I am happy that I have lived up to seven consecutive postings. I don’t think I have ever written in my blog so frequently. Any ways today is the day for my favorite books. I am not an ardent reader but there are more than four favourites.

     2.       Teni Da Samagra – If you are not a Bengali you will not know about it, and if you are a Bengali then you possibly cannot miss it. This Narayan Gangopadhyay fiction is almost synonymous with being Bengali. It revolves around the mischievous events of a young group led by the loudmouthed ‘Teni Da’. Apart from ‘Pala’ & ‘Kyabla’ I specially liked the dialogues of Habul Sen because of the ‘Bangal’ dialect because I have always heard my grandmother speaking BangalJ. It’s hilarious and captivating.

     

     4.       Dear Zari – This is a very interesting read yet at the end of it you will only feel sad. It’s a collection of radio interviews of Afghan women taken by author Zarghuna Kargar, producer & presenter of Afghan Women’s Hour – BBC, UK. It has thirteen real life stories including Zarghuna’s on the flight of women in Afghanistan trapped between rigid culture, tradition, a no mercy society and of course Taliban. At the end of the book you will end up feeling you are the luckiest lost who is alive and living with a respect in a civil society. It’s very difficult to visualize what millions of women go through in this unfortunate society. I will post a review of this book some time soon. I don’t know if its available in the stands or not, you can order it online from Amazon or Flipkart as I did. In FlipKart its priced at 550 INR. You can read more about it here. No one has asked me to promote it nor am I promoting Flipkart but I genuinely think its a sad truth of a cruel society and people should know about it.

This is again one of my favourite. I think it’s very difficult for me to select only five items because there are so many. I think I am going to chose cuisine or the food that I miss the most and long for.

1.       STREET FOOD – Anywhere you go on earth, street foods are always tastier and are available with unmatched variety. And I am absolutely crazy for street food. I miss all the lip smacking street foods of Kolkata here. All the spicy egg roll, chicken roll, ‘phuchka’, ‘pani puri’, ‘ghugni’,’ alu kabli’,’ alur dom’, chats,’ jhal muri’,’ bhelpuri’…. And the list goes on. These foods were part of my growing up years. My dad used to be very angry over these and said they were dirty, un healthy blah blah blah…. But I am the ultimate ‘phuchka’ fan and used to pull mom or friends for ‘Phuchka’ almost every alternate evening.

     Well don’t think I was/am as fat as phuchka… there was enormous amount of dance to keep me fit n fine J. But now that I don’t have that regime, I will be scared to have street food everyday but I don’t think I can manage with the craving much. I want to also plan a food trip to Delhi.. Old Delhi .. I have heard it’s the ultimate place to enjoy street food… I would love to visit Parathe Wali Gali, Chandi Chowk etc etc… Other than these I have been watching Food Safari in TLC all this while, top destinations I need to visit for street food are Marakesh, Mexico, Ho Chi Minh city, If I can ever then Lahore for its kababs. I am already drooling.

2.       Italian Cuisine – after street food if there is anything I love to eat and cook (obviously after deserts) it is Italian food – and it’s not the pizzas or pastas I am talking about. There is so much more than pizza & pasta in Italian cuisine. I know so many people who know only about pizzas with tomato sauce with different toppings and pasta in either white sauce or tomato sauce. That’s such an insult to the cuisine. 

     My favourite item is a beef/lamb lasagna,  I can never resist that, I woudn’t mind an overdose of good lasagna. Apart from it I love Egg drop soup, Risotto, Ravioli, Cannelloni, Pot Roast… the list can go on and on. I specifically like the use of different cheese.. I wish all those were available here so that I could attempt making a Milanese roast or a Scicilian baked fish…

3.       Indian Food – I am very proud of our Indian cuisine, which I think is the most diverse cuisine. Every region has its own flavor, its own ingredients and its own sweets J. I particularly love Biriyani – Bengali & Lucknowi style. Others I find very spicy. There can b no comparison with a Bengali ‘alu posto’, ‘alur dom’, ‘cholar dal’ ‘luchi’, ‘kosha mangsho’, ‘chingri mach’, ‘illish mach’, ‘chittol mach’, ‘bhetki fry’…. This list is longer J. 

     Well my next sentence will surprise a lot of Bengalis. I am not very fond of Bengali fish! I eat very limited amount of fish. But the Bengali cuisine is a master piece. Apart from Bengali food, I enjoy all sorts of Punjabi parathas, chole, rajma, kadhi, gujju dal, desi chicken/mutton. I am not very fond of South Indian food but I must mention I really liked idiyappam and veg stew, Spicy mutton/beef curry when I had visited Kerala.  

4.       Continental – This is a tricky cuisine. Many people have an idea that continental cuisine is only Italian food and English food. But in fact it’s the food style of whole of Europe. 

    So it includes Romanian, Greek, Hungarian, Russian, German, French, Danish, Spanish, British, Irish, Maltese and so many. There are some cuisines in this which are famous in its self like French, British, Greek Spanish & Italian. 

     But everything else collectively is continental.  Well my favourite from this incredibly big cuisine are – All Itallian Foods, Greek salads, goulash, tapas, a la Kiev, meat filled crepes, pan cakes, chicken/turkey roast… FISH & CHIPS…  let me not make this a long food item list.

     5.       DESERTS – This one itself is enormous and super favorite. I like anything and everything sweet. From Bengali rosogolla, pantua to gelato I think I love everything. I just don’t like sandesh much, I find it less sweet! But I am huge fan of ice cream, dark chocolate cakes, mouse, pie, CHEESE CAKE, PAYESH…. This can be the longest list in fact.

After writing so much on food I am feeling hungry… and I am also drooling for some sweets. I need to take along some sweets along with me on my way back home!

This is going to be the most favourite post of mine in this challenge. I wish I didn’t have to limit myself to only six. I’ll pick three and three choice for this. Three best places where I would love to go back any day and three places where I desperately want to go.

     1.       Switzerland – Till date this is one country which has mesmerized me with its spec less bright blue skies, green fields and white peaks. I think any place in this country looks like a picture straight out of some story book, you don’t need a special camera to capture the true beauty of this place. Even if you click with a bad camera the pictures of Switzerland is bound to come out superb. I loved each and every place I visited there. Be it gobbling huge ice creams by the chilled Lake Lucerne, or waiting for the Glacier Express in a small station which looked very less like a station, or even enjoying smoking hot chocolate & cheese fondue on top on Titlis or even splurging in Lausanne. I so wish I could go and stay there and go back packing in even the smallest city/town and country side.  Given a chance I would like to go back any day and have cozy stay in a chalet. J I am so happy remembering those few days that I visited.

      2.       Italy – After Switzerland if I can remember any other picturesque country which I have visited it has to be Italy. A country whose which has history unfolding in each street, in each town. Forget about only Venice, or the Leaning Tower, or all the famous monuments, a simple walk through the streets of Rome can probably take you back some hundreds of years, at some places the roads are still made of stones. I absolutely love history, reading about dynasties, religion and culture. May be because of this I found this country fascinating. Probably the best architecture across cities and the best place to have ice-cream!                                                  

      3.       Pondicherry (Tamil Nadu, India) – Another of my favorite. I had visited Pondi when I was in school and the blue waters of Bay of Bengal was as beautiful as any other exotic destination. I still remember  sitting by the sea and walking along the beaches. I don’t remember where I stayed, but I remember the food and bakery were great J. Now I stay in Bangalore and its much closer now I hope I plan a trip to Pondy sometime soon.

Now the three places that I have never visited and want to go desperately.

    4.       Kashmir – People say Kashmir is like heaven on Earth. I have given that place to my first option Switzerland because I haven’t visited Kashmir as yet. But I truly wish that I can visit there someday without a fear. I don’t want to go there with a constant fear in mind of whether I am going to step on an IED, or my Shikara will be blown up, etc etc.

     5.       Antarctica – I don’t know why I am so fascinated with Antarctica but I want to go there and see Penguins in their habitat. And I’ll be able to tell my next generation that yes I have been to one of the poles J!

     6.       Washington DC – This ones interesting and I don’t know if its possible the way I want. I am quite a Dan Brown fan and the latest one that I read is The Lost Symbol. Dan brown always maintains that his reference to places and their descriptions are practically true. So right now I am quite interested in visiting the US Capitol Building, The Rotunda, Smithsonian Institute, House of Temples etc. If only I can get inside House of Temples or Rotunda and go through all the details mentioned. But I don’t know how far that’s possible. Anyways visiting the US is not a bad idea in anyway. Now that the movie on its adaptation is also in the pipeline I am looking forward to its release in 2012 and this time Dan Brown himself is writing the script & screenplay. J I think he himself can do justice to his story.

That’s about it on places though there are many more that I have loved/liked and even more which I want to visit but for the time being let me sign off here and stop feeling bad that I don’t know when I am visiting those places.

Here I want many more than just seven. So will compile a lot and fit them in seven.

     1.      I want to travel travel and keep travelling so that I see as many places, cultures and taste as many cuisines as I can.

      2.       I am running around across the city for the last few months in search of a good apartment that we want to buy. Some abode which we can call ourselves and can get rid of any glitch of landlord/landlady. And I want to get a good decent apartment in a good locality soon before the prices reach Mt Everest!

      3.       I want to buy my own first car as soon as possible. But I think that will have to wait until we have shifted to our own apartment or we shift from the place where we are currently put up but that’s very unlikely. Here the landlady suddenly denied us parking! I hope to arrange for a parking so that I can buy my car

      4.       I want to have a pet. I have wanted this since I was a kid but my mom became Hitler every time I uttered any such thing. But now this idea even more distant cz no one stays at home. Both of us are away slogging at work but I so very want a kitten or even a pup will do, but kitten first preference coz I know it will be just like me Miss Lazy Little J

      5.       I want some magic potion or a magic wand – Dumbledore’s Elder Wand will do J– so that I can work faster without much effort. I seriously wish I could do stuffs much faster and and some thing which could help me do stuffs instantly. My sincere request to all scientists please make a super wand like all the super computers you have invented.

6.       I want to see more movies. I am such a movie buff. I even watch bad movies to figure out how bad can someone make a movie. Few examples of these risk watching are – Tees Mar Khan, Scary Movie, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, Valentines Day,  Buddha Mar Gaya (I don’t even know if anyone has ever  heard of it, it starred Anupam Kher, Om puri & Rakhi Sawant – what a combi)  etc etc, but for a change I want to see loads and loads of good movies. My favorite genres are Horror, Action & Sci Fi. 

      7.       I want to open a restaurant or any concept food business. There are so many concepts that keep roaming around, But surely someday I’ll start it and will have a whacky name for it. J This probably will make my ultimate want a success- to be happy and keep people around me happy J.

This was the easiest post so far in the You Challenge. I wish I could write more. But then I can write an essay on my wants.

Image Source: Google Images

Three consecutive postings… I don’t think I have ever written so much J. Today time for the eight fears of my life. Well I do not fear a lot of things… I’ll have to really think for this post.

  

      1.     The biggest fear of my life till now has been the feeling of falling from a height. I am not scared of height nor do I feel scared to look down from an enormous height. So I cannot term myself of having acrophobia, but each time my flights have been going through bad weather or in air pocket I have felt this is going to be my last day J. This also happens when I am  in any roller coaster in any amusement park.

     2.       I am scared of all those creepy crawly creatures which includes lizards, cockroaches, SNAKES, rodents etc etc

     3.       I have a weird fear of losing the technology that I use every day. If under any circumstances if my laptop, internet, phone, electricity etc. doesn’t work I don’t know what I will do.

     4.       This is exactly not a fear but I’ll dread the day when I’ll have to be financially dependent on any one.

     5.       Yes I am scared of being in pain. So far I have fortunately never come across any major disease in life nor any surgery. Apart from high fevers, malarial fever and disc pressure pain in spine I haven’t gone through any major pain. But I just hope I do not have to across a time where I have to experience any unbearable pain.

    6.       This has happened a few times so I think I should mention. I am not very comfortable with the traffic scenario in the country. I am always fearful that suddenly a person/scooter cycle/auto rickshaw will zoom in right in front when I am driving and then I’ll be in trouble. I hope someday people stick to proper traffic rules.

     7.       I am scared of losing all my money. Not that I am careless or I tend to go overboard while spending but you never know what can happen next specially when we are going through recession after recession. I just don’t want to face a situation where I am so short of funds that I need to panic.

     8.       At last I reach my last point, I am happy. I think this is quite common with everyone. I do not want to lose my near and dear ones. I love my family immediate & extended and friends. Life won’t be life without.

Day two of my ten day challenge. I hope to keep it up.

The Nine Loves of my life

     1.       I love all my friends, they are very dear to me. Friendship is something which I treasure because it’s not very often that you have great friends. But when you have you know will know they’ll be with you.

      2.       I love my family. I owe a lot to my parents and my extended family for making me who I am – not that I am some big shot celeb. But it’s from the family that you learn to give love and share happiness. It also includes my husband and in-laws because when you love and respect people they love you back!

     3.       I looooooove to sleep. As I mentioned earlier I can give a good competition to the laziest sloth, I can sleep may be for an entire day. I remember days in PG when me and my roommate use to laze around on our beds every weekend. Somehow wake up for 15 mins in the afternoon and sleep again J 

    4.       I always look forward for a nice vacation. Discovering a new place – city/country/village has its own charm. At times I feel the peaks or the waters are calling me. I travelled to a lot of places, and I think it only makes you wiser, broadens your mind and makes you happy

     5.       How can I miss out SHOPPING! Those who know me they know how much I love to shop J. I am a complete shopaholic. If I am in a bad mood I go for my retail therapy, if I am in good mood then obviously I splurge. At times I shop without reason/requirement/want. My friends in PG were almost tired of my shopping trips and I also asked the landlord to provide me with an extra cupboard coz I couldn’t fit my stuffs in the one I already had!!

     6.       Dance is my passion, I love the energy that you get after dancing. And I always loved the compliments I got when I used to give performances with our troupe back in Kolkata. This is one love which grew in me gradually when I did very badly in my first year Katthak exam. I don’t think I had realised my potential before that. Its only when I was preparing for my second year exam I thought I can do much better only if I give a little more care & love to it. And viola I came with first class distinction and made my mom very happy.

     7.       As a kid I was inseparable from my teddy bear. I couldn’t pronounce teddy that time and used to call it ‘teli’ and it still remains my teli. Its way old and rugged but it still occupied my bed in my room in Kol. And I am planning to bring it to BLR now though now the population of teddies in my house is like China!

     8.       I can have ice cream all day long… I was, am and always will be the biggest fan of ICE CREAM. I am sure I am going to have diabetes when I am older since everyone in my family has so before I have to stop slurping I want to enjoy ice cream as much as I want. I can sit and finish one huge party pack all by myself J

     9.       Sweets & street Food – Being a bong has some benefits – you get to eat mind blowing sweets and great street food.  Like every Bengali I too have a major sweet tooth. And I miss all those sweets here. I am an absolute crazy fan of ‘Phuchka’,’Churmur’, ‘Ghugni’, ‘Alurdom’ Egg Roll, Chicken Roll, Fish fry, Cutlet, Fish ‘Kobiraji’…. And I can keep on naming it. I am sure all the Bengalis who stay far from Kolkata can empathize with me.