I love Victoria and eating Alligators!

…Not the Queen, about who I may not know so well but Victoria, Canada. Went there last weekend for the first time and just loved it. It did me so good to just get away from it all, say adios to the computer and phone and just take off.

We gorged on fresh seafood so good, you’d be stuffed just sampling the appetizers! Our son had his first Alligator. It was funny, he doesn’t go for chicken much but he was all over the fried gator. We stayed at The Empress, loooved their food. You have got to eat dinner there at least once. Not at the Bengal lounge but the other dinner room. The food was inspired!

Oh, and didn’t do the famous tea, thought it was overrated.

Our cabbie who took us to Butchart Gardens turned out to be from North Africa, a part of the world close to my heart for several reasons. His story was sad. Back home, he had killed someone who had annexed his family’s property and had fled for Canada. But it also was refreshing to hear his ideas and find out things about the region that the media won’t talk about.

On a funny note, at the Wax museum I overheard 2 teenagers with their father, looking at the
“crowns” of the British monarchy wondering aloud if they were “for real”. C’mon people, wake up and smell the coffee! Teenage is no excuse for being plain dumb!

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs!

This is the title of a hilarious kids’ book I read my son tonight before he dozed off. The town of “Chewandswallow” has great weather which rolls around bfast, lunch and dinner. It rains food, people don’t have to cook for a day and they don’t even own refrigerators! My son thought it was the coolest thing to not have to cook and I agreed with him completely .

The funniest part was when he saw hotdogs raining from the sky, he had to stop and ask me, “Mommy, is that squid on the hotdog?”I’m used to hearing a lot of new words and thoughts from him but even I did a double take when I heard that. How imaginative! On another thought though, I think he’s on his way to being a gourmet. Sigh.

Virginia Tech

All day today at the NPR studios, I saw the same thing over and over again. Cops running guns drawn, hysterical students, and a devastated Anne Curry. I have no words to describe the horror I’m feeling at this ghastly evil act.

I have no sympathy for this gunman at all.  It is hurtful, and shocking to see young students get so disillusioned so soon with life that they not only kill themselves but other innocents too. What right did he have to kill other people? What might have bothered him so very much about this world?

I do hope that people in America start travelling more esp to the developing countries, just so they can see how easy their lives are compared to so many people around the world. I wish that they can learn to love others, replace the swagger of their wealth with undiluted love for humanity and most of all, I wish that they can start healing from this tragedy.

PI-Seattle Times. One indifferent, one Pro-India. Which do you read?

For NPR, KUOW 94.9 FM, today I covered a press conference given by Seattle Times President Frank Blethen to talk about the new JOA between his paper and the PI. The new JOA ensures that neither of papers is folding and for now, there is cheer at the PI and relief at the ST.

My story, aired today on All Things Considered, and Morning Edition tomorrow, talked about JOAs, and the dwindling circulation of newspapers all over. At the conference, Blethen kept saying how hard it was for newspapers to make $$ any more.  So, I asked him if in a move to generate revenue, his paper was planning to do more stories on the local, empowered Indian community? Was that on his radar?

His answer was that his paper’s coverage of education and diversity had suffered because of the distracting influence of litigation with the PI and while he wasn’t sure if he’d do stories on the Indian community, he planned to get back in the game sooner than later.

I wondered at that comment. I mean, the PI has been ravenous in its hunger for stories from the Indian community ever since I started writing for it! Not becoming relevant to our community for a paper like ST, is like watching a large, opportunity laden float go right past by and you do nothing to seize it! I’m sure I don’t need to re-iterate to them size of the Indian community’s weekly disposable income, among other things!

I’d like more of us to read the PI and show our appreciation for the concern and empathy the PI has shown towards us.

Blood Diamond

I saw this movie last night. It’d been on my list for some time now. National Geographic has covered this topic quite a bit and I’m sooo interested in it. But nothing prepared me for the sheer brutality portrayed in the film. It was devastating… Boys snatched from home, hooked on drugs, taught to kill, brainwashed… I mean, this is not a racially motivated situation in Africa since they’re all black, but a tribally motivated one. How sad! One tribe against another! I wonder if it is so, because people in Africa have lived through one crisis after another in the last 100 years at the very least, that they’ve gotten used to brutality, chaos, confusion… But I’d also think that people would change in order to not go through the pain again…

What just totally broke my heart was that fact that ignorance about this hellish trade is killing people on that continent. We expect a diamond ring as a part of the engagement-marriage ritual but would anyone ever wear it if they knew someone else died for it? Doesn’t your karmic history join with this killing in some way?
Since there is no 100% proof of whether your diamond is blood free or not, I think its a good idea to stop wearing diamonds in protest.

Feel a little buzz?

I didn’t take a shot of laughing gas for my root canal last week,- (how brave am I!?!)- but for the aftermath that followed 3 days later, I sure took a hearty gulp,  strapped to the Periodontist’s chair. He kept trying to cheer me up, cracking jokes like “You don’t need laughing gas, I’m the nitrus around here! Look at me, I’m wearing pink scrubs! I bet your other doctor doesn’t wear that!” He was the sweetest man! So, I laughed, felt better and even after a couple hours, I still felt this buzz around me thanks to the gas. So I asked my husband if people smoked or drank to feel this kind of buzz and he said “umm, ya.”

I got home, took a nap and when I woke up, the buzz was gone. So, I wondered how people manage to lower their stress levels with the help of this transitory buzz. Indian spirituality and even Western literature are all about trying to reach the eternal while realizing the transitory is only an illusion, a maya. Still I see so many people so lost in the maya of the world today that for them, the eternal is the maya!

Blood thicker than water?

One day, 3 yrs ago, my husband tasted some of the baby food we were serving our son. it was maybe ‘chicken and veggies’ or something, you know the kind of food that comes in a tiny jar with the picture of a plump baby on the cover? Hubby dearest decided it was no fun for the bebe to be eating that mush and that we owed it to him to feed him better tasting food. So, about a week later, our son got to eat all kinds of purees and crumbs: Olive bread bits with tomatillo chutney, or mango salsa, even artichoke dip. He soon became our chief taste tester, nodding his head once if he liked something and making a face if he didn’t like something. That’s how we new our “Papaya -Cilantro sauce with roasted chicken/duck” was a good thing.

Now, 2 days ago, I had a major tooth surgery. I haven’t been able to eat much of what I usually eat: Breads, pies, meats, nuts, cheeses, or even a regular Italian sandwich. Guess what my compassionate hubby got me from the grocery store and dissolved in laughter while giving it to me? A jar of “Chicken and veggies” with the picture of a plump baby on the cover! Is blood thicker than water? I think so!!!

Foodie anyone?

Ever since I married my foodie of a husband, his joie de vivre infected me within days and I’ve really come to appreciate nuances in flavors that I’d otherwise miss. While I’m the more adventurous one, dragging him to his first Sushi 7 yrs ago, he’s the pragmatic one, telling me to not mistake Wasabi for some Indian mint chutney type thing! Headstrong wives rarely ever take their new husband’s advices and I was no different. I smeared such a large gob of Wasabi on my second sushi that I still remember feeling like my head had exploded and walked off to China in 3 seconds! Lol!

Mu husband is infinitely a more talented chef than I am. Everyone we know drools for his food and I often tell him he’d thrive in a restaurant once he retires from his day job! We love to eat out or experiment with food at home. He’s the one who got our first “Sumak”, (a spice used in Arabic food) and I was the one to incorporate it in my raitas. We trust eachother’s opinions on foods. I started him on Miso soup with edamame. What is more yumm, takes 59 seconds to cook and more healthy?! But some times, we do wonder what our little one is eating… The other day we had a moment when our 3 yr old asked, “Mommy, is that Octopus in my soup? I want more Octopus mommeeee.” I hope we don’t raise a “strictly gourmet” eater! It’s no fun getting a cream sauce just right for the palate of a 3 yr old, trust me.

Here are some restaurants we’ve liked so far in town:

Palisades, in Magnolia. Great special occasion place. I do enjoy Tom Douglas’ fare too. His food is expensive and I can see why. For Mediterranean food, nothing beats Med Kitchen in Bellevue. Indian food, Cedars in the U is the pretty good, Japanese: Flo in Bellevue is great with its pretty miniature orange trees. “I love Sushi” again in Bellevue is also quite popular with the local community. What is better than Tuna with Ponzu on a Saturday lunch? The sushi tastes very fresh at both these places.

Southwestern, I’d go to Ztejas any day. Oysters are the best in Vancouver, Canada but McCormick and Schmicks’ locally do a good job too. Just don’t go there too often. Puget Sound is polluted…

I was kinda disappointed by Trader Vic’s, the decor is interesting but the food has been nothing to write about. Oh and I do like the Argentine Steak bowl with Chimichuri sauce at World Wrapps. Its kinda kicky and Chimichuri is something I enjoy a lot. An Argentine friend’s mom taught me how to make it and it is so good with rice or sausage or even on hot dog buns!

These days we’re looking for an authentic dhabha that serves non vegetarian food. I’ve been to the one in Kent. I like their sweets. For Palak Paneer, I go to India Gate in Eastgate. They have some Punjabi chefs who some times turn out finger licking good stuff. Depends on their mood though!

Happy Anniversary to Sir C.P. Srivastava and family

April 7 is the 60th wedding anniversary of two of my favorite people in the whole world. I’m talking about Sir C.P. Srivastava and his wife Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi. Sir C.P. , KCMG is the Secretary General Emeritus of the International Maritime Organization, United Nations, has received a Knighthood from Queen Elizabeth, has been Joint Secy to Lal Bahadur Shastri and in 2005, received the Lal Bahadur Shastri award from the President of India, at a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan attended by PM Manmohan Singh and other hot shots from the Indian polity.

http://www.hinduonnet.com/2005/10/02/stories/2005100204251000.htm

http://www.banet.free-online.co.uk/108/english/index2/17.html

Mrs Srivastava, founder of Sahaja Yoga International, is a recipient of the UN Peace medal and has been declared “Personality of the Year” in Italy. The honors bestowed upon her are far too many to be put here.

Last Fall, I had the good fortune of interviewing Sir C.P. for a story. I’m usually a bit too professional with my subjects and don’t open up too much with them. But he liked our interaction so much that he said that I was his daughter from that point on. Even though it was our first ever meeting, I had read his books and had a tremendous amount of respect for him. And when he said that to me, I just felt such a deep peace inside of me that I almost couldn’t speak a word!

That same night we were to fly down from LA to come home to Seattle and our flight was delayed by several hours. We finally got home at midnight and there were 4 messages from Sir C.P. on my answering machine, the last one sent about 15 minutes ago, each asking if I’d reached safely and to call him the moment I reached home.

Tears sprang from my eyes at the concern he showed for me and my family, insisting on feeding us after I interviewed him, remembering little details about our lives… Even today, him and Shri Mataji load us with priceless presents each time we go to see them. Everyone from his warm hearted family showers us with love.

It is impossible to find a more intellectually gifted man, who is yet so humble, spiritual, generous, with none of the swagger that often afflicts wealthy people. I was invited to spend Diwali with this family in India last year and I learned so much from the way everyone, from a king to a fakir, gets the same amount of respect at their home. This power couple derives its energy from making other people happy.
The Srivastavas have fine tuned simplicity and integrity to a level that they are practically art forms in their grandparently hands, making their marriage what we only read about in utopian literature.

With ever growing love, I wish them many many more joyful years ahead.

 

Social skills 101

How many parties do people go to and probably never meet someone new because they’re too busy talking shop with colleagues? Apart from the party poopers who pretend to be workaholics, there are the snooty tooty “I am from Delhi and since you’re from redneck Patna, I probably won’t talk to you” types. More women are guilty of this. The guys will pretty much talk to anyone whose car or phone they covet, Patna or no Patna. Many guys often keep sharing inside jokes all evening or make fun of the food which they’re about to devour in minutes. It is pretty sad to hear later “unke ghar khaane pe gaye the and kucch accha tha hi nahin. The table was bare.” It is shocking to see how prevalent this cheapness is around here. I mean do you meet someone primarily to enjoy their company or to eat their food?