Well, Hello There...

...Just popping by to wish all the Indians out there a very Happy Independence Day - hope you're going crazy! 
SL x
P.S. Speaking of India, anyone lucky enough to go to the Holi Festival last weekend? VERY JEALOUS. 

Review: "Eat Your Way Around the World"

If there's one thing I miss about India [besides family, food, noise, vibrancy and the general palava all over the place] it's the huge American style malls that seem to be cropping up everywhere and the grand food courts they entail. Yes okay, Westfields and a handful of others have cottoned on to the idea (Thurrock's is particularly impressive), but they boast not even a fraction of the variety you find in say the Oberoi or Inorbit malls of Mumbai. Lets face it, deciding what to eat in large groups [read indecisive families] can always be tricky and ultimately result in a compromise. The solution? The Indian food court - buy what you want from wherever you want yet be able to enjoy your respective meals together.

And as we Indians go, we're well accustomed to the 'queue up for your food' system. If you don't believe me, tell me if YOU've ever been to an Indian wedding with table service...? Nahhhh, table service, what's that? We're pretty used to queuing and waiting our turn pushing and shoving to raid a buffet and pile our plates sky high. So I guess it comes as no surprise that as far as the new Jimmy's World Grill in Watford goes... well it's a smashhit success, with my bunch at least. Remember this post? Let's say Jimmy's is the perfectly cross-bred child of Elaichi and the Red Hot World Buffet - countless variety, value for money and best of all, a chocolate fountain! Give it a try if you haven't already, it is Friday after all. 

Happy weekend guys!

SL xx

sl Days Out: Alchemy at the Southbank

So now. Before I ended up marvelling at the marathon in a brief but eye-opening moment of enlightenment, the fundamental reason for my so bravely foraging into London on Sunday in the first place. 
Alchemy at the Southbank Centre, I find out in hindsight, is now in it's fourth year running (almost at a close now though) - a celebration and summation of absolutely everything I love about the Indian subcontinent; vibrant explosions of colour in the way of art & fabric exhibitions, hustling-bustling crowds, highly skilled performers and then some. Of course if you've gathered anything in the time you've spent reading along with me, you'll probably have guessed what I found to be the crowning glory... Yup, THE most spicy, mouthwateringly tasty Indian food market you can imagine. Sizzling pau bhajis & refreshing lassi, pani puri prepared as you eat and clay-pot chai - HEAVEN. 
  As luck would have it, of course, I happened to be the very last Londoner to learn of this little treasure's existence... Friday, to be precise, which was exactly...err one day before the festival's last weekend. Bit of a 'do or die' situation really. Go on over and have a nose around the website, I think I've gotten back to you in the nick of time should you fancy catching the tail end - I'll be back tomorrow with some more. 
x
Visit the Southbank Centre on Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XX. Closest tube station: Waterloo. 

Some Colour Would Be Nice

I think it's safe to say that I miss India most of all around about this time of year (and perhaps early Autumn too... and during the monsoon... OH alright, I miss it all year round, okay); it's like an itch that can't be reached - I long to be there but with pending exams year in year out, it's impossible to get away. With the Easter Weekend now within a few hours reach officially kicked off (technical difficulties getting the post online this morning) it's difficult not to notice how subdued festivities are here - bar Christmas, of course - as compared to the pomp and vigour of celebration in India, be it Diwali, Navrarti, the birthday of Krishna, the kite flying festival or Holi.  

Holi heralds the beginning of spring and is usually celebrated around about the same time as Easter - it's a complete national holiday just like our bank holiday, so a full 4-5 days of food, family, friends, noise and vibrancy. It's without a shadow of a doubt the boldest, brightest, most colourful 'let your hair down' festival on the calendar, when it's okay even to drink bhang (a naughty cannabis-laced concoction) and throw colour in strangers' faces. 

A Hindu festival originally, there are actually very few religious duties to fulfil on the day of Holi. Historically though there is a story of good defeating evil underpinning the celebration - one legend has it that there was once a king called Hiranyakashyap who demanded that all of his subjects worship him as God. Hiranyakashyap's own son Prahlad, however, was a devotee of Vishnu and inspite of several threats from his father, Prahlad continued praying to Vishnu. Hiranyakashap tried to poison his son but the poison is believed to have turned to nectar in his mouth. Prahlad was trampled by elephants, put in a room with hungry, poisonous snakes yet each one of Hiranyakashyap's attempts failed. Finally, he ordered Prahlad to sit on a pyre in Holika's lap, the King's demoness sister, who had immunity to fire. When the fire started, everyone watched as Holika burnt to death, while Prahlad, praying to Vishnu, escaped unscathed. A huge bonfire is lit the night before to commemorate the salvation of Prahlad and the following day is when this victory is celebrated and the true fun ensues. Fun à la India ;)

The doomy, gloomy, dull, grey, snowy rainy scene here does seem that much more depressing as compared, doesn't it? :(

xx

Mughals and Minus Temperatures

I'm sure you guys have no interest in yet another rant about this unexpected, really rather inconvenient 'freeze'. It has to be said though that the advantage of it being over the weekend is that there's time to step back and revel in the snow's serenity. No need for frantic 6am shovelling or emergency anti-freeze excavations (can you ever find it when you need it?!) Hot drinks, lazy Sundays & wintry wonderland walks (in Spring, blossom on trees, I know) all the way. 

I don't think there's any point me apologising for this latest, perhaps most epic AWOL of mine - all I'll say is in between moving home, a new job and all the upheaval that tagged along, I've barely had time to brush my own hair (evidence available upon request) let alone sit down to pen anything vaguely coherent. Buuuut here I am with a new lease of life - provided you'll still have me, that is - and a plethora of posts to share; recipes, discoveries and some allegories too. 

Let's start today about a snowy Saturday in the City. The art of avoiding eye contact on the underground requires much practice to perfect - I'm learning, slowly but surely, and as I stand [im]patiently on the escalator, eyes darting left to right, down to the steps and then up to the ceiling, I often resort to gazing at the posters that line the ascent... and sometimes, just sometimes one will grab my attention (and subsequently makes me lose my balance and topple into the the poor unsuspecting tourist behind as I crane my neck to read as much of it as quickly as possible); an event, a concert, a gig or an exhibition. 

Though I've known about the Mughal India exhibition a while, it's only on Saturday I decided better now than never. And so in my work-lunch-work sandwich, off I galloped (fighting the wind, braving the snow, defeating the ice, might I add) to the British Library opposite St Pancras International Station, for the first time ever. I know, I'm ashamed. 

Initially in awe of the sheer grandeur of the building, I breezed through the corridors and lobby like a fervent foreigner (I reckon I pulled it off exceptionally well), gobsmacked. Then I realised the time and one facepalm gesture later carried my ditzy derriere off to the exhibition I had actually come to see. And what a treat - it's the first of its kind to document the entire period from the 16th to 19th centuries through unique books, paintings, portraits, stunning manuscripts and other objects of art. The conquests of the empire are overwhelming, an Islamic Dynasty ruling a Hindu majority maintaining control over a vast empire encompassing most of present day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh & Afghanistan, through strategic administration and unprecedented religious tolerance in their time.  

Evidence of Mughal opulence and sophistication litters the subcontinent abundantly even today - need I mention the Taj Mahal in Agra or Humayun's Tomb and the Jama Masjid in Delhi? 


It's a must see, take my word for it ;)

x

Visit before 2-Apr-2013. 
The British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB.

Meet the Bombay Sandwich

When I first suggested putting spuds in a sandwich my flatmate almost fell of her chair in surprise, and I had to laugh as I witnessed her expression go from disbelief to disgust to disbelief to horror to curiosity and finally? Yup, to disbelief again. Cucumber, jam, tuna, cheese, ham - these are the beloved English familiars... on what planet do potatoes make a packed lunch? And so ensued a good half hour of trawling the internet for evidence that no, I'm certainly not the only (or first) lunatic to be indulging in such strange sandwich behaviours. 

Time to meet the Bombay Sandwich, one of an oligarchy of reigning Indian street foods. Now, if you were smart enough to have clicked into that link already, you'll have seen it's a pretty tall order for a sandwich. Make chutney, buy masala, boil potatoes, what the f... 

Enter....... *drumroll*

Ta da (available at all dodgy Cash & Carries plus large Tesco & Asda stores *pheeeeeew*)! 

Hey, stop laughing alright? I've just eliminated the chutney and chaat masala stages so now, if you've a few boiled potatoes at the ready in your fridge (handy tip for speedy assembly) and those cheese slices, you're only a few steps away from a spicy, saucy, special sarnie. 
What you need: sliced boiled potatoes, cucumber, red onion, tomato & beetroot(optional), white bread, butter, tomato ketchup, the above spread, cheese/food slices and mayo (that's my little British twist FYI)
What do do: well what do you think? I'd recommend toasting the bread by the way.
Yuuuuuuuuum. 
xx

I Just Wanna Live While I'm Alive

I’m still recovering from what was probably the busiest weekend I’ve EVER had at work. 8-9 hours of dashing around the hotel at a somewhere between brisk walk and gentle jog pace (we’re talking averages here, I have been known to sprint on occasion) is probably more aerobic exercise than most people take in a year. Now that summer is nigh tourists are flocking into London in droves – and it’s always cheaper to stay just outside the city than in so we’re almost always fully booked. But then it is groups like these that keep girls like me in the job (and out of nightmarish student debt) so I can hardly complain. It’s not so bad either when people are polite and patient rather than demanding and uptight, we’re definitely more inclined to provide them with top-class service. I quite enjoyed looking after the Indian tour group that came in from Mumbai – warm, kind and redolent of India in every way possible. I didn’t realise how much I was missing it until now – it’s been two long years. Surprisingly, tickets over summer aren’t half as expensive as I’d expected so I think I might take my chances and visit in August, during the rains...

I seem to be getting ‘India-sick’ pretty oft of late, might offer some explanation for my recent Bollywood film binges? For a few years my attraction waned (second-rate acting, repetitive story lines and tediously long at 3 hours sometimes) but for an industry that churns out over 1000 films per year, there is of course the odd diamond among the stones, if you just care to search a little. “3 Idiots” is one such gem. It tells the tale of Rancho who wants to fight an oppressive education system that puts more emphasis on achieving grades than on imparting knowledge – it probably sounds a little bland but I assure you it is far from. Complete with a very “filmi” love story, a wedding that’s crashed and a funeral that’s trashed, I would definitely recommend a watch (I have it taped on the V+ box, probably watch it more often than I should).

Being completely confined to books, revision, work, more books and more revision, most of my thoughts are clearly tending towards escaping (India, Sweden, Bollywood) this boring routine! The whole month looks set to be a drag (except maybe Thursday & Friday this week) and I just CANT WAIT TO BE FREE from exams. Some other thoughts bobbling around this slightly bored brain...

I don’t know if it’s possible to “miss” a place having spent only a few days there so I’m going to go with the word “reminisce” instead. And reminiscing I am, about some wonderful days spent in Stockholm. The city has an allure very different from London; it’s sensuous rather than sensational, calm rather than crazy and very ‘bite-size’ with none of the sprawling busyness that resides with London. It’s compact (take a look at the size of their metro if you don’t believe me), clean(er than you can EVER imagine) and cool(the air feels as fresh as in the countryside). I’ve only seen it in the deepest winter (-15 degrees if you want precision) but I can imagine it’s just as beautiful in the summer with its open waterways and pale coral building facades. It seems unlikely I’ll be going there anytime soon but it sure made a place in my heart very, very fast. (Click on the collage below, you can zoom in pretty close.)

As my last post explained I’m acutely aware of time, that I’m not enjoying, utilising or maximising, passing before my eyes. Life has changed but rather than yearning for what I had, I have to welcome what will come. Happiness is after all, making to most of now, here. It’s mowing the lawn for mum and watching her pad around barefoot in the garden. It’s making potato gratin and watching dad demolish with delight. It’s remembering snatched moments of our childhood with my brother and gossiping with my best girls. Happiness is comfort eating with Rob,talking to my grandma on the phone and playing with my adorable little neighbour, Christian. It's cooking and travelling, shopping and working. Happiness is nothing more than being thankful for what we have. Nothing more.

X