Ramadan...

What is it about Ramadan, that it fills your being with such warmth and goodness. It’s as if you are a transformed person with just day 1 of the fast.
I admit frankly that I was never a regular rozedaar till 2015. So how did this turnaround happen? I happened to be in US in 2015 for a two year stint and I got a roomie from Afghanistan who became my BFF and more of a sister now. Atefa sharifi. At her behest and encouragement, I fasted the entire month of Ramadan for two years. And it was such an amazing feeling! The whole camaraderie and doing sehri, iftari, offering namaz together and making preparations for Eid... going to Al-Markaz (Most famous biryani restaurant in Plano, Texas) for Eid feast... going for Eid-Milan party and what not! It turned out to be a memorable experience. After returning to India, I just couldn’t discontinue the Ramadan fasting. I feel purified and rejuvenated after Ramadan. I feel mentally and spiritually so strong as if I can handle anything that the world throws at me.
I am not an overtly religious person. But this is one thing which I try to follow every year.

Ramadan Mubarak!

The New Normal versus the Old Normal

Hmmm...So its day 10 of the lockdown in India and slowly this way of life is creating a feeling in all of us that this is the new normal. Unfortunately, of course. Especially for people like me. Who crave being around other humans, ones who look forward to the humdrum of India Markets...office foodcourts...what earlier seemed like a cacophony of noise has become my most looked forward to things now. The whole reason why I craved to be in India after my 2 year stint in US, was the hustle and bustle of Indian bazaars...the street noise of roadside hawkers...the liveliness of the Indian spirit, easy availability of things we love and cherish. Where I won't have to drive 10 miles to eat Samosa, where I won't have to go to a nearby town to buy Haleem during Ramadan ...where we share the Dish of the day with neighbours etc. Sadly with the onset of this terrible virus, all of the above has become only a dream now. 

Counting days to when this madness will end...waiting for a new dawn...Wherein I will wake up early morning and reach office by 7:30 AM, to have my favorite breakfast of Idli with Coconut-coriander chutney at my fav "By two" vendor in office FC. After breakfast, I will make a big glass of black coffee and sit at my desk to deal with the work for the day. When my friends will ping me for coffee break at Chai point and I would rush to meet them and exchange interesting data points/news of the day. Come evening, I will eagerly merge into Bangalore traffic and play my fav songs or call up my fav ppl on the way home. Will reach home and then me and my spouse will brainstorm on what to have for dinner. Sigh....All this and much more...Waiting for the day, when the above will be the new normal and not the present sequence of gloomy and endless WFH where I can't meet my friends...where a sense of melancholy threatens to overtake all my emotions.

Waiting for the Old Normal. Truly, deeply and madly.

#Weshallovercome

My post lockdown bucket list

So the lockdown is on and I see the hidden Nigella in everyone coming out in full bloom. All of us are forced to cook at home, hence we spent most of our free time on Pinterest searching for interesting recipes. 

As for me, I am a big foodie and I spent most of my waking hours talking and thinking about food. Its been 14 days, since I had restaurant food and I think this is the longest I have gone without eating outside food. My taste buds are craving road side pani-poori, chaat and Odia style Dahi bara. Wish I could take the next flight to Bhubaneswar and hog on the delicacies like Dahi bara with Alu Dum. I often find myself making a mental bucket list on the things I will do, post lockdown. 

1. Go to the tiny hole-in-the-wall Odia restaurant near Jagannath temple in HSR. Its named Chhapan bhog. And eat bara-ghoogni and chaat till I am ready to explode.

2. Go on a long drive to Murugan Idli in Krishnagiri (Tamil Nadu) and hog on Podi Idlis.

3. Take the next flight to the foodie's paradise, Kolkata. And have the double egg chicken roll there. Also how can I forget the Chelo Kebabs at Peter Cat. Will also squeeze in some road-side Luchi with Chanar Dal. I will also go to Haldirams there and have a fill of the gudh ka sandesh.

The top 3 in my bucket list is all about food only. That goes on to prove how much of a foodie I am! 

4. Meet all my friends in BLR and ensure I continue to meet them once every month. (Non-Infy ones)

Infy ones anyways, I will get to meet in office everyday

Sigh...Hoping and praying for quicker lockdown end. May we get rid of the Covid virus soon. Amen.

Lockdown ramblings

Interesting how life gets transformed in a matter of hours.
Till yesterday, I could roam the world whenever I pleased.

Visiting a friend to catch up. 

Dropping in to a Fabindia to get a glimpse of their latest collection.

Driving to Forum to participate in the hustle-bustle of weekend revelries.

Picking up the latest best-seller from Landmark with a coffee in hand.

Missing family? Book the next flight to Kolkata.

Activities that seemed mundane and normal, have become a taboo now. 

March 12th was the day, when I went to one of fav places on earth last, ie., office. I crave for human company, but can only view them on video chat now. Work used to be fun, due to some great friends at work. Now I am not sure, when will I get to meet them next. WFH is so stressful,  long hours with hardly any break. Meal timings have gone for a toss. Confined to the four walls, home seems like a cage.

So what am I doing to keep my sanity intact? Apart from work, I am trying to spend some quality time with books. Have to finish "The Anarchy" this weekend. Its such a beautiful read replete with interesting details of the monstrous East India Company and its devilish plans to rule India. Just don't want it to end, hence reading slowly. William Dalrymple has proved yet again, that when it comes to history narratives, he is the ultimate best. I wish I could get my book signed by him...

I have become hyperactive on Insta. Posting pics of food, coffee and what not. Spoke to two of my very old besties last evening. Tasneem and Lucky.  Two most selfless and kind hearted people. They were such integral part of my life many years ago, and they continue to fill my life with such joy even today. Even a telephonic conversation with them is enough to fill my heart with warmth.

And I resolve to be more regular on my blog updates. Henceforth you will see more postings...more heartfelt conversations....more candid interfacing!

Till then, be engaged.

My school days...

I was having my morning tea just now and suddenly some random thoughts of my high school teachers wafted into my consciousness. Teachers who had tremendous impact on my impressionable mind during my childhood. One of them was, Mohapatra teacher who used to teach us Geography in class 6-8th. If I correctly recall, her full name was Sushmita Mohapatra. An amazing personality, blunt haircut (Unheard of those days), always saree-clad and a beautiful Convent school accent. Very sophisticated, indeed.  She was a very capable teacher as well. Teaching us the nuances of solar and lunar eclipse using globes...(We are having solar eclipse in BLR today, may be thats why I remembered her!). We always used to look forward to her classes. Another smarty lady was Girija mam, our English teach in class 6 and 7. Again a taller and duskier version of Mohapatra teacher. Bob haircut, always carefully dressed in saree, perfect pronunciation and a superb teacher. Unfortunately, both of them were poached by DPS which newly started in my city at that time. And sadly, we lost some of our very best teachers. 

Another of the iconic teachers in our school was Mrs. Nair, our history teacher. A towering figure, and a strict disciplinarian who believed in taking weekly tests, much to the agony of the students. I was her pet, hence the responsibility of anchoring oral tests was mine. I remember, my class fellows queuing up to me during interval with requests, "Pls ask me xyz question only". Mrs. Nair was originally from Kerala. And she had a daughter, about whom she used to speak often very fondly, may be she was studying in some distant land. Memory fails me at times. I wish, I can get in touch with them somehow and to acknowledge and thank them for the learning and their efforts in making the subjects come alive for all of us. 

A dear friend of mine during my school days, Pushpanjali... She was like my soul-sister. I lost touch with her as well. Why can't we have friends for life...why do we move cities...why do we have different set of friends for different phases in life...

Friends...come and go, but some names remain forever etched in our hearts and minds. And she was one of them.