Games At Home

So the games in these Corona Lockdown times involve food that's no longer available, or is rare.

My daughter is right now devising games that are helping her tide these difficult times. She is at one moment a pizza shopkeeper, while at another moment she is an ice cream shop owner.

My area, although not completely under curfew, is facing shortage of fast food, biscuits, cakes, wafers, and every thing that kids would want to have.

But it is commendable that this young girl is holding her fort in these times. Although she keeps asking for these things, she recognises the fact that there really is nothing available. She is quick to quieten and wait for lunch or dinner time to quench her hunger.

Her dad found a pack of six cupcakes a week back and she is saving one for her birthday for tomorrow, because she knows that there won't be a big birthday with a big, nice cake tomorrow. (I have ordered one though from a society lady, which will be a surprise for her!)

And so here we are surviving on her game. In her latest game, she was dreaming for better days with her shop advertising loudly "भरपूर खाणं आणि भरपूर things असलेलं शॉप!"

Hoping for better days soon!

On A Cooking Spree

I was on a cooking spree for the past couple of weeks. Cooked all this:

Rawa ladoo
Dal Makhani
Palak Paneer
Kobi Pakode
Chicken cream curry
Chicken pasta
Bhendawani
Paav Bhaji
Egg Biryani

All tasted pretty good. :) Had fun!

Waiting For Dinner

Date: February 14, 2012

Day: Tuesday

Time: 8.45 p.m.

Place: Hotel Greenpark

What's the first thing that you see around? That the parking lot is full. So much so that you start wondering if you will ever get a place to sit. And of course, there's no place. There's a huge waiting list.

Knowing that it's the same situation in every other decent restaurant, you resign yourself and enlist yourself for getting a place for two. Now what comes is the big wait. You keep a track on how it will take and end up getting answers such as: "Ma'am, it's page 3 that's going on. You are on page 5. At least 45 mins more."

You deliberate whether sitting out the 45 minutes would be a better option, or finding out another restaurant would be. Eventually you realise that you will spend the same time in some other restaurant. So, why not here.

So, what else do you do in that time but observe things around you. You see so many around you waiting for their turn. You see kids playing around, mammas behind those kids making sure they don't get hurt. You see couples waiting, groups waiting, and waiters waiting too.

Eventually realise that you can divide all the people in some groups. First group is that of the "young" couples. Now let me tell you that "young" doesn't mean by age. "Young" means the couples who have spent very little time together and who are in various degrees of awkwardness and comfort with each other, as well as with the society.

The couples who fall in this category have not had a lot of experience in going out with each other in public. These might be couples who are not sure they are in love, whether they are destined to be together, or whether they really serious enough to think about each other as partners. They may still be doubtful. Nevertheless, they are not averse to trying it out. So, when they are waiting for their turn, they are cautiously looking around to see if they see someone whom they know. They keep on glancing here and there in the hope that they are not caught by some acquaintance, because they probably have not informed their guardians/parents that they are out for dinner with someone. They also are not sure if they should be showing any kind of togetherness to the partner. They are nervous, and they are eagerly waiting for getting a table so that they get the privacy they are looking for.

In this category also lies the "expectant" couple. This couple is on the brink of being committed. They are waiting eagerly for their turn to get the privacy and be done with the magic question. Till they get that table, they are just a bundle of nerves, waiting to be exploded.

The other category is the newly married couples. You can find these easily. They are the ones with the girl looking around nervously, hoping not to find anyone she knows. She is yet uncomfortable being out with the boy. Although happy and looking forward to the privacy of their table, she is not sure if she should be feeling good that they have come out for dinner on a day such as Valentine's Day, or if she should think that celebrating such things are just tacky. She is best waiting for the moment when they can retreat to their world of privacy when they get a table. The boy on the other hand is feeling extremely proud of getting the girl out for dinner on such a lovely day. He is much more at ease with the crowd around him.

Then there are couples who have been there and done that. It's not new for them to go for dinner on such an occasion. But they have still not lost the charm in it. They are very comfortable with each other and enjoying every moment.

You will also find families who have come out for dinner. Mother-father-kid/s, all together. The kids may be young or even a bit older. For the parents, it's an occasion to enjoy some time together, do something different than the routine. Even if eating out might be routine, the charm and magic of the day is still to be celebrated.

Lastly, there would couples, though really very few in numbers, who have come for dinner, just for the sake of it. But they are really very few.

In all this, you'll find the ladies wearing a variety of clothes. The most modern chicks would be wearing the most fashionable dresses. There will be ladies who flaunt by wearing all rich sarees. There are casual dressers, who are more happy to enjoy the moment than worry about clothing. Some would be neatly dressed, who enjoy wearing good clothes without flaunting them. For them, comfort and feel-good are the factors that are most important. It's actually a fashion parade out there.

For guys, mostly, it doesn't matter. They are more worried about the immediate...food, and when they can get a table.

Intermittently, you can also see couples coming out of the diner, looking happy, relaxed, enjoyed, and fully satiated. They are happy that they enjoyed their privacy, their food, and most important, they are happy that they were lucky to get a table so early and not wait so long for their special dinner.

And suddenly, they call your name and you are finally getting a table all to yourself. It's time to turn your attention to more important thing...what to order!

Here They Come With टाळ And चिपळ्या!

The पालखी will be here next week. With the chant of "Gyanba Tukaram!" they will usher in the festival season.

Palkhis remind me of those long processions, those वारकरी, all swaying to the rhythmic sound of टाळ and चिपळ्या crossing miles and miles on foot, having that one goal in sight, of reaching Pandharpur, the abode of Vithu Mauli. Palkhis are something that make me awe-struck. This परंपरा  as we call it in Marathi, the yearly यात्रा has continued for the past thousand years. Isn't it wonderful that so many warkaris walk this walk every year? Can we do it even once in our lifetime?

In Pune, some years back, Palkhis used to take a different route. They used to pass through the Appa Balwant Chowk (ABC.) My Babai (Aai's Aai) used to stay right in that chowk, next to Prabhat talkies. Now that house is pulled down for road-widening. But I remember when we were kids, all us cousins together would wait eagerly for the Palkhis. We would crowd ourselves in the small windows on the first floor to see the processions, the warkaris; wait eagerly, craning our necks to get दर्शन of Sant Dnyaneshwar Maharaj and Sant Tukaram Maharaj Palkhis. It was always an exciting time.

I agree that when these palkhis come to our cities and towns and villages, we face a lot of issues. We face traffic jams, overcrowding, unclean places when they move to their next destination. But no one can doubt their spirit, their perseverance, their भक्ति. I know one of my friend, will disagree with all I have said here about Palkhis. But I still believe that Palkhis are one of the wonders in Maharashtrian culture.


When Palkhis passed our town, we knew that Ashadhi Ekadashi was coming soon. Ashadhi Ekadashi means साबुदाणा खिचडी. Most Maharashtrians fast on this day to pay obeisance to Vithu Mauli. We kids were just interested in the sabudana khichadi that we used to get then. Even now, I savour the test of that khichadi that's made on Ashadhi Ekadashi.

So with Palkhis the festival season begins. Shortly after Palkhis we have the month of श्रावण. Shravan means rains. Shravan means mehendi. Shravan means awesome delicacies such as ukdichya shenga on Naagpanchami, kothimbir vadya, tandalachi sandani on Shil Saptami, narali bhaat on Narali Pournima, purnachya karanjya, puranpolya, chavachya karanjya. Shravan means Shravani Somvar, Shukrawar-cha vaan. Shravan means raksha bhandhan. Shravan means Janmashtami. Shravan also means listening to those कहाणी which invariable start with "आट-पाट  नगर होतं," and end with "ही साठा उत्तराची कहाणी, पाचा उत्तराची सुफळ संपूर्ण."  Shravan means fun.

Right after, come Gauri-Ganpati. I don't need to tell how important this festival is for us. Every household celebrates it. Everyone eagerly welcomes Lord Ganesh at home and is equally unhappy to bid them goodbye. Ganpati means pandals on roads and music on loudspeakers. It's the time to check how many aaratis you have by-hearted. It's time to check how good can you dance the "Ganpati Dance" on the visarjan day. Ganpati means celebrations.

After a hiatus of 15 days when we pay our respects to our ancestors, we are back to celebration time.

After worshipping Shri Ganesh, it's time to worship Durga Mata. नवरात्री is celebrated with great enthusiasm. There are yatras at almost all Devi mandirs, be it Mahalaxmi, Tuljabhavani, Ekaveera Devi, and various other forms of Adi Shakti! Not just that, this is the time to worship the स्त्री शक्ति through haldi-kunku ceremonies. And how can you forget the garba and Bengali Durga Pooja that mark the Navratri celebrations! The festival ends on दसरा! Dushera means distributing gold in the form of आपटा leaves. (Thank God! I can't imagine everyone distributing real gold, what with gold prices reaching sky-high.) Dushera also means sweets and a sumptuous meal of पूरी-श्रीखंड. It's the traditional sweet that has to be made on Dushera in a Maharashtrian household. Ask Chitale Bandhu!

Then comes दिवाळी! Lights, firecrackers, sweets, new clothes, new plans, new purchases, the list is never-ending. Getting up early to bathe with uttna, to light the first fataka, wearing brand new clothes and visiting temples early morning, visiting Sarasbaug, Parvati, or even Omkareshwar for Deepotsavs, visiting relatives, posting cards wishing Diwali greetings, all make Diwali what it is. Diwali brings in sweets, all kinds of them, karanjya, ladus, shankarpalya, anarase, chiwada, chirote, shev, chakli, and what not! Rangoli, diyas, akaashkandil, kille, and Diwali holidays for schools...I just can't wait for Diwali!

And then it ends like all good things. Intense four months of festivities end abruptly when Diwali is over and there's a definite lull in the feel-good quotient. Of course, as months go by, we have Tulsi Vivaah, Kojagiri Pournima, Datta Jayanti, Holi Pournima, Ranga Panchami to celebrate. But nothing can surpass the excitement of those four months of Shravan to Kartik.

Let the feast begin! (Dumbledore-style!)

Dosa And Civic Sense

"Dosa!" Those were the only words Anay (Nanu) said to me today on phone. My sister called up to say that my nephew wanted to talk to me. And when he came on the line, he just said that one word and hung up. So cute of him. I think he just wanted to tell that he had dosa that day. He is such a cherubic boy. Full of life, full of masti.

On Saturday, Aai, Baba, and I visited Nanu at home. He was overjoyed to see us all together. For the entire time that we were there, he kept on repeating and dancing on "Sagle aale, sagle aale!" Usually, I go alone to my sister's place. So, he was over-excited to see us all together. He kept playing with his gadi. He zoomed in and out and used to stop abruptly saying "Red signal lagla, ata thambaycha." Then in a few seconds he would start again saying, "Ata green signal. Ata jaycha."

I just hope he maintains this civic sense when he grows up and starts driving a vehicle on the roads.

No Conjugal Bliss This

Place: Wedding Hall
Time: 12.52 p.m.
Occasion: Cousin's wedding at some far away place

What's your frame of mind?

The first thought that comes to your head is, when the hell is the buffet going to start? You have probably not had your breakfast in hopes of having a sumptuous lunch, and waiting for the food is as difficult as waiting for your friend to tell you the juiciest gossip. So, you have no option to keep an eye on when the food counters are finally thrown open. With the other eye, you at least pretend that you are interested in listening to all relatives and friends who are gathered around you.

In one corner, you observe a stack of gaddis on which little boys and girls are loitering on. All bacche log are having the time of their life jumping, playing, and rolling about on the gaddis. And you envy them so much!

That's when one of your aunts lands up next to you and fires away the usual questions: how's your job, what's new with you, so when are your wedding bells ringing. You curse the caterers for not having opened the food counters. Then you could have wandered off to get some more of your favourite sabji, if nothing else. But now, you have no escape and you answer the questions as politely as possible.

You casually turn towards the bride and bridegroom and find that they are still engrossed in all the rituals. Most of the elderly people are watching whether the panditji is performing the shaadi rituals correctly. Perhaps they are remembering their own weddings and how scared and tired they were then.

Your attention is caught by the constant flashes from a camera. A group of youngsters, mostly beautifully decked up girls are having their pictures taken. They are mostly the bride's friends who have nothing more to do than wait for her to get done with the rituals and hope that their turn comes soon. Till then they will enjoy themselves fully. A few of them will also be on the lookout for handsome, still-single dudes. These guys are mostly the groom's friends and they too are flaunting themselves openly.

In the meanwhile, a small kid gets hurt in the gaddi-jumping play and bawls loudly for his mother. After a couple of minutes, the mother rushes to the child and takes him away. You are relieved not only because the child found his mother, but also because the bawling stopped.

A group of mostly men in their thirties and forties will be busy discussing the latest happenings. Every one will have an opinion about Obama's Nobel-prize-receiving speech, the Copenhagen summit, Kasab's case, and of course India's latest match.

And suddenly, you will find people thronging to the food counters like bees rushing to flowers and you know that you are finally saved from starvation.

Some Things Are Good Old

Some things taste better when they are old rather than when new.

Puranpoli...Majha asa thaam mat ahe ki puranpoli hi masta tupa barobar khavi. Ti dekhil kaal keleli aaj khavi. Kay surmat lagte...ahahaha! Tashich gulachi poli dekhil. Awesome lagte.

Another dish that tastes better when old is "Birada." Mala mahit nahi ki birada he kiti janana mahit asel. Birada he kadvya valancha kartat. Koknatlya lokana sahasa ha prakaar mahit asto. Kadve valanche vividh prakaar banavta yetat. Pan mala tyatla sadha birada hech sarvat awadta. Ani te dekhil kelyachya dusrya diwashi khalla ki kay smacking lagta...slllllrrrrrppppp. Arthat birada he sahasa kelelya diwashich sampta karan jyana awadta, te tar taav martat. Tya mule jar dusrya diwashi milala tar mag tumcha nasheeb joravar ahe asa mhanayla harkat nahi.

Sarva prakarchi "murleli" lonchi jevhadi juni tevhadi changli lagtat. Majhya matanusar ambyachi ani limbachi lonchi sarvat chaan lagtat jast murali ki.

Shrikhanda pan chaan lagta dusrya diwashi. Tyat tumhi toop ghalun kadhi khalla ahe ka? Ekda try kara, masta lagta ekdam. Perhaps tumhala ti chav ruchnaar nahi. Pan toop pan assal gharcha pahije haan, shudhdha gaicha (ashudhdha gaiche kase aste kinwa lagte mahit nahi).

Ani ho, majhya aai ne kelela chicken. Masta lagta dusrya diwashi pan khayla. Tyat jar te thoda dry kela asel ani dusrya diwashi te bread madhye ghalun sandwiches tayaar karun khalle tar mag....aflatoon!

Ajun mala ya kshani tari athavat nahiye. Tumhala athavatay kahi?

Not Bad!

So, the weekend was...good! Not bad, I can say. I couldn't complete all my chores on Saturday. But I did cook, and it turned out well. I made vegetable biryani. Apart from being a bit dry, it was quite edible. It could have done with some more salt. But otherwise, it was good.

I also went for a nice car drive to Lonavla. It was fun. We (my friend, her husband, and I) went to Lonavla by the old Mumbai-Pune highway (NH-4). The road is good. Despite a weekend, it was not much crowded. It was raining on the way and we had a really smooth drive. Rain pattering on the windows, and we in the car listening to some beautiful Marathi songs! Aah! That really was great fun!

As planned I couldn't stay at home Sunday evening. I had to go out and do some work. But that was necessary! And I got to meet Nanu. All the more fun!

So, in all, it was not a bad weekend! At least, we had no guests invading our house!

A Dream Of A Day!

A hot, sizzling cup of strong coffee giving an irrestible aroma, a favourite book, rain pattering on the window glass, and you lying in your cozy bed. That's a perfect day, isn't it? Or if you are not into reading, your definition of a perfect day would include an exciting, nerve-gritting football or cricket match in the morning, a lip-smacking lunch in your favourite restaurant, and a peaceful afternoon siesta after the heavy lunch.

Whatever your ideas of a perfect day, I am looking forward to a perfect weekend as well. Coming Saturday, I am going to do some household chores in the morning. I am actually looking forward to completing my tasks for the week ahead. Then I shall be free to enjoy my Saturday evening and Sunday.

Saturday evening, I am planning to cook for my family. And I am not going to spill the beans what I am going to cook right away, so that it is not jinxed. And Sunday I am planning for a nice outing!

Keeping my fingers crossed!