Using an umbrella while seated on a motorcycle...

Yes, you read it right! If you're thinking why would anyone, well, that's what I thought until recently!

So, I was on my way home after a long hard day of work. You will be surprised how tiring it can be to stare at the computer screen all day long, pretending to be busy! (We all do that every now and then so don't judge me!). Anyway, getting back to the story, now that the monsoons have hit the city its almost always dark, cold and raining. I was in my chariot (our very own auto rickshaw! Wait..What did you think?.. :p) And the driver of this particular rickshaw was in denial about the rains and didn't put up any covers on the side. So here I was getting hit by rains from all directions and just about losing my mind with the traffic when I noticed these two guys on a motorcycle. I don't know if these guys were trying some new stunt (Dhoom 4 maybe?!) or if they really believed in what they were attempting but the guy at the back seat decided that he would open an umbrella to protect the two of them from the rain.

Now, if you are standing still the idea is brilliant! But when the motorcycle speeds up the umbrella is not going to be very comfortable with this idea. As they accelerated soon enough the umbrella became more like a parachute attached to the back of the bike making them lose their balance a couple of times. By this time, Mr. Pillion realized that he didn't quite consider all aspects of his solution and started with disaster management by trying to fold the umbrella.....again, he didn't consider all aspects of this step and before he knew it, he had an inverted umbrella over his head. 

While he struggled on with the umbrella, I'm not embarrassed to say that I was laughing away to glory! It was a hilarious site! I had to hide my face in my scarf because the driver was staring at me from the rear view mirror. (I wonder if he thought I was some sort of a physco-killer, laughing over a new evil plan ;)...in any case, he definitely didn't like me!)

Anyway…getting back to our daredevils..Mr.Pillion was having a thrilling duel with the umbrella, man left umbrella right....man right umbrella left!...Oh no! Umbrella on top, man about to fly overboard! :O

Don't worry, no harm was done! The guy on the drivers seat eventually got bugged with the whole thing and stopped on the side to take control of the situation. The two of them, just like me, couldn't stop laughing! While I'm sure the umbrella was just relived to be in one piece! ;) 

So in conclusion, the experiment of the motorcycle and umbrella failed (miserably). I strongly advise against the application of this! Kids don't try this at home!

Goodnight guys!

-livin and lovin!

Smriti

Laugh Out Loud...Now!

As much as I love stand-up comedy in India, there is one thing about these shows that I don't understand.

Almost all of them have at least one Celebrity judge, in some cases even two or three. My question here is; what exactly are these guys judging? I’ve never seen one of the star comedians get ousted from the show for a bad performance (disclaimer: Though this used to happen when these were more like talent shows but seems to have stopped now). Imagine if Siddhu decides to eliminate Kapil from Comedy Nights with Kapil because his jokes weren’t all that funny today (Surprize!!....yeah right! :/). They don’t even rate or give a score on the performances. Most feedback is positive and repetitive. So, what exactly is their job?

Not to worry, I put my mind to work and came up with the “Theory of Laugh Out Loud…Now!” (Yes…another one of my creations :D)

Therefore, according to the theory, judges have the responsibility to laugh at humorous or even slightly humorous events during the show at regular intervals, with absolute conviction, in order to bring to the viewer’s knowledge that it’s time to “Laugh Out Loud….Now!!!”

Let me know what you think of my theory, or if you have any of your own.

-Living and Loving

Smriti

Truely the Essence of Kashmir...Poush!

I am a big time foodie, my ideal job would be of one of those TV hosts who travel around the world and get to try local delicacies at the best places in town (ahhh!!...). Anyway, snapping out of the dream, I keep this passion fueled by frequently trying new restaurants and pubs in the city.

Today is all about my latest culinary experience of authentic Kashmiri food at Poush located at Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla. To begin with, the ambiance was a feast to the eyes with the white floral “Zalakdozi” drapes ( Zalakdozi is an exclusive style of Kashmiri embroidery) and beautiful wooden flooring and roofing. You have two kinds of seating options, one the usual tables lined in the center of the restaurant with cane chairs or two you can have your own private area with either couches or floor seating to give you a more royal experience. We chose the private area (of course!). This in itself has us excited about the things to come.

Once we were settled, it was time to order! Since Ma is a vegetarian, our family meals are usually a mix of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes (Best of both worlds!). They have very good Thali options but we went for the a la Carte. Daddy took charge of placing the order; having lived in Kashmir for a while in his younger days he is quite the enthusiast for the cuisine.  So here’s what we ordered,

Appetisers:

• Kashmiri Spicy Chaman (a Panner preparation)
• Kokur Seekh Kanti (Boneless chicken in Kashmiri herbs). 

Main Course:

• Methi Chaman (yes, yet another Panner preparation…thanks to Ma!)
•  Rogan Josh
• Goshtaba

To End it All:

•  Zari Qahwa

Both appetisers were delicious and a perfect start to the meal. The spices used were a lot like the typical ones used in UP’s home cooked food, ginger, turmeric, red chili and green coriander. The Panner was next to perfect, melt in the mouth! The Chicken could have been better but I’m not complaining.

Moving on to the main course, we had two of the iconic Kashmiri dishes Goshtaba and Rogan Josh. You just cannot complete a Kashmiri meal without these two dishes. Rogan Josh literally means “Red Lamb” and is a fine delicacy that derives its name from the red Kashmiri chilies. Trust me it lived up to our expectations; soft juicy mutton cooked to perfection in the spicy red gravy was literally soul food for me.

Goshtaba on the other hand is considered as “the Dish of the Kings” and is made from pounded lamb, saffron, spices and yogurt. Now, Goshtaba is not something that everyone would immediately fall in love with, you gradually develop taste for this delicacy. Having said that, I fell in love with it from the very first bite. The core ingredient of the gravy is yogurt and it is very tangy yet flavorful.

As before, the Panner was as delicious as one can imagine. It made me re-think if the Punjabi's are the only ones who can cook Panner! However, from a vegetarian’s point of view, I could use a few more options in the menu.

After getting done with this lavish spread, none of us really had the courage to have any desert (to be honest, I didn’t really find anything that exciting either). So, at Daddy’s request, we ordered for Zari Qahwa (a kind of hot tea made from dry fruits).  I must say, we could not have made a better decision! It was like a burst of flavors on my taste buds! I could taste and smell all the dry fruits and spices…it was wave of freshness. The Qahwa was like the cherry on the cake and the perfect finale to the grand feast!

Overall, I think this was one of my best dining experiences. Ambiance is a 10/10! Food quality was top notch.  Sadly, there aren’t too many options on the menu for the vegetarians.  Though if you are conscious about oily and rich food this is not your place. But if you are looking for authentic Kashmiri cuisine, look no more. I will definitely visit again! 

Here comes the rain again...

I believe there are 2 kinds of people in the world, those who love the rain and those who hate everything about it. I am definitely the first kind! But no matter what kind you are, there is one thing we all have in common, the longing for the first showers after a long scorching summer. One can understand the intensity of this longing by the fact that my Ma, who has been away on vacation since a week, always had 2 questions in our daily conversations 1. How are you? 2. Has it rained yet?

Like every year, the clouds were taunting us since the past couple of weeks (around 1^st week of June). Big dark thundering clouds would march down making me hopeful, sometimes even certain that it was about to pour. But then they would just march away with the same elegance leaving me wanting more. All of this changed though a couple of days ago when a few clouds (thankfully!!) went on a rebellion and decided its time they showered down on us (Note: theory of the rebellion is something that I and bhai have developed and we so far have no evidence to prove it). We were out on a drive when this happened and I was just plain delighted! We stopped at a place to pick up some food and I used this opportunity for my annual ritual of getting wet in the rain (Oh yes, I and bhai have an annual ritual of getting drenched once in the monsoons). I still remember when I was in school I would deliberately “forget” the umbrella at home every day so I could get wet in the rain while walking back home. This is my best memory of the rains. Every year when the first drops of rain come down and the fragrance of the wet earth fills the air, this is the memory that flashes in my eyes.

Trust me; I have had my share of bad rainy days. The Traffic, car break downs, being stranded in the middle of nowhere with no cabs ready to go in your direction (oh…sorry…this one can actually happen even without the monsoons when you are in Mumbai). Yet the thought that the first showers always bring to me is not an unpleasant one but one of happiness and excitement.  I suppose we choose our memories, ones that are more important to us. In a way I suppose, we also choose our happiness and I would rather choose dancing in the rain and raincoats and gumboots and paper boats over anything thing else!  

So here’s to the shower of Happiness! Happy Monsoons Mumbaikars!

P.S. For my dear friend Ankita (the inspiration for this blog) and all my other dear friends who have missed the rains this year..a picture of the first showers to cheer you up!