Yours Sincerely

I been craving for good South Indian meal since a while: It is particularly hard to find good Andhra food in Mumbai. Finally, I decided to take it upon myself to make it happen. And so, today, I made a four course meal consisting of rice with toor dal chutney, ivy gourd fry, tomato dal and raw banana - curd chutney. We were in such a hurry to binge that I forgot to take pictures ) I am quite happy with the raw banana - curd chutney. The recipe I used is easy to follow and hard to go wrong with: 1. Remove the skin of the raw banana (I use knife and not peeler). Split it into four vertically and cut each split piece into 2 - 3 inch pieces (Don't bother with the size for this recipe as it is eventually going to be mashed). 2. Boil it in some water till it is fully cooked and becomes soft (I pressure cook it for ease, adding a pinch of turmeric in the water to remove the raw taste - I do this for most vegetables and dals when I pressure cook). 3. Grind t...

I am a die-hard fan of Jane Austen, and I came across this very interesting paper comparing the characterization of women in Austen's and Dicken's novels: link If you are a fan of Austen, I strongly recommend reading the full article. This author puts in words very beautifully as to what makes Austen's work so endearing to us. Sharing some excerpts (again, I recommend read the full paper, it is worth the time):  link //  My big battle with Dickens is that I find so many of his women characters neurotic, yet to Dickens that behavior is the ideal. He approves of, even demands, neurotic behavior. His ideal young woman is self-sacrificing in the extreme. She is allowed to have no thought for herself, no desires, no ambitions. // -   link //  Austen is ironic, observant, witty, able to depict young women whose manners and mores may be different from ours, yet whom we should enjoy and recognize as fellow human beings if we met them. Dickens is sentimental,...

Sometimes we fight, sometimes we are moody But we still laugh and reconcile in the end As we know we're meant to be together forever Sometimes we don't like the same things,  and we disagree But we'll always like each other,  And our principles will never differ Sometimes we act possessive and feel jealous But we always set things right,  Because our trust is hard to break Sometimes we are cranky and may say hurtful things But we always know that it is not intended,  A nd feel terrible about it later Sometimes we're busy with other work,  And we don't get to talk for days But we always make time, When the other one is in dire need Sometimes we go through bad times,  And things around us fall apart We'll always find reassurance in each other Sometimes we change to become different from what we are But that doesn't bother us,  Because we understand it is for the better Sometimes I wish I had a cocoon wrapping us So ...

Dear Govt. of India, Your bigotry continues to perturb and baffle me. On the one hand, the Indian Constitution which you are expected to abide by, declares that every Indian citizen, irrespective of gender (and caste, creed, religion, color etc.) has  equal  rights ( link ). It also states justice and equality on political, economic and civic fronts as its objectives. Going by this, I would think that I, along with all women ought to have the same rights as men on all fronts. I would expect your administration to curb gender discrimination and promote equal rights for everyone, through word and action, as this is your stated responsibility. On the other hand, the laws which are supposed to be based on the Constitutional objectives keep sending mixed signals ( link , link , link ). You continue to draft and uphold these laws which fall short of these objectives. Also, time and again, you keep contradicting these objectives, by legal, political and administrative me...