Energized by change

Maybe for only one reason - I did so much, none of it would be associated with weekend fun activities, and felt amazingly energized, and almost repeated everything on Sunday!

I slept in (which means I woke up after 7 am), and spent an hour thinking about what I can do with the day ahead. Loaded the dishwasher, did the only load of laundry that did not get done last week, watched some training videos for work (yes, I did that!), and when a friend asked me if I had been to the gym already, I completely panicked, and went to the gym. Wait, there is more - I decided that I could not be bothered to cook after returning from the gym, so I cooked fried rice (my recipe, of course), and then I went to the gym.

And before I put away the laptop for the weekend, I realized that I am a little behind with my goal of 2 to 3 posts per month. So now is as good time as any to write a post, and achieve half that goal, too!

In conclusion, I had an extremely busy, exhausting, a little bit scary and overwhelming week. I felt great, and then I felt like a fish out of water, and then I felt great again, and well, the cycle continued. But at the end of the week, I felt energized. The energy comes from loving what I do, and being surrounded by people who know how to be human.

Change always energizes me! It is scary, overwhelming but I love the challenges and opportunities that change brings. As I write this, some of my former colleagues, who are also my friends, are going through a major change in their life. A change they did not choose, and a change that will impact them in a very challenging way.

To my friends - it is easy for me to say from where I am sitting, but sometimes life offers you opportunities in unanticipated ways. You are all such amazing human beings, with so much to offer. People who choose to loose you are not winners.

Stay strong, stay happy, and good luck with everything!

VHS and curd rice, and other happy memories triggered when grieving

I missed writing a birthday post these last few weeks as I could not focus on a birthday when surrounded by grief. When I finally started writing one, all I thought about was the person whose news of passing away I had received last. There were more than a few over the last few weeks, and I finally decided to write this post, because going through the emotions of grieving, I also remembered many happy things. After all, that is what matters the most when you think about the life someone lived and what you shared with them.

In college, I had many friends and like most people, I had those few special and close friends who make every day beautiful (at least now that I am past being annoyed with them for some reason or another). A great benefit that came with these friends was getting to know their families, and I grew to love and admire their parents having spent so much time with them over the years. Although I haven't been back in many years, visiting them is always on my "most important things to do" list.

My friend from Chembur

We lived in different places, but changed buses in the morning so we could take the same bus to college on most days. We always took the same bus to the transfer point in Sion after college. We took turns sitting by the window. And during the holidays, we got together at the transfer point in Sion to go to the movies. And some days, we had sleepovers. She lived all on the outskirts of the city from where you could actually see green fields, a rarity anywhere in the city, and of course, it does not exist today. Her building had a trash chute, and I could not help checking it out several times as I had never seen one before! And of course, like most of our mothers, her Mummy was an amazing cook. The great thing about having a diverse group of friends is that you get to try so many cuisines. I guess that without realizing it, I was a big foodie even back then, and was always ready to try something new. When she messaged me about a month ago, and told me about her mother's death, my first memory was that of aunty's curd rice recipe. I told my friend that I still make curd rice just like aunty did, and I think of her every time I eat it. Of course, it never tastes that good, but it brings back so many memories. Where other friends requested the more fancy Punjabi dishes when aunty prepared a meal for us, I always asked her to make a small portion of curd rice just for me. I made curd rice that afternoon as a celebration of the memories I have of her.

My friend from Worli

Talking about food and the diversity of cuisines, can you imagine eating food cooked ony with ingredients that are seasonal, not because it is the current trend, but a way of life? In a fast paced world, where buying the easily available ingredients and making a really quick meal is a priority, my friend's parents, both of whom worked full time, always managed to make this work. Her father was easily manipulated into getting her what she wanted, including a puppy as a birthday gift one year. Of course, she being the responsible person that she always is, took care of the puppy, and followed all the agreed upon rules. He also made himself scarce when we stayed up all night watching videos - the VCR kind, of course (remember VHS, NTSC, PAL/SECAM?). He was always confident that she would make the right decisions, even early in life. And of course, he gave us a ride late in the night after many college events, especially during Navratri. When talking about him with my friend a couple of hours after he passed away, I could see his smiling face, and remembered how tall he was. Yes, all of us admired how tall he was, and even on our busy college campus (he was a professor in the medical school), I always saw him with that amazing smile.

And many others......

After returning from a glorious vacation in Kauai, with some of the closest people in my life, I was looking forward to a week that would be busy but full of wonderful discussions about my trip. Unfortunately, I got the news of the death of my coworker's mom a day later. I had never met her mother, but I knew of her as a sassy, full of life person who brought a lot of joy to the life of her children and grandchildren. Thinking about her brought back many many happy memories of my Mummy and Nani, and I also remembered the pain of the days after their passing away. Every day, I felt this grief when I did not see my coworker at work. Two weeks later, I received the news of the sudden passing away of someone on a team I supported at work. It made no sense as she was at work 2 days earlier. There were others who I did not know very well but were close to some of my friends. But it was the news of my friend's father that finally made me break down.

Now I am setting those emotions free. Rest in peace, all the lovely souls who have passed on these last few weeks. I will always cherish the happy memories. 

Simple Okra - 2 recipes for the price of one!

A lot of people do not like okra because it is sticky. I have been able to cook the okra recipes below without their being slimy or sticky :). The first important thing is to make sure not to use okra from the frozen vegetables section (that is fine for gumbo, but not for my recipes), and to buy the smaller, more tender okra from either an Indian grocery store, or other produce stores that carry them. Sometimes you will find them at the local farmer's market, too. The second thing is - wash and dry the okra before you slice or chop it. Washing it after cutting it can make it retain moisture that can make it sticky.

Recipe 1 - Dry spicy okra
2 lbs okra, heads off, sliced lengthwise into half
1tsp salt
2tsp red chili powder
Pinch of turmeric
Half tsp coriander powder
1tbsp oil

Add oil to a non-stick pan at high heat and wait until it is warm. Add the okra and the other spices to the pan. Stir to mix. Cook at medium heat, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The okra should be tender and about half its original size when cooked. It is very important that you do not add water during cooking, and do not cover the pan, as this will make the okra sticky.

Serve as a side with rice, or eat it with a roti or a paratha.

Recipe 2 - Okra with onions
2 lbs okra, heads off, cut in half inch round pieces
One small onion, sliced thinly
1tsp salt
2tsp red chili powder
Pinch of turmeric
Half tsp coriander powder
1tbsp oil

Add oil to a non-stick pan at high heat, add onions once warm. Fry the onions until they change color, and then add the okra and the other spices to the pan. Stir to mix. Cook at medium heat, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The okra should be tender and about half its original size when cooked. It is very important that you do not add water during cooking, and do not cover the pan, as this will make the okra sticky.

The addition of the onions makes the second recipe less dry, and this can be eaten with rice, rotis or parathas.

Finding nature, an article by a fellow blogger

In honor of Earth Day, I want to share a blog article by someone I met on Earth Day 2 years ago. There are many similarities in her story and my childhood growing up in Bombay. I was fortunate to observe the ants that she did and maybe a few other critters, but no lilac bushes unfortunately. 

http://woodswomanwrites.com/2014/04/22/earth-day-reflections-finding-nature-in-an-urban-childhood/

Prawn curry

This recipe does not have all the ideal ingredients as I created it out of the few available options in the fridge and pantry. I just got lucky that I had prawns in the freezer.

Ingredients:
2lb prawns, peeled and deveined
I cup yogurt (coconut milk can be used as a substitute, and is found in many recipes)
I medium onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
2 green chillies, chopped
2 tsp salt
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 tbsp oil

Fry the onions until they change color and are translucent. Add the chopped green chillies and garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Add the coriander and chilli powder, fry for 10 seconds and immediately add the chopped tomato and salt. Mix the ingredients well before adding the prawns. Make sure that the prawns are coated well with the other ingredients. Turn down the heat to medium, and let the prawns cook for 5 minutes. Add the yogurt or coconut milk, and simmer for 10 minutes. Let it sit for 5 minutes to soak up the flavors before serving with a side of rice. You can garnish with cilantro - I just did not have any in the fridge!

Enjoy!

How Jurassic Park left me bruised....

My first year in the country, before I started working, I spent some time with friends who lived in Michigan. I don't know if this was coincidence or by design, but each of my fabulous friends took me out, and showed me around every day. It might have something to do with my efforts to help out at home by loading the dishwasher and turning it on after pouring in regular dish washing soap.

One of the best parts of this "showing around" was going to the movies (yeah, there wasn't much to do in MI 20 years ago). And the first one in the series was Jurassic Park! I could not control my excitement. This was an incredible treat, and of course, it came with popcorn during the movie and dinner after. What I did not know was that my friend, who had already seen the movie a couple of times, was still not completely over the "scary" parts of the movie. I did not see any danger in letting her hold on to me during the movie. Well, I realized soon that a "scary" scene was coming up shortly by the intensity of the pressure on my arm. I screamed before the scene as each new bruise appeared! Thankfully, it was a short movie, and I did enjoy the dinner after. Fortunately, we went to Cool Runnings the following day, a less dangerous movie.

Twenty years later, Jurassic Park and Cool Runnings continue to be amongst my favorite movies, and not just because they are great movies, but because of the memories. And my friend and I remained movie companions for years, watching many movies on opening night. She also happily delegated to me the role of movie companion to watch 'Star Trek' like movies with her husband.

So many memories, of which the funniest has to be the year we bought each other identical Valentine Day cards. She also organized a surprise 30th party for me (sigh, I hate surprise parties) to which she invited my closest friends, some of whom she had never met, and had to get very creative to get their contact information from me. But the most touching memory is the day of my very big graduation party at her house, when we both held hands and cried as we remembered the family members who were missing.

We now live on opposite coasts, but I think of her every time I go to the movies. I think of her when I miss my parents. I think of her when I wear a black belt and brown shoes (a story for a different day).

I love you, my dear friend, and I look forward to seeing you again very very soon!

Happy Birthday! And remember, no matter how old you get, I will always be older than you.

Identity, where do we come from, and where is home?

I stumbled upon Pico Iyer's Ted talk called "where is home" in my attempt to find something that could entertain me for at least 20 minutes while I struggled on the elliptical trainer. It is possible that I clicked on something other than "funny", but this had my full attention within a couple of minutes. And by a strange coincidence, the following week, I listened to a NPR podcast on 4 Ted talks which featured 4 people, including Iyer, on their journey and identity. These talks inspired me to think deeper about how I identify myself, particulary Iyer's statement that what you consider your home is not just the place where you sleep at night, but where you stand in life.

Pico Iyer's Ted talk - http://www.ted.com/talks/pico_iyer_where_is_home.html

NPR podcast on Identity - http://www.npr.org/2013/10/06/229879937/identities?showDate=2014-02-21

I love the rain!

The rain always brings special memories of my childhood and college days. It was a family tradition to welcome the first monsoon shower by stepping outside and literally dancing in the rain. The first rain showers were the sign of the end of the summer. I still remember the scent of the first rain, the petrichor, and wonder if you can still smell it now that there are fewer trees and more pollution where I grew up.

Although shopping for a new pair of gumboots was the highlight of the monsoon fashion season, often the water level on the streets was high enough to fill them and make them useless. Walking home from school involved several stops to take off the gum-boots and empty out the water. This was made harder by the fact that we had to carry our schoolbags on the top of our head so the books did not touch the water. Any challenges that the rain brought was quickly forgotten with a steaming cup of tea and the delicious pakoras. I still make, or at least dream of making pakoras when it rains.

The rain could be full of surprises, too. I took the train to south Bombay on my way to an interview, and got soaking wet because I was too close to the door. I enjoyed every minute of it, and knew that the interviewers would understand if I showed up in wet clothes. Well, it was sunny and dry at the destination, but the hospital I went to was kind enough to give me some towels to dry up, and scrubs to wear to the interview.

And there was the trip to Pune with my PT classmates! Wading through the water with suitcases on our heads, not thinking for a minute that the train to Pune would most likely be canceled. Fighting our way on to one of the few trains that was not canceled. And breathing a sigh of relief when it was only drizzling in Pune, not pouring as it was in Bombay.

My first rain in Chicago was very different. I wanted to go out and enjoy it, but it was April and a very cold 45 degrees Fahrenheit outside. I sat at the window and stared at the rain for hours, wishing to be consumed by the fragrance of the first rain.

I miss that rain. I don't miss the floods, and the challenges, but I have fond memories of those. Warm or cold, a drizzle or a thunderstorm, I absolutely love the rain!

Tandoori chicken - easy oven recipe

This is an easy recipe for a cold or rainy day that you can use to make Tandoori chicken in the oven. You can use the same ingredients for grilling. 

3lb chicken

For marinade:

1/2 cup yogurt

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

3 tsp red chilli powder (if you want it really spicy, or make it 2)

1 tsp corriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

A pinch of turmeric

Salt to taste

1 tsp of any tandoori paste that you have

Fork the chicken, and marinate for at least 2 hours. 

Place the chicken on a flat baking dish. 

Cook at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, then broil it for 7 to 10 minutes to make it crispy.

If you have the patience to turn the pieces over, then broil for 5 to 7 minutes on each side. 

Squeeze lemon juice over the chicken before broiling, and after turning the pieces over. This will keep it juicy.  

Serve with freshly sliced onions and squeeze a little lemon juice on the top.

My Secrets of Adulthood

Inspired by Gretchen Rubin's list in the Happiness Project, I am creating my own goofer list: my Secrets of Adulthood. This list is a starting point, and I will add more secrets as they are revealed to me by myself.

It's okay to say No
You cannot be good at everything, and it is a waste of time trying
You can cook what you want, not what your guests want you to
What you do every day matters more than what you do once in while (from Rubin's list)
A movie or a book is not bad just because someone else says so
It is often more important to get something done, than to get it perfect 
You don't have to play pool to be cool
You can enjoy a football game without knowing the names of the players and all the statistics of the year
Coffee, or tea, is sometimes better than tequila 
Ibuprofen can be good for you
The company is often more important than the food
Being assertive and expressing an opinion does not make you mean
Having many best friends is better than having one
Helping others is more meaningful than a cocktail party
You don't always have to listen to criticism
Being scared of your accountability partners is pretty awesome
You can love someone more than you did 20 years ago