was the usual round of meetings and outings. Mwah the meetings and let’s get on with the outings. We did Sushi Tae sushi and Sashimi one day, Taka basement food court another, and then we decided we needed to do a nice fancy lunch. So my colleagues booked a table @ a popular local seafood joint, <a href="http://www.jumboseafood.com.sg/">Jumbo Seafood</a>. I went along not very sure what to expect but hey I love seafood, so how bad can it be? What I had blew my mind away.<br /></span></p><div align="justify"><a href="http://www.shopcrazy.com.ph/wp-content/images/2007/01/queens-singapore-chilli-crabs-copy2.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.shopcrazy.com.ph/wp-content/images/2007/01/queens-singapore-chilli-crabs-copy2.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3148/2568134982_fe0270e15a.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3148/2568134982_fe0270e15a.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2157/2542069060_7911d8070d.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2157/2542069060_7911d8070d.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">For the first time tasted the following signature Singaporean dishes: </span></div><ul><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Singapore Chilli Crab, which is a Sri Lankan King Crab smothered in Sweet Chilly sauce. OMG so good!</span></div></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Fried Bread - tiny morsels of sweet salty perfection especially great with the crabs. Yum yum!</span></div></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Steamed fish - full full with head, tail, scales, what have you) but once those were removed from my sight, you could not remove my chopsticks from it. Verrrry good. Really very good.</span></div></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Kang Kong in Oyster sauce was love at first bite! This is the BEST ever green veggie I've ever ever ever tasted. This is stupendous and beyond!</span></div></li></ul><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">We had other sundry things, but I don't want to dilute the flavour, so to speak. Now I am a convert. New standards have been set. Currently nothing compares, nottthing compares to this (naturally to be sung to the tune of "Nothing compares to you"). Jumbo Seafood Restaurant and these signature dishes have become my Singaporean introduction meal to all visitors.</span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Other than Jumbo, two other distinct culinary high points were hit with the cousin and sis-in-law cousin. One was lunch @ <a href="http://www.dintaifungusa.com/">Din Tai Fung Dumpling House</a>, an amazing Taiwanese place in Paragon B2. Oooh ooooh ooooh the food! Mmm! Yumm. Public, what-A food, what-A dumplings. Solpa what-A price also. I generally tend to go porcine but IMHO you must have these items:</span><br /></div><ul><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Steamed pork dumplings</span></div></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Steamed shrimp and pork dumplings </span></div></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Steamed green vegetable and pork dumplings </span></div></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Noodle soup with shrimps sliced bamboo shoot and green vegetable </span></div></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Egg Fried Rice </span></div></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">Baby Kai Lan<br /></span></div></li></ul><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Verdana;">The third was <a href="http://www.redhouseseafood.com/">Red House Seafood Restaurant</a> on Robertson Quay. As old as me (Oh God now why did I write that?) this place is a very close contender to Jumbo when it comes to Seafood. I would go so far as to say it might <em>even </em>be better than Jumbo. (The only reason I end up going to Jumbo more often is because of its vicinity to Clarke Quay where all the &#!$%^*@ want to go all the time.)<br /><br />Back to <a href="http://www.redhouseseafood.com/">Red House</a>, the service is exemplary, the food, perfect! Beyond perfect. Everything we ordered was great. The decor is <em>so</em> Chinese dark red and black lacquer - and NO am so <em>not </em>sick of dark red and black lacquer Chinese decor. In fact one sees hardly any trace of it in Singapore, so its almost comforting to find a place where they still have it. There are tables along the river, and being a much quiter part of the river, its more river and less people, in a word charming. Fantastic, awesome food, awesome service. Love you guys. Will be back soon.</span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">With the cousins and in-law we also did a lazy Sunday afternoon in Sentosa. Louging in Km8 in Tanjong beach, drinking beer by the buckets (they serve pint bottles in a bucket of ice, hence bucket of beer :D), lunch, snooze, and watching the sun go down. Sadly we got heavily poured out of a Jazz concert on Upper Deck but it was a lovely day nevertheless.</span></div><span style="font-family:Verdana;"></span><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;">All too soon their holiday came to an end and a new chapter in my life began - I moved into my apartment! More on the move soon...</span></div>gugiinsingaporehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202654108019484469noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-46862195382965783582008-08-25T11:36:00.024+08:002008-08-28T21:56:20.004+08:00Last few days in my native land<div align="justify">After all this eating and meeting I had to do some shopping. Comm Street ki Jai ho! No Orchard Street can compare to Indian market experience. Be it <a href="http://www.asiarooms.com/travel-guide/india/bangalore/things-to-do-in-bangalore/shopping-in-bangalore/commercial-street-bangalore.html">Commercial St</a> in Bangalore, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lajpat_Nagar">Lajpat Nagar</a> in Delhi, <a href="http://www.pune.org.uk/travel-tips/shopping.html">Laxmi Road</a> in Pune, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._Nagar">T-Nagar</a> in Chennai, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gariahat_Road">Gariahat</a> in Kolkatta, or any other market in any other city in the native land. The colours, the noise, the people, the smells, the prices, the deals, the merchandise, the merchants, the people, the food, ... (Never ignore the food in an Indian market).</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify">Indian markets are like a bhelpuri of all aforementioned things - the good and the bad - all mixed, tossed, and served up with dhania and sev on top. थोड़ा खट्टा, थोड़ा मीठा, थोड़ा crunchy and थोड़ा chewy. Am lovving it!</p><div align="justify"></div><p align="justify">So on Thrusday I shopped in beloved Comm St buying 100 rupee to 2000 rupee chappals all morning. In fact I got so carried away with my chappals that shopkeepers started offering me business deals - they thought I buying all these chappals to set up a shop abroad! Aghast, I quickly dived into Shiv Sagar to lagao a juice and चाट and restore my composure. </p><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><p align="justify">Did Dalam or pomegranate juice (which is YUM there) and decided to do one chat... which somehow got followed by the Shiv Sagar Thali. Replete with all this I rolled off next door to visit Mecca Stores - a book library, a ladies fancy item shop, and a household fancy items shop - all in one. This place has been around for ages, ‘cause everyone remembers it being there for as long as they can remember. It’s not changed an iota, expect for the sorry demise of the elderly gent presiding over the shop, but his son is running the show and its business as usual. </p><div align="justify"></div><p align="justify"></p><div align="justify"></div><p align="justify">The ladies fancy item section (1/2 part of the entrance), according to me, has the best collection of earrings, hair clips, hair bands, and other sundry ladies fancy items, in all of Commercial Street. Their general fancy store section (one wall and 1/4 of the entrance) has an inexpensive fast moving collection of ceramic vases, cookie jar sets, flower vases, and other time pass glass and ceramic items. Bought my essential earrings, hair bands, scrunchies, a vase, a jar, borrowed a few books, chitted and chatted a bit, and this is what being in Bangalore for me is all about. </p><p align="justify">Next stop was to the temple of creativity. A visit to my best friend in Comm St. namely Vijay - my trusted and much harassed tailor. Pleaded with him to make time for me and make me some new apparels, the moment he gave in, off I rushed to Pooja Collections, Shoba Collection, New Choice Collections, Lal's Collection, Mysore Udyog Collections etc. to collect materials for skirts, tops, dresses and dumped it all on Vijay for him to do his magic and to turn them into wonderful creations, which I must say, he miraculously does.</p><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"></p><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">The sun was beginning to set and it was time for the Bangalore Night to take over. The spot for this night was a very घर पे बना हुआ place; it was such a made-at-home a place that I've even forgotten its name. Its a karaoke bar, very Bangalore Cantt owners, very Bangalore Cantt crowd - which should have been really charming and fun and hospitable but... Anyway we were in a mood to belt out songs and had a pretty decent time but made it an early night as the food was just about passable, the management nasty, and the service god-awful.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><p align="justify">The next day I had pretty much the same schedule, took one last look into all the shops to ensure I'd not missed anything. Lunch was with Chint at Tiger Bay, which I must say, does a very decent Non-Veg Thali for lunch. Of course, the added bonus to eating in Tiger Bay is that one needs no excuse to browse through Bombay Stores. While I am the most ardent believer of retail therapy, and practice it most religiously, shopping in Bombay Stores is a double therapy. One, which of course is retail, the other is an almost Zen-like soothing and relaxing atmosphere of the shop. Browsing through their multi-mid-level floors, little niches, very pretty desi uber chi-chi merchandise, quite ambience, and nearly empty shop (yikes! not a good thing for them is it?) I feel as great a calm as having done half hours mediation. Rested, refreshed, and completely at peace. Bombay Stores - you ought to bottle and sell this!</p><div align="justify"></div><p align="justify">Dinner was at friend's favorite restaurant - Paparazzi. Allegedly, 'One of the World's 82 Best' restaurants. Set on top of Central Park Hotel (now called Royal Orchid Central, I think) it offers nice food and a great view of Cubbon Road. Must have is the 'Bread Basket with Multiple Dips' I totally love it. The rest is kinda pendulum type - the chef can be very good to disappointing, the service can range from very attentive to I'm-so-totally-ignoring-you. Royal Orchid Central people - you've really got something good going - please be consistent, stock up your bar, your cellar, or wine cooler, or whatever and train your staff. I'd love to patronize you more, give me a little more reason.</p><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><p align="justify">Saturday, my last weekend started with breakfast at Vidhyarthi Bhawan - really nice dosas, but everyone complains that they were better - well I didn't find anything missing. Post dosa went to pay my respects to Dodda Ganesha and Dodda Basavanna at the Bull Temple. </p><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basavanagudi">Basavanagudi</a> is super quaint and charming. With shops selling pooja samagri, snacks like congress kadle, ready-to-cook food like fresh hand-made idiappams, a huge vegetable market, and traditional Indian flower shops selling loose flowers and elaborate flower garlands. All this right in a austral heart of cosmopolitan, almost-metropolitan Bangalore. Travellers, if you want to see the 'real' old Hindu Bangalore, do make a visit here. After making one full round from VB to Bull Temple, to all the shops and back, we were ready for one more dosa at VB. Glutton, that me! Finished that off perfectly with a post breakfast snooze.....Zzzzz....</p><p align="justify">Saturday night I was lucky to attend a very dear friend's father's 65th birthday bash. As with everything uncle does, this was also in grand style. Lovely Manglorean people, with their great food, and their great music, fun and laughter. One of the most hospitable people and man do they like to party! It was a great ending to a lovely Bangalore holiday. </p><p align="justify"></p><p align="justify"></p><div align="justify"></div><p align="justify">Sunday was spent with mom and dad, eating (again!) home food, chatting, finishing packing, weighting the suitcase a 100 times, removing stuff, weighting again, adding stuff, weighing again and you get the drift. All that done, I chilled in my room in Bangalore for one last time, for a long time to come. Come evening I was off to the airport. </p><p align="justify">Ah! another update on the airport, so it was well organised, there are weighting machines to weight your luggage outside so you can remove stuff from your bag if it’s too heavy and give it to the relatives who have come to see you off, the terminals were well lit and everything looked clean and tidy. But then there were 4 terminals for check-in and only 2 working, resulting a long and serpentine queue. There were not enough seats for people/kids to sit, and the loo had the most MAJOR surly cleaner who refused to speak in any language and resisted all entreaties' to be even remotely helpful. Also, considering there was no seating space outside, people occupied the toilet seats and refused to vacate! No! I am serious. </p><p align="justify">All this endured, there was some time left for a little browsing in the few upgraded duty free stores, got a beer at the sports bar, munched on the goodies mommy packed for the flight. Boarded the flight at 12; a 4-hour-flight-that-seemed-like-10-hours, no sleep, and landed bright and early on the shores of Singapura Monday morning and am sure I don't need to spell out the hue of this Monday morning blue.</p>gugiinsingaporehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202654108019484469noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-86604886800218207242008-08-13T12:43:00.030+08:002008-08-14T10:57:35.923+08:00Friends, Food, & Nagarjuna<div align="left"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span xmlns=""><em>It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them. </em></span><em>~ <span xmlns="">Ralph Waldo Emerson</span></em></span></div><br><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><strong><em><span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:130%;"></span></em></strong></div><div align="justify"><span xmlns=""><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></span></div><div align="justify"><span xmlns=""><span style="font-family:verdana;">The ii pals I met for lunch on Wed <strong><em>2 July</em></strong> @ the love-of-my-life-restaurant 'Nagarjuna'. </span></span><span xmlns=""><span style="font-family:verdana;">Shee and I met downstairs and our usual enthusiasm, kick-ass-chick-fun, and bonhomie started: </span></span><br /><span xmlns=""><br /></div></span><span xmlns=""></span><span xmlns=""><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233876393666699074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SKJ22YrOX0I/AAAAAAAAADk/1ArmO3DYHNU/s320/Picture+024.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SKJy7A0kJiI/AAAAAAAAADM/b_YDDGef0UY/s1600-h/Picture+024.jpg"></a><strong>Shee</strong>:"<em>Aye, what ya Singapore you've settled off in aa? Chumma why you went off only I don't know</em>."<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Me</strong>:"<em>Shut up ok Shee, what you're going off to UK no</em>?"<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Shee</strong>:"<em>Aye no ya, I don't want to go only ya..</em>"<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Me</strong>:"<em>Aye your mad aa? Why you don't want to go mein?</em>"<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Shee</strong>:"<em>Go ya... who'll go so far. You also come back yaa…</em>"</span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">We reach upstairs and keep talking while the waiter is standing with a pained expression on his face; quickly I tell him a table for four. </span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Shee</strong>:"<em>Aye listen ya...</em>"<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Me</strong>:"<em>Shee you saw the look he gave us aa? Heheheh</em>"<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Shee</strong>:"<em>Heheheh. Poor fellow ya, why you trouble him like this mein</em>"<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Me</strong>:"<em>Me aa? You're the one who is going on and on, ok</em>"<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Shee</strong>:"<em>Shut up ok, I've not said a word</em>."<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Me</strong>:"<em>Yappa! What a lie! You were always a liar only Shee.</em>"<br /><strong>Shee</strong>:"<em>Shut up okkkay". Aye, where we going ya?</em>"<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">Meanwhile the ಚತ್ತ್ರಿ (clever? chalu? wily?) waiter has led us to the last table at the end of the world. Shee and I see the table and collapse into another fit of "<strong>hehehes</strong>" and the waiter makes his escape. While were are happily "<em>you shut up ya, you shut up ya-ing</em>" the waiter throws the menus at us and runs away to hide again. </span></p><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Menu in hand and we have instant focus: </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">"Biryani or meals?... Which (which) chicken?... Chilly chicken is too spicy ya! No ya, I will die if I don't eat it, okay.... <em>Aye you have Sholay Kebab ma, lovely it is. Is it?...... If it's not nice no... Aye it's nice ya, very nice, I am telling no? No fish aa?........ Aye I won't eat without fish ok?! Yappa!!! Who is saying no to fish ya......? Get fish no... Nobody wants prawns aa...?</em></span><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Just then सबसे नज़रें चुरा के [hiding from all eyes] the boys arrive and ask us to spare them, the rest of the fellow eaters, and humanity is general, and stop our non-stop high-pitched jabbering। So we "<em>shut up okkayyy</em>" the boys in chorus and and hush up.</span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233873792246279602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SKJ0e9oQ7bI/AAAAAAAAADU/ckM82_mkUtA/s320/Picture+022.jpg" border="0" /><br /></div></span><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233873794526506930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SKJ0fGH6b7I/AAAAAAAAADc/6BPnP-yBOTk/s320/Picture+023.jpg" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;"><div align="justify"></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">The order is placed and while the food arrives we catch up with each others news - about Venk's wedding, about Shee's job hunt, about VJ's study plans, about my time in Singapore. In our enthu to hear all and tell all, naturally the tempo of the jabber rises again. This time the boys join in too and as much as they would like to deny it, we are all going full throttle. The food arrives to save the day and us from the tempers of fellow eaters). Appearance of food on the scene has a magical effect on us, its like someone suddenly used the mute button on us.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">The food, as usual, is lovely and we consume and consume and order more and consume. All in all, this is ordered and consumed: </span><br /></div><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">- 1 Chicken Chilly<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">- 1 Chicken Sholay Kebab<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">- 1 Prawn Sholay Kebab<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">- 2 Fish Fry<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">- 4 Buttermilk<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">- 2 Meals<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">- 2 Chicken Biryanis<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;">- 2 after Biryani Meals</span></p><br /><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Thus we spent over 2 hrs chatting, eating, and laughing. What's really sweet is that it's a week day and everyone except me is working and has very sweetly made time for this long ".com" type lunch break. Ah! Love my friends. Long live my friends! (If any of my friends' managers' is reading this, errr... free meal courtesy me @ Nagarjuna for you).</span><br /></p><br /><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">After polishing off Nagarjuna's day's supply for provisions we rolled down. Of course no meal in Nagarjuna is complete without a desert from Corner House aptly situated below. So we do 2 by 4 desert and sit around for another hour and finally I make my replete way back home with sole intention of sleeping off the food. </span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">10 mints later:<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>~Beep-beep beep-beep~ [SMS tone]</em></span><br /><strong>Shee</strong>: <span style="font-family:courier new;">Aye, how much we've eaten ya, I can't stay awake only, how am going to work?<br /></span><strong>Me</strong>: Roll-eye, ignore, and sleep. </span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">1 min later:<br /><em><span style="font-family:georgia;">~Beep-beep beep-beep~</span></em><br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Shee</strong>: <span style="font-family:courier new;">You sleeping aa loafer? Am sitting in office and you are sleeping. Aye wake up ya, I can't stay awake only.</span><br /><strong>I succumb and reply</strong>: </span><span style="font-family:courier new;">Go home and sleep no Shee. Why you troubling me?</span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">20 secs later:<br /></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>~Beep-beep beep-beep~</em></span><br /><strong>Shee</strong>: <span style="font-family:courier new;">No ya I got work to do, can't go home. You sleep ya, what for you. Its holiday no for you.</span><br /><strong>Me</strong>: Small evil smile for full happiness (no strength for bigger smile) and sleep.</span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">10 sec later:<br /></span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><em>~Beep-beep beep-beep~ </em></span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong>Shee</strong>:</span><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:courier new;">You've gone to sleep aa loafer? Heheh</span> </span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I have a feeling that this is going to take an ugly turn so I pre-empt my clever friend, turn off the offending phone and अपनी आँखें मूँद लीं </span><span style="font-family:verdana;">[died in peace]. </span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">God bless Nagarjuna, their chef, their food, and most of all, my friends.</span></p></span>gugiinsingaporehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202654108019484469noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-15060677550668300172008-08-13T11:26:00.009+08:002008-08-13T11:37:11.301+08:00Mind(less) over Matter<span xmlns=""><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Succumbing to incessant and painful nagging from the parents I (re)started one of the more unfruitful almost-ritualistic chore, which has become a part of my home-going for the past 6 months or so. It is 'Mindless Relocation' and this is what it involves:<br /></span></p></span><ol><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Go through all the stuff packed in cardboard boxes, remove each piece, decide that I still want it, and put it aside. (Aside mind you, not back in the box)<br /></span></div></span></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Follow this procedure till all the cardboard boxes are empty or mom calls for lunch.<br /></span></div></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Eat lunch, feel sleepy and fall asleep.<br /></span></div></span></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Wake up and mom look @ the disapproving looks on parent's faces and get ear bruised by mom's incessant complaining about how I've ruined the running of the house by making a mess of the cardboard room. And how I've always started things and never finished them, how I've always been like this, how I will never change, how this will be the ruin of my life, ending with my dad chanting that it's all about 'Mind Over Matter'.<br /></div></span></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Getting close to the one straw short of a haystack stage, I go back and repack all the objects in a new 'order' as dictated by the parents. The theme time it was 'what-you-want-preserved-for-short-term' and 'what-you-want-preserved-for-long-term'.<br /></div></span></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">By the time this is over I am making frantic calls to all my friends and acquaintances to meet up for dinner, drinks, movies – anything to get me outta home! </div></span></li></ol><p align="justify"><br /></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">The logic behind it has always baffled me, but I always give in as it seems to set the old folks minds @ rest and hence like the dutiful daughter I am, I have indulged them the following times:<br /></p></span><ol><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">When I left Bangalore for Chennai<br /></div></span></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">When I came from Chennai to Bangalore for a vacation<br /></div></span></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">When I moved back to from Chennai to Bangalore<br /></div></span></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Before I moved from Bangalore to Singapore<br /></span></div><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">And now,<br /></p></span></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I came for a vacation from Singapore to Bangalore </div></span></li></ol><p align="justify"><br /></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">And I am this close to losing <strong><em>my</em> </strong>mind! One more time and it's a padded cell for me. So, to do me good and to preserve you all from my madness, you are not going to see me in India for a long long time to come. </span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">But I also have a memory of a dog… so I will forget all about this and walk right back into the trap – again. Till then, see ya around folks!</span></p></span>gugiinsingaporehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202654108019484469noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-33623268711137644522008-07-21T16:53:00.016+08:002008-12-09T23:30:36.483+08:00Still in Bangalore<div align="justify"><span xmlns=""><span style="font-family:verdana;">Another week @ home and in Bangalore! Yippee! So many friends to meet, so many places to eat, so many things to do! </span><br /></span><span xmlns=""><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Monday, 30 June</span> </span></em></strong></span></span><br /><span xmlns=""><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></em></strong></span><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SIRQhp8qhhI/AAAAAAAAAA8/V12tlYdZ2Jw/s1600-h/chow_chow_bhaat.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225390006782821906" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="162" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SIRQhp8qhhI/AAAAAAAAAA8/V12tlYdZ2Jw/s200/chow_chow_bhaat.jpg" width="214" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:verdana;">Breakfast was </span><a href="http://www.asklaila.com/listing/Bangalore/Ulsoor/Adigas+Delicacy/0U2ITZQW/"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Adigas Delicacy's</span></a></span><span style="font-family:verdana;"> Chow Chow Bhaat. Uff how I love the chow chow bhaat from Adigas! For lunch it was more of mom's yummy cooking. Then chai and chat with Chint who strolled down from his office.</span><br /><br /><br /><strong><em><span style="font-family:verdana;font-size:130%;">Tuesday, 1 July</span></em></strong> <span style="font-family:verdana;">was mom's birthday!</span> <a href="http://www.veggieplaces.co.uk/images/samarkand_bangalore.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.veggieplaces.co.uk/images/samarkand_bangalore.jpg" border="0" /></a> </span><br /><span xmlns=""><br /></span><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Went to ISKCON did bhajne and ate a lovely breakfast! Nothing like भगवान् का प्रसाद। What-A it was!</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Came back and off we were to </span><a href="http://bjngroup.in/restaurants/samarkhand-gallery.html"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Samarkhand</span></a><span style="font-family:verdana;"> for lunch. This has</span> <span style="font-family:verdana;">long been our favorite Kebab place. We had:</span> </span><br /></div></span><ul><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Mutton Sheekh Kebab </span></div></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Fish Tikka </span></div></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Galauti Kebab </span></div></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Black Daal </span></div></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Assorted Roti's </span></div></li><li><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Ghost Dum Biryani</span> </span></div></li></ul><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Mom got gifts from Singapore, 3 vases of flowers, and lovely weather. It was a rainy rainy evening which found us (Mom, Dad, and me) sitting on the marble drinking Jasmine Tea and enjoying the weather.</span> </span><br /><br /></div><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="justify"><strong><em><span style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Dinner was with the HP gang</span><br /></p></span></em></strong><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225402857886312818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SIRcNsCf6XI/AAAAAAAAAC8/3wMSv46hx8I/s320/team.png" border="0" /><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">I walked to the newly opened Lido Mall where we were to dine @ Spaghetti Kitchen. I met with Varada first, who insisted on favouring me with his most glamorous poses.</span> </span></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"></span></div><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong><em>Have you seen anyone more glamorous?</em></strong></span><br /></div></span><br /><p><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SIRS1Ga9YLI/AAAAAAAAABs/D49t4UaqnRs/s1600-h/V1.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225392539866849458" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SIRS1Ga9YLI/AAAAAAAAABs/D49t4UaqnRs/s200/V1.png" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">The first pose</span></p><br /><p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SIRS1UW_ZQI/AAAAAAAAAB0/oCO3L2FB0FI/s1600-h/V2.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225392543608300802" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SIRS1UW_ZQI/AAAAAAAAAB0/oCO3L2FB0FI/s200/V2.png" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">More drama</span></p><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225392553202856210" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SIRS14GgsRI/AAAAAAAAAB8/FB1UdpyNQ0c/s200/V3.png" border="0" /><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Yet more drama</span></p><br /><p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SIRS2YyHhWI/AAAAAAAAACE/Q03hzBA7p6E/s1600-h/V4.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225392561975690594" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SIRS2YyHhWI/AAAAAAAAACE/Q03hzBA7p6E/s200/V4.png" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Who is this now?</span> </p><p><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Then there were the rest of us mere mortals:<br /></span></em></strong><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SIRT2PlHTBI/AAAAAAAAACM/Dhf9BTBPghY/s1600-h/gmanj.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225393659016858642" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SIRT2PlHTBI/AAAAAAAAACM/Dhf9BTBPghY/s320/gmanj.png" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Gmanj with his ever present beer</span><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SIRT2Wj4P9I/AAAAAAAAACU/EqJgLEUSTR4/s1600-h/hems.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225393660890726354" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SIRT2Wj4P9I/AAAAAAAAACU/EqJgLEUSTR4/s320/hems.png" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Hems with his fruit punch<br /></span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SIRT2rjPO7I/AAAAAAAAACc/TvV1mZk7qwI/s1600-h/KC.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225393666525182898" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SIRT2rjPO7I/AAAAAAAAACc/TvV1mZk7qwI/s320/KC.png" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">KC is hiding something with that smile, wat? ;-)</span><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SIRT3L8dLFI/AAAAAAAAACk/aM8--kzj0To/s1600-h/nish.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225393675220888658" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SIRT3L8dLFI/AAAAAAAAACk/aM8--kzj0To/s320/nish.png" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Nish - The Lady Who Knows Too Much<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SIRT3cRLOdI/AAAAAAAAACs/BOpzaAOkNAg/s1600-h/Shob.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225393679602760146" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SIRT3cRLOdI/AAAAAAAAACs/BOpzaAOkNAg/s320/Shob.png" border="0" /></a> </span><br /><span style="font-family:verdana;">Ever photogenic me :-p</span> </p><br /><p><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SIRU1n3PlHI/AAAAAAAAAC0/o8QmuXHEfD8/s1600-h/the+loving+couple.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225394747867108466" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SIRU1n3PlHI/AAAAAAAAAC0/o8QmuXHEfD8/s320/the+loving+couple.png" border="0" /></a></span><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-family:verdana;">The loving (?) couple</span> </span><br /><span style="font-family:Georgia;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family:verdana;">We ate lots of stuff but there were the usuals: </span><br /></p><ul><li><span style="font-family:verdana;">potato and fruit punch for hemu </span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;">meat and beer for gmanj </span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;">meat and whiskey for me</span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;">vegetarian for Nish, KC and Varada</span></li></ul><p><span style="font-family:Verdana;">So there was all the above in the following:</span><br /></p><ul><li><span style="font-family:verdana;">pastas</span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;">pizzas</span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;">brushettas </span></li><li><span style="font-family:verdana;">and what not</span></li></ul><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">But for once the focus was less on the food and more on the conversation. Surprised? Don't be! 'Cause there ain't a funnier gang than us. When we are just being normal we are hilarious, when we set out to be funny we are out-of-the-world! We laughed so much we had no appetite left for food. </span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">There was Gmanj killing us with his talking about Barrels in Pajamas, KC and her high power liquor and stronger stuff 'hush-hush' business, Nish the bearer of everyone's secrets - The Girl Who Knew Too Much, and Mr.Glamorous Himself! Of course cautious Hems did nothing but giggle the evening through and didn't give anything away.</span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">We reminisced on the good old Embassy Icon days - days filled with some work and lots of tea and laughs on the balcony, Nisarga, Eden Park, Aura, Sweet Chariot, Egg sandwiches from Food World, Masala Corn and how can I not mention Casa Picola which served us so well! (I think all of us have lost weight since we've stopped eating there) </span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">As usual we could not stop chatting and stood in a light drizzle chatting on and on. And this was a week day mind, which means work for everyone except me, the next day! Finally we parted laughing hysterically on some joke or the other, our laughter ringing in the almost silent Bangalore night air. </span></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-family:verdana;">Till we meet again amigos!</span></p>gugiinsingaporehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202654108019484469noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-53827063451903522452008-07-14T14:49:00.029+08:002008-12-09T23:30:36.806+08:00Gugi in Bangalore on 27-29 JuneMy sweety company gave me a 9 day rajja (holiday in Bangalore slang) and off I flew back to nest i.e. Bangalore. What a maja has been had, sufficient words are not available in my repertoire to tell. Main things that were done were:<br /><br /><div align="justify">1.Spending time with parents</div><div align="justify">2.Meeting with friends</div><div align="justify">3.Shopping</div><div align="justify">4.Eating </div><div align="justify"><br />Flew budget airlines Tiger and reached off on Friday night itself. Tiger is not switching off cabin lights so sleep was non-existent. Colleague and I have chatted incessantly to entertain ourselves and not let fellow passenger also sleep (hehehe evil laugh) who had the bad luck of having the middle seat. But don't feel too bad for him okay, he is one of those people who does not turn off his mobile phone in the plane! When I asked him turn it off he turned to me, gave a dramatic sigh and said, "I have made you happy but you have made me sad" and turned it off (I did wonder if that sigh and line was for my poor Kannada)</div><br /><div align="justify">Landed in new swanky <a href="http://www.bengaluruairport.com/portal/page/portal/BIAL_PageGroup/BIAL_HOME">Bengalooru airport</a> which is standard issue international airport located behind the back of beyond. Nothing pretty, but large and (seemed) efficient. Fatafat immigration, luggage etc has happened and I've run to mommy who has come to pick daughter up. </div><div align="justify"><br />While I have narrated to her my story of two months in Singapore (she's not reading my blog looks like) and she has updated me on current life history of my whole khandaan M.G. Road has eventually arrived. Out of car and woke up daddy and showered him with gifts - its usually mommy who gets all the gifts while daddy gets token gift - but this time the gifts were all for daddy. He got a Compaq laptop (see guys am still an HP girl at heart), he got a 100 or more cigars, and some misc other things. Mom got handbags, and other misc. items she has wanted from Singapore. Was too excited to sleep and eventually drifted off at around 4 A.M. </div><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SHr-7W1N3mI/AAAAAAAAAAY/BTE92CgqB18/s1600-h/Picture+008.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222767013584035426" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 126px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 96px" height="105" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SHr-7W1N3mI/AAAAAAAAAAY/BTE92CgqB18/s200/Picture+008.jpg" width="174" border="0" /></a>Woke up bright and early on Saturday morning @ 8 A.M. Spent the day chatting with mom, and being lazy. The weather was awesome Bangalore-rainy-cloudy-weather and it felt so good to be back home. Ate yum scrum favourite home food (mediya korumbu, beans parpu usli, vendekai, lemon rasam, and cucumber pachadi. Did a long session with Chint <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SHsDe7TYVMI/AAAAAAAAAAg/61MFTzVCqxE/s1600-h/Picture+003.jpg"></a>post lunch with tea and bajji’s and lots of chatting. Met Poo and Mu for dinner @ <a href="http://www.thegrandhotels.net/Banglore/Dining.aspx#b">Baluchi</a>, <a href="http://www.thegrandhotels.net/Banglore/default.aspx">Ashoka Hotel</a>. Recommend their Mutton Sheekh Kebab.</div><div align="justify"><br />Sunday was Limelite Spa, Vittal Mallya Road (not recommend) and Kaya, M.G.Road (recommend). The evening was spent with mom and dad and and dinner was my favourite</div><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.nagarjunarestaurants.com/nagarjuna/residency.html">Nagarjuna</a> Chicken Biryani and Chicken Sholay Kebab</div><br /><div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222780256959940306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_khC7dQ8ThBg/SHsK-OQFRtI/AAAAAAAAAAw/VADHMo1iEbU/s200/nags_biryani.png" border="0" /><br />Ending the weekend on a scrumptious note</div>gugiinsingaporehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06202654108019484469noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-36101310491719011342008-06-26T09:37:00.018+08:002008-06-26T12:44:26.884+08:00The Cook is Back<div align="justify">Somehow I find it's always 10 days between my posts, just as well. Nothing much to report other than:<br /><br />1.I've become a ACAD Level 2 user (same to you too)<br />2.I've started cooking again<br /><br />The first is not worth the paper the certificate is printed on so I shall say nothing more about it. But the second thing has some meat, more like vegetable, in it. So as it happened, I was frittering away my time eating here and there, this and that (as stated in previous posts) till one day I just HAD to eat home food.<br /><br />Cooking is like swimming I guess, once you know it, you don't forget. With that in mind, I raided the Taka basement, avoided aisle after aisle overflowing with un-readable Japanese wares, and found some good old potatoes, onions, and chilles, which according to me, is the basis of north Indian cooking.<br /><br />Cut to kitchen and it was </div><div align="justify"><br />1.Potato Pulao with Tomato chutney on evening one. </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />This having turned out fairly decently (rice got a bit mashed up), the next day I made a big batch (who's going to cook daily mien?) of<br /><br />2.Aalu Mattar<br /><br />This batch was the base recipe without too much मिर्ची as my pulao burnt a hole in Cee's palette. Aalu mattar was eaten with readymade roti's (sold frozen in supermarkets) which was alright considering I didn't have to लगाऊ आता, गूंदो, बेलो and सको the rotis.<br /><br />Buoyed by this aalu mattar success, I got a bag of frozen</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><br />3. chopped veggies and began tossing it daily with पाँच पोरोन which is this fragrant mix of सबूत spices like fennel, मेथी, cumin, mustard seeds, <span class="">कलौंजी, <span class="">ஒம்மம் or अज्वैन and எல்லே and very Bengali. </span></span></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"><span class=""><span class=""></span></span></div><div align="justify"><span class=""><span class=""><br />I have also gone on to make </span></span></div><div align="justify"><span class=""><span class=""></span></span></div><div align="justify"><span class=""><span class="">4.peas curry, </span></span></div><div align="justify"><span class=""><span class="">5.pulao, </span></span></div><div align="justify"><span class=""><span class="">6.lemon rice, </span></span></div><div align="justify"><span class=""><span class="">7.moong dal, </span></span></div><div align="justify"><span class=""><span class="">8.stir fried vegetables with पञ्च पोरोन, </span></span></div><div align="justify"><span class=""><span class="">9. Indian style vegetable and egg fried rice. </span></span><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"><span class="">In fact I've cooked every day since then.</span> So all of you who are planning to visit me now and in future, rejoice and raise a toast that the Cook Is Back! (err not Steven Segal)</div>shobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655473817517247961noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-62435645354994627352008-06-16T22:29:00.022+08:002008-06-17T16:29:10.968+08:00The past ten days<div align="justify"><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;">A door opens to me. I go in and am faced with a hundred closed doors. ~ Antonio Porchia, Voces, 1943 </span></em></strong></div><div align="justify"><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></div></span></em></strong><div align="justify">The past 10 days have been a flurry of house hunting activity. I've seen so many houses am ready to live in a boat for the rest of my life. But as things stand there is no boat in sight either... such is luck. Sadly the housing market in Singapore is at its least renter friendly and I am facing the brunt full-on. But as they say, "उम्मीद पे दुनिया कायम <span class="">है"</span> और हम भी। </div><div align="justify"><br /></div><div align="justify">To cheer myself up I shopped @ <a href="http://www.dorothyperkins.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/TopCategoriesDisplay?storeId=12552&catalogId=20552">Dorothy Perkins</a>, bless the woman she has a full range of sizes. I totalled 6 tops - <a href="http://www.dorothyperkins.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=12552&catalogId=20552&productId=368846&categoryId=119621&parent_category_rn=119624">grass green</a>, <a href="http://www.dorothyperkins.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=12552&catalogId=20552&productId=490090&categoryId=&parent_category_rn=">tourqoise blue</a>, dark chocolate brown, <a href="http://www.dorothyperkins.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=12552&catalogId=20552&productId=405661&categoryId=&parent_category_rn=">petunia purple</a>, <a href="http://www.dorothyperkins.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=12552&catalogId=20552&productId=445553&categoryId=88621&parent_category_rn=88619">black</a>, white - and a black formal skirt.</div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><p align="justify">I also did the blessed act of introducing an Indian colleague to <a href="http://chennai.burrp.com/establishment/view/111392696">Murugan Idli Kadai</a> - World Famous in Chennai (and Madurai, and Singapore, and wherever else they open am sure). Predictably I also suffered the consequences, I was dragged there (willingly) 3 times last week. I managed to make a pact with her and the 3rd dinner we did at super delicious <a href="http://www.rajrestaurant.com.sg/">Raj</a>. What a lovely food I say, मज़ा आ गया! If you promise not to tell anyone, I will tell you what all we ate:</p><ol><li><div align="justify">Mili Jhuli Subzi</div></li><li><div align="justify">Chola</div></li><li><div align="justify">Raita</div></li><li><div align="justify">Garlic Naan</div></li><li><div align="justify">Missi Roti</div></li><li><div align="justify">Kashmiri Roti (thankfully this was not the Bangalore version with tutti fruiti etc)</div></li><li><div align="justify">Jeera Chawal</div></li></ol><p align="justify">Right through dinner we were in heaven; a few... err... many digestive hours later we slowly and reluctantly floated back to mortal land. </p><p align="justify">Talking of food</p><ol><li><div align="justify">I ate eel for the first time. It was in a sushi (yeah sushi time again) @ Sushi Tei. Eel has a lovely texture (bit like pork fat) but has a strong fishy aftertaste; will be trying it again.</div></li><li><div align="justify">Also managed to get कड़ी चावल @ a Kopitiam near Dhoby Ghaut with another bunch of colleagues; passably good. </div></li><li><div align="justify">Did the Saturday night ritual of BluJaz and Chimichanga. </div></li><li><div align="justify">Surprisingly did a desert of <a href="http://www.brusselssprouts.com.sg/Food-list_Desserts.html">Banana Crêpe with Butterscotch and Ice Cream</a> @ <a href="http://www.brusselssprouts.com.sg/index.html">Brussel Sprouts</a> which was rather good after the </div></li><li><div align="justify"><a href="http://www.brusselssprouts.com.sg/Food-list_Sides.html">Belgian Fries with Three Dipping Sauce</a>. Heh</div></li></ol><p align="justify">Sunday was spent reading <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/His_Dark_Materials">The Golden Compass</a>, which I thoroughly enjoyed and swimming which am getting stronger at. Bicycle is still in shed thank you. Gym का रास्ता भूल ही गए हूँ और salad किसे कहते है मुझे कुछ याद नही। Come back Such!</p>shobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655473817517247961noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-10159499442456447912008-06-06T18:27:00.000+08:002008-06-06T18:27:44.436+08:00Tooth hurty<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Q. When is the best time to go to a dentist? </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">A. Tooth hurty </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">(PJ contributed by FJ) </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></div></span><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Hehe, a horrid tooth ache deserves a horrid PJ. Tooth ache has been the lief motif of the past weekend and this entire week. Never thought gaining wisdom would be a physically painful thing.<br /><br />So weekend was spent nursing tooth and window shopping (how can anything ever stop me from that?) and the week spent alternately trying to howl in pain and trying to ignore the pain and lead normal life (read eat normal food). </span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br />Nothing much was consumed, okay huge quantities were not consumed, during this time.<br /></div><br /><div align="justify">There was the usual: </div><div align="justify">- Chicken rice<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">Then Suchi's glorious creations: </div><div align="justify">- Chicken satay salad </div><div align="justify">- Butter nut squash soup </div><div align="justify">- Prawn salad </div><div align="justify">- Orange chicken salad </div><div align="justify">- Carrot and ginger soup<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">And some timepass other stuff like </div><div align="justify">- Chilli crab puff </div><div align="justify">- Chicken bun </div><div align="justify">- Thai green curry and rice<br /></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">all eaten OVER A WEEK and in SMALL quantities. </div><div align="justify"><br />Finally after the main bulk of the tooth induced suffering was over, on Thursday 6 June, my medical insurance came through. Immediately I fixed an appointment with the dentist, and @ the same instant the pain started receding. How predictable. How childish. How bleeding irritating !~@#$%">!~@#$%^&*.<br /><br />Unbelievably, the appointment was at tooth hurty (how bizarre can this get?) So I cross Orchard Road over to chi-chi Paragon Towers opposite Takashimaya where the dentist is on the 19th floor.<br /><br />Floor to ceiling glass windows with a panoramic view, fancy schamsy art on walls, discreet sound of waterfall, comfy-funky couches, coffee tables and chairs with accompanying coffee and coffee table books greet my senses as I enter. If there was any pain left in my tooth this was the moment it completely vanished. The sight of such an opulently, luxuriously, pretty and calming dentist office was a medicine in itself. Sigh..... </div><div align="justify"><br />Then doctor looked at tooth, hmmed and hawwed, and took a monstrous looking x-ray of full set of teeth on very cool x-ray machine. I had to wear a heavily lined outfit, more like an amour, so that the x-ray is not absorbed by my body or some such. And said okay let’s get the wisdom out. Jolly good and all that but will my insurance cover it? Of course it will except for the anesthetic cost, (oh!) and that will be about S$900. CrAsH! (Gugi fainted on floor of doctor's chamber). </span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><div align="justify"><br />Cut to: Hello Mustafa travels? Yes, I'd like to book a ticket for India please.</div><div align="justify">(So look for me in India around the end of June)</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"></div></span>shobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655473817517247961noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-19317134324775820712008-05-30T22:25:00.008+08:002008-06-03T11:40:30.741+08:00Gugi's (restrained) shopping and food exploits<strong><u><em>Monday 26 May to Tuesday 3 June</em></u></strong><br /><br />Items bought over the 8 days, average of 1.25 items per day:<br /><br /><ol><li>MotoRazr V9 with a 2 year connection</li><br /><li>2 Mobile charms for V9</li><br /><li>2 watches - red and white</li><br /><li>Espirit top in black</li><br /><li>Emphasis handbag in white</li><br /><li>3 bling hairclips</li><br /><li>Tangerine lip balm by Cotton on Body</li><br /><li>White hakoba top by Cotton on Body</li><br /><li>3-fold umberella</li><br /><li>3 tops in black, white and grey</li></ol><p>Food consumed over the week:</p><ol><li>Pumpkin curry soup by Such</li><br /><li>Bean and veggie salad by Such</li><br /><li>Chicken and cheese burrito by Such</li><br /><li>Carrot and ginger soup by Such</li><br /><li>Chicken Pepper Rice by Pepper Pot, Takashimaya</li><br /><li>Prata by Lucky Prata in Lucky Plaza</li><br /><li>Padh Thai chicken noodles in Food Republic, Wisma Atria</li><br /><li>Chicken Rice</li><br /><li>Sausage rolls by Bread Talk</li><br /><li>Crispy soft shell crab by Indochine, Clark Quay</li><br /><li>Pasta with veggies and chicken by Such</li><br /><li>Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Ice Cream with Marshmellows and Graham Cracker Swirl<br /></li><li>KFC chicken popcorn</li><br /><li>Murugan Idli</li><br /><li>Banana Leaf Appolo Sapaad</li><br /><li>Mutton Murtabak</li><br /><li>Pasta Pesto with Veggies by Such<br /></li><li>enuf aa?</li></ol>shobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655473817517247961noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-84847626969922588642008-05-28T18:52:00.000+08:002008-06-05T17:39:27.712+08:00Three times lucky<span xmlns=""><p align="justify"><em><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Luck never made a man wise. ~ Seneca, Letters to Lucilius</strong></span></em></p><p align="justify"><em>(And am I a living example of that. Read on to know more.)</em></p><p align="justify"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><em>Friday</em></strong> <strong><em>23 May</em></strong></span>, was a landmark day. It was the day that 3 things happened, 3 important things, 3 good things. Listed in order of importance, they are: </p><ol><li>My salary got credited<br /></li><li>The Singapore Shopping Festival started<br /></li><li>The Singapore Arts Festival started </li></ol><p align="justify">Friday saw me back in the folds of River Valley Road, Such and Cee. Back to office and back to breakfast with my colleagues @ <a href="http://www.coffeebean.com.sg/coffeebean/index.cfm">The Coffee Bean and The Leaf Tea</a>. Ah! That's the life. Taste-o-Treat in my tummy and a large cup of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Breakfast_tea">English Breakfast</a> nestling in my hand, lying back in one of a winged sofas. Replete with breakfast and a gossipy chat with my colleague, who fills me in on all the latest to-dos in office while I've been in training, we get to the ATM to check my financial status. </p><p align="justify">As we were walking to the ATM I am surprised to see a bunch of people waiting for the <a href="http://www.takashimaya-sin.com/">Takashimaya SC</a> to open. I've never seen anyone wait for a shop to open! Banks yes, shops no. Usually, shops open and wait for people. Laughing and admiring the zest with which Singaporeans and tourists in Singapore shop, I reach the ATM and voila! The money is in. I hardly need a reason to start spending now but as I turn around I am smacked with the BIGGEST reason to spend - the <a href="http://www.greatsingaporesale.com.sg/">GREAT SINGAPORE SALE 2008</a>, my friends, was starting that very moment!<br /></p><p align="justify">The shop doors glide open and people walk straight to their favorite aisles to pick up what they've been waiting for the sale to pick up. Everything is on sale. Unable to resist, being a shopaholic, and this being my first (earning) time during the shopping festival, I walk in determined to get a bargain. My very restrained first day, first hour purchases were:<br /></p><ol><li>2 pairs of shorts – hey EVERYONE wears them here, why should I be left out?<br /></li><li>2 KAPPA tops, in pale lemon and dark pink with diamonds<br /></li><li>6 pairs of ankle socks (Darsh you were right, I need more socks)<br /></li></ol><p align="justify">The whole day is spent finishing an assignment at work and running downstairs (read talking the lift downstairs) from 13 floor to shop floor to cull out more bargains and see everything on display. There are softer than soft towels with the most delicate embroidery, bed sheet sets, there are jewellery cases, toys, house hold items, pots and pans and kettles and the works! I know I'm yet to check 4 more floors. At 7 P.M I call it a day and head back home.<br /></p><p align="justify">I step in and Such has obviously been waiting for me, I have 10 mins to get ready she says, Cee is waiting. I quickly get ready, donning my new dark pink Kappa top, Such looks fetching in a black and black ensemble. In the honour of the occasion we take taxi to Fullerton and it looks like the river is celebrated my return! It is crowded and everyone is expectantly waiting. Bursting with curiosity; I stroll over and find a nice spot to oversee the happenings on the river. Welcome to the opening of the <a href="http://www.singaporeartsfest.com/">Singapore Arts Festival</a> floats a voice over the river. And then the action begins. </p><p align="justify">The opening act of the festival is a <a href="http://www.singaporeartsfest.com/programmes_detail.asp?pid=36&t=5">water theater</a> played out on the Singapore river neat Boat Quay. The reflection of burning boats on water was rather pretty but the fireworks was the highlight of the evening for me. Here is a YouTube on the opening act:<br /><br /><strong></strong><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0XC7kd4wyCY&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0XC7kd4wyCY&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></p><p align="justify">And one more on the final fireworks act:<br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1lUPFDhde2c&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1lUPFDhde2c&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /><br />We dined at an Indonesian restaurant <a href="http://www.streetdirectory.com/restaurants/singapore/reviews/restaurant-Bayang-1000000329.php">Bayang</a> in <a href="http://www.clarkequay.com.sg/">Clark Quay</a> on our way back; dinner consisted of the following: </p><ul><li>Gado gado – a salad with tempura<br /></li><li>Chicken in pandan leaves<br /></li><li>Chicken and beef satay<br /></li><li>Duck roast<br /></li><li>Coconut rice with chicken gravy<br /></li><li>Roast chicken (7*s so good this was! Succulent chicken with crisp skin. YUM!)<br /></li><li>Wine and beer </li></ul><p align="justify">The night ended at Cee's favorite bar in <a href="http://www.clarkequay.com.sg/">Clark Quay</a>, <a href="http://www.cubalibre.com.sg/">Cuba Libre</a>. A live band performing South American music and lots of rum-based alco. (None of which I had thank you, cause the heat is just not getting me in the drinking mood; silly I know but what to do?)<br /></p><p align="justify"><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Saturday 24 May</span></em></strong>, breakfast was @ <a href="http://www.epicurious.com.sg/">Epicurious</a> on <a href="http://www.travel.com.sg/publish/stbportal/en/home/what_to_see/singapore_river/robertson_quay.html">Robertson Quay</a> (yeah we live on one Quay or the other like some sort of expat fishing family). Next on agenda was Vivo Mall. On the way to Vivo Mall we took a bridge to cross the river and lo and behold what did we see! The whole bridge was covered with rafts – all student-made, hand-made, home-made (ghar pe bana hua), and seemed like they used recycled materials. I was so impressed with these school/college kids, and obviously they were having a good time doing all this. It was such a vibrant and expectant atmosphere there like everything was waiting for the "water test" the next day. </p><p align="justify">There were all kinds of rafts - some all done up, some coming undone, some real basic, some others were totally tricked out – butterflies, water rat, lobster, tortoise family – very darling. There was also a section for slipper rafts (never got to see if anyone could float it on water and actually manage to stand on it, didn't look like it was possible!). The best of all were the F1 rafts designed to look like, what else, F1 cars. All this was for the <a href="http://www.sp.edu.sg/SPweb/appmanager/home/default?_nfpb=true&T48600579981210150436211_actionOverride=%2FcmsTools%2Fextension%2Fcontentlist%2Fmain%2Flink&_windowLabel=T48600579981210150436211&T48600579981210150436211nodepath=%2FBEA+Repository%2Fnews2Q2008%25">River Rating Competition</a> being held the next day I found out. Sunday for us, I realised, was booked. </p><p align="justify">Vivo mall is 3 stations away from Clark Quay MRT. The biggest mall in Singapore – naturally there are loads of shops and there is tons of stuff. Loafed and loafed and loafed and bought 1 croc chappals. Had lunch @ 6 @ <a href="http://www.streetdirectory.com/restaurants/singapore/reviews/restaurant-Brotzeit_German_Bier_Bar__Restaurant-1000000820.php">Brotzeit German Bier Bar and Restaurant</a> – beer, sausages, mashed potatoes, and sauerkraut. With a view out into the little stretch of sea separating us from Sentosa island, it was a peaceful and reflective break after a crowded mall. </p><p align="justify">Back home and it was time for a quick nap. Woke up and met Laks @ Takashimaya where she was making the most of the Great Singapore Sale. Loafed a bit with her, saw Paragon mall across the road from Taka mall and headed out to <span style="font-family:Verdana;"><a href="http://blujaz-cafe.blogspot.com/">Blu Jaz</a>! </span>Had their famous Chimichanga and washed it down with a large Jasmine tea. And then it was all socializing with the owners (the owners are the sweetest people), servers (so much fun), musicians (oodles of talent there) – man has that place has got it right! A great let-your-hair-down atmosphere, three floors of party space, each with its unique theme and genre of music, a vibrant crowd, and a dias for amazing musicians - the place is 1000 watts of happiness and energy. We sat there till 2 P.M. listening to musicians jamming and when they shut shop we made our weary way back home. </p><p align="justify"><em><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Sunday 25 May</span></strong></em>, was supposed to start @ 9:30 to watch the first of the <a href="http://www.sp.edu.sg/SPweb/appmanager/home/default;jsessionid=L9TKnqh02zNvnrMPKcZnp4dFJ5kmhnSQNQyX20JyhPS0G8fpBfPR!-2133203563!1539118546?_nfpb=true&T48600379981210145874896_actionOverride=%2FcmsTools%2Fextension%2Fcontentlist%2Fmain%2Flink&_windowLabel=T48600379981210145874896&T48600379981210145874896nodepath=%2FBEA+Repository%2Fnews2Q2008%2FPublic%2FMay%2F28052008_SRRR08&_pageLabel=SP_ABT_News_Av_AprJun2008">River Raft Races</a>. But as things turned out, we opened our eyes @ 12. Ouch. Cee made us Amsterdam cheese and sundried tomato pancakes which were superlicious and with sustenance in our tummy off we went to watch, what was left, of the raft races. We managed to catch a nice shaded spot on the river edge and saw a few races that were left. And were they fun. </p><p align="justify">Of all the rafts we saw yesterday, we really could not say if they would even float. Looked like most of them managed to float but there were serious crew issues. Some rafts only moved in circles, not ahead or backward, just round and round, some went forward but only diagonally. It was a riot! Some kids were super competitive the others obviously looked like they were there for the fun of it. Lots of rowing (naturally), a few splashes into the water (hehehe) and overall a great time had by me. We meandered back home with a quick stop in <a href="http://www.streetdirectory.com/restaurants/singapore/reviews/restaurant-Brussels_Sprouts-1000001056.php">Brussel Sprouts</a> to quench our thirst. </p><p align="justify">After this I became all serious and ironed my clothes from 5 to 6:45! Time for a serious treat and Such and I headed out to Little India for Murugan Idli Kadai – yes my friends, they have a branch in our own piece of India in Singapore. Have to confess that Little India on a Sunday evening is like Gariahat during Durga Puja, Delhi on Holi, Ahemdabad during Navratri, Tirupathi during a festival, and Gateway of India during weekends all rolled into ONE! In other words utter ROWDY nightmare! But what I will not do for Murugan Idli. Lovely dovely idli was consumed and with a full tummy, a happy heart and a sated soul the weekend was over.</p><p align="justify">And also all the money in my account, thank you. There's luck for you!</p></span>shobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655473817517247961noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7117280512185447088.post-24826390131732743302008-05-27T01:00:00.001+08:002008-05-27T10:15:20.421+08:00Training and a book or 3<div align="justify"><em>"I hated every minute of training, but I said, ''Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion." - Muhammad Ali<br /></em><br />Well I'm not gunning on being a champion anytime soon, but to a training I did go. And since there was no internet access, I actually ended up learning quite a bit! </div><div align="justify"><br />My office has a mandatory training on its product that most employees must attend. This is the FIRST time EVER a company has actually spent money, time, and resource training me on the product that I am going to work on and for this alone I really respect my company right now. They’ve got to screw up real bad for me to dislike them after this.</div><div align="justify"><br />So I am in Semei, living @ Bit's with his wife and baby and attending trainings from 9-6 everyday. Product training is, I have to admit, a dull and tedious affair, especially if you have never worked on the product before or on anything similar to it. And it eats up brain cells faster than anything else I know! </div><div align="justify"><br />So to replenish the grey matter, I got into a routine of devouring 3 Mills & Boons a day. My timing, between 6PM to 9AM the next morning, with enough time for sleep so I can actually learn something in the training. Thanks to Bit’s wife, who is going through a “Mills & Boons” phase as she calls it (and my good luck as I call it) my routine @ their abode runs thus:</div><div align="justify"><br />Wake up after too little sleep because of having stayed up reading M&B’s. Put the kettle to boil and start a new Mills & Boons. Enter Bit with horror on his face, “Oh God Gugi, this is the limit, please don’t tell me you read this trash first thing in the morning!” I need to explain that Bit is the closest thing I have to an older brother and he takes his 'being the older brother' job seriously.<br /><br />“One man’s meat Bit, is another man’s poison”, I reply. “There is a time and place for everything”, is his retort. Dredging up some semblence of intelligence from a sleep and M&B numbed brain, I go into attack mode, “Bit, don’t stop someone from reading, reading expands the mind, and gives wing to imagination, don’t try to stifle it.” I can see it in his face that he’s got a good come back taking shape in his brain, when a horrid crashing-cymbals-drums-and all-the-pots-and-pans-in-rathna-yever-silver-store kinda "music" booms across the living room heralding the morning news.<br /><br />Bit while arguing with me has done what he naturally does every time he enters the living room - turned on the TV. So what could have been an all morning session between Bit and me (if I could have fired up my brain sufficiently) is nipped in the bud by Bit’s “healthy” habit of watching TV incessantly. So he leaves me blissfully alone to keep abreast of the minute-to-minute details of the Indian Hulk Hogan's every step in Ropad and Bhatinda, and to soak up other stale news of last night with a few more “mock” controversies sprinkled on like dhania patta on last week's subzi.</div><div align="justify"><br />Since the class begins @ 9 and I take the bus, I reluctantly leave my book and rush through getting ready, eating breakfast, and running to the bus stop. Endure brain-numbing education and am home by 6.30, ready to be seduced... by the Mills & Boons hero, hello? </div><div align="justify"><br />Plop I go on the sofa, with Bit’s wife on the opposite sofa across and we give each other a knowing smile – of comradeship. Of two drunkards, if you must, recognizing each other and sympathizing with each other. A approving and condoning look. We might be in the same room 5 feet away from each other but we are lost in 2 different worlds created by the highly successful publishers, Mills & Boons.<br /><br />Morning book completed, I come up for a quick breath and quickly drown again in another M&B. This harmonic peace continues till it is shattered by Bit’s return from office. Guiltily I jump up and start talking rapid fire to him (lest he complain that my reading makes me unsocial). He’s not fooled. His soliloquies (on the evils of M&B’s and the degeneration of our bodies and minds in reading them incessantly, while sleeping on a couch) would put Macbeth to shame. We are not listening.</div><div align="justify"><br />So we sit to watch TV with him. Oh so healthy I remark and suggest that he take up reading M&B's, he does not dignify my suggestion with an answer. Thankfully in approximately 10 seconds he is no longer aware of our presence. I do not lose the chance to immerse myself again into my book. So while he’s watching TV and the baby running around playing, I manage to finish the 2nd book of the day. </div><div align="justify"><br />Dinner time and thanks to Bit’s wife’s cooking everyone is a little too full to do anything but vegetate. Am clock watching, I need to yawn and head to bed @ a decent time. Too early and Bit’s will worry me to death about running away and ignoring family to read books. Too late and I’ll barely get any sleep. So as the clock strikes 10 and Bit’s involved in yettanother IPL match, I bid my adieus for the night and the 3rd book begins!</div><div align="justify"><br />Happy endings! </div>shobshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07655473817517247961noreply@blogger.com4