The flavour thats so tasy about Top Chef

I am fed up with "Reality" shows. I cant find any other shows which are as synthetic and unreal as these shows. The latest on my disgust radar are "Mujhe iss Jungle.... and of course the girl from Planet Stupid Rakhi Sawant's Swayamwar...About the latter show I remember a comment in Pu.La. Deshpande's Asami Asami "Ramdasanni murkhanchi itki udhaharana dili, tari ajun barich baki ahet [Ramdas has given so many references of stupidity, yet there are many more left]. Probably the men/boys queuing up here are exactly the ones he has forgotten.
But my topic today is not to crap about these shows but about one show which I feel is genuinely creative and exciting. I am referring to "TOP CHEF" on AXN hosted by the ravishing Padma Laxmi(but of course she is not "the" reason why I watch the show). I enjoy cooking and can actually boast of decent culinary skills- by self evaluation. Partly due to the situations where have I have been before and had to develop those and partly because I actually enjoy cooking.
Of the items that are dished out in the show are totally from another world [but don't match up to the wonderful thalipeeth or sabudana khichadi :) pakka marathi ahe mi] still there is some really creative stuff that goes on there. I applaud the shows creators of the show for making is so innovative and exciting as there are a lot of different rounds in the competition which are very challenging and surprising. Like the budget round, of the surprise course round, or barbecue round etc...
I watched almost the whole of last season, and I try to watch as many of the repeat episodes right now. I am waiting for the new season to start and I looking forward to some really new, savory and scrumptious stuff.
Bon Appetite!!

Dont feel sorry for Kasab- A humble request by an ordinary Indian

The sudden confession by Kasab that he was "involved"(as if the world didn't know) in the Mumbai attacks, is nothing but gimmick to gain sympathy in the eyes of the stupid(and selfish) politicians and public who would no doubt fall in to his drama.
Does his confession really matter? Yes it matters only to the point that this trial can end quickly..at least to the extent that his role has been proved as guilty.. the remaining trial can continue as the prosecution has filed the case not only on Kasab but also to prove involvement of others involved.
A request to the law system and the president (because eventually he will apply for mercy if given the death penalty even though he shouldn't as he is not an Indian citizen), please hang him as fast as you can..Showing mercy to the devil is deviltry, showing mercy to humans is humanity. So don't be a devil yourself by pardoning the devil. And the media, please don't make him a martyr.
Image: Times of India

Tough Anti Terror laws

This article on rediff

http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/dec/16mumterror-tougher-anti-terror-on-the-anvil-sonia.htm

Apparently Sonia Gandhi is the sole decision maker in our country. The country has started making laws according to her whims. Also how tough will these laws be? Will they have a special clause to be strict against "Hindu Terrorism"? Because India is affected by two terrorisms, one is the generic terrorism which has no religion and the other is Hindu terrorism. The World has a name for this generic terrorism which is "Islamic fundamentalist or Jihadi Terrorism". They are not ashamed or embarrsed to refer to terrorism by its actual name but India is.
Previous attacks which took so many lives were not as important as they killed only the poor or the middle class people. The Government was sad about the attacks expressed sympathy, some meger compensation and that was it.
The "elite" hadnt been affected as yet. So now that the rich and famous are also victims of terrorism we have new laws. At the same time when Modi proposed a anti terror law it was rejected. So his claim for stronger laws was tranished and her claim is being held up. This is hipocracy. A white queen is ruling our great country 60 years after the independance. When will India and Indians really be free??
God bless India

A Sunday - Following the terror trail

I was on my way to Mumbai. I was not going there for terror tourism but to meet my ailing grandfather. Incidentally he stays in Girgaon near the Chowpatty. I had taken the morning Deccan Queen and around 10.30 reached CST. As I stepped down a chill ran down my spine. I recalled the horrific incident that happened there only a week back. I was looking all around for any suspicious actovity, persons etc. I was also looking for bullet holes, broken glass and blood on the floor. Of course it was not there. Wiped and cleaned a long time back. Still i saw it. Blood on the floor, bullet holes in the pillars and walls, the broken announcer window glass. I caught a taxi ouside VT and headed to Girgaon. I passed over the CST subway, Cama hospital, Metro and then my taxi went from marine drive and approximately at the same spot where the encounter took place, turned into girgaon.
I could feel a tense atmosphere even after a week and the streets were deserted for Mumbai standards. Even the discussion with my uncle was regarding the same. Some ppl from the building had gone to that encounter spot after the incident at chowpatty.
In the evening while returning back to CST the same thoughts and same tension. I was again looking around for gun totting terrorists ready to blast CST and the trains.
Mumbai will never be the same for me again. Atleast for somedays.
Eventually my gross indianness of forgetting things and getting on with my daily stuff will make me forget it. Live lost cant be regained. I am angry though that I am living with fear in my country, my city. 10 people can hold my country to ransom.
Its disgusting.

Schummel Schumi - not really..

I am reading this book on Schumacher, the one you can presently see in the left column. It is a very nice book and I would like to thank the person who gave me this book. My heartfelt thanks to you... (they happen to be equally enthusiastic fans of Schumi).
It gave me a very good insight on F1 and on the older days of F1 which I didn't follow. I followed F1 during the rise and fall of schumacher, so for me F1 stops after Schumi and Ferrari. My interested in the sport has considerably waned now a days.
Schumi at one point of time in his career, at Jerez, was so demolished by the press and his F1 compatriots that I really felt sorry for him. His reasoning there really appealed to me. He was really the target of jealousy for his success and discipline.
I would recommend you to definitely read the book. Especially for F1 fans.

Cheers!

Who is Obama??

This attack seems to have stirred me like hell..
Yesterday I heard some news that I found very depressing. Obama, the President Elect declared "that every country including India has the right to protect itself and attack another country should it be required."
Agreed thats true, but it seems our politicians didn't know this before Obama declared it!! Pranab Mukherjee had not stated this till yesterday when suddenly in the interviews last night ( every channel claimed it was an exclusive interview with their channel.. and all were broadcasting it.. strange) said that India will take military action to protect its sovernity. Come on! Was the Indian government waiting for a signal from America or permission to say this?? No Indian politician dared to say this till Obama said it..
One more example of the sad and repressive attitude of our government.

Terror again.. and again.. and again..

This must be one of the zillions of articles, reports etc written about the terror attacks that shook India. Television channels had a field day, reporting without any advertisements! I was watching out for something like " These terror attacks brought to you by XYZ underwear" but thankfully such a thing did not happen.
A lot must have been written about the terrorists, the politicians ( the number of examples you can give about the stupidity and insensitivity of them will be so much that you will run out of space) the heroes (not enough can be said about their bravery either, all bloggers including me are paper tigers) and so on..
I was itching to comment about some views shared by people in a popular NDTV program, We the (angry, emotional, frustrated) people, after the attacks.
One of the guests said about the insensitivity and stupidity our politicians displayed "the shear bad luck that Congress is ruling now, but any party in their situation would have behaved the same.."
The statement was ok but the reaction shook me. People actually clapped at this!! I understand they were emotional and such statements obviously deserved applause under those circumstances but boiling blood looses its rationality. (WE) The people did not realize that what she had pointed out that there is no capable and efficient politician or political party left in India! With politicians and leaders like Tilak, Patel, Shashtri, Indira Gandhi of whom we are so proud today we are left with only corrupt and selfish people as our leaders. And this is not a clapping matter. Its a voting matter. I hope people realize this and vote properly for a better Indian future.
Second point a gentleman raised was that we should stop paying taxes to force the govenment into action! How stupid is that? ( and Ms Garewal thought it a wise statement - no offence Ms Garewal). Does he realise that the same taxes also pay for our Army, police NSG and others? I agree most of our taxes find a direct route to huge accumulated wealths of these blood sucking vampire politicians but then some part of it is also put to good use. How will we motive young people to join the Forces at such pitiful salaries? I am ready to more tax if my tax is accounted for the last penny. I want increased salary, better equipment and weapons for my Forces so that I feel safe. Its absurd not to pay taxes.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that something good will come from this attacks. Change. Yes we want!

Adi

Hello Blog

Hi!
Have been busy lately.. so havent really found time off to blog.. also nothing interesting to write about..
Hope to be back soon. Maybe after my Malaysia Visit..
Watch out this space for some info about Malaysia (from my viewpoint that is....otherwise there is a lot of stuff about Malaysia online)

Cheers!!!

Leapord attack!!

It was Monday the 8th of October. On a sultry evening Deepak finished his work
and met Pushparaj at the office parking. Usually he traveled by bus but today
as he was leaving late and Pushpa was alone he had asked Pushpa for a lift back
home. Traveling from Thane to Kandivli is a hectic and long journey especially
by bus. So when a ride is offered its hard to refuse it. But that was soon going
to change for Deepak.
To reach west Mumbai from this side you have 2 routes. One is through Vikroli
junction and via Powai and the other is Ghodbundar Road. If you imagine the
Borivali National Park as a circle these two routes would form 2 semicircles
along its periphery. The Powai route is very crowded and long traffic jams and
bad roads make it a hard journey on a two-wheeler. Ghodbundar road is less
crowded and so they decided to travel by this road.
This road is quite close to the boundary of the national park and it has few
road lights to is quite dark and scary though there is a steady traffic of
trucks and buses on the road and also some residential complex along the way.
What happened next scared the wits out of them.
Some 20 mins since they left office Pushparaj slowed the bike at a speed-breaker
He was travelling well on the left shoulder of the road to keep out of the path
of the trucks. As he slowed the bike on his left there was a snarl and out of
the bush came a leopard with his jaws open and ready to attack. See him Pushpa
yelled and started blaring the horn and at the same time accelerated the bike to
get away fast. The leopard hit out by his paw and because the bike had moved
ahead a little it caught Deepak on the thigh. Their speed carried them forward
and the leopard gave up after a short chase. They were still honking and yelling
and after a couple of mins Deepak felt the cool wind on his thigh and look down
to see a ripped trouser and some gashes on his thigh. They raced away and didn't
stop till they were at Mira road and then immediately went to a doctor.
Luckily the injury was not so serious and the wound was cleaned and bandaged and
he was advised to take the rabies shots.
This was the hottest topic in our group for almost the whole of last week.
I had recently read Jim Corbetts 'Man eaters of Kumaon' and it sent a chill down
my spine when I realised what a close shave they had. If he had fallen of the
bike, or if the bike had stalled on the sudden acceleration or if both had
fallen of the bike the aftermath would have been deadly. They should thank all
their guardian angels for this lucky escape.
Deepak after the initial shock was soon enjoying a sort of a mini celebrity
status among his relatives and friends. But he deserved it.
There was no news of the leopard for someday. They had in fact been to a police
station up ahead but the police took it lightly ( the usual Indian callousness)
and told them to forget it because they were safe and such incident were bound
to happen near the park.
On Friday there was a news in the paper that a leopard had been killed by a
truck on the same road. It was the same leopard and Deepak was planning to make
a frame of the picture when he last told me about it.
A sad end for the creature. There is always a bitter conflict between Man and
wild animals when they cross each others path. The park is never safe from human
encroachments and hence the animals after driven out of their own habitat.
The park is bang in the center of Mumbai and its a very unsuitable location for
wild animals like leopards as they need a large territory and good prey to stay
happy. Still they are largely timid creatures and so when a leopard attacks
people in such a way the authorities should seriously do something about it.

Malgudi days

I recently started reading Malgudi days. I always become nostalgic when I read such books as it takes me back to my school days when the serial used to be broadcast on DD. It was a amazing series and by far one the most popular ones in India. The present young generations which are being fed with item songs, reality shows and daily soaps are at a big loss at having missed such a master piece. There is none of the intelligent humor, simplicity and beautiful story telling to be found in the serials that are played on TV these days. Who can forget Swami and his friends? In there stories many can find their own lost childhood and everyone can relate to it. So many TV channels now a days but not a single series worth watching. Schade!
I hope DD brings out CD's and DVD's of that series as it will definitely help in improving our young generation.
A few other serials i can remember in the same league are Byomkesh Bakshi, Tehekikaat, Ramayana, Mahabharat, Dekh Bhai Dekh.