Joys Of Blogging

Brrrrreeeeakkkkkkkk!!

2015-07-23T00:36:00.002-07:00

We all understand why a break is required and how important it is for all of us. Reason, why I was on break is a new addition to my family – my son.

Although I was constantly reading my fav blogs yet I had no time to go n comment on them. It was lovely reading those wonderful blogs. Will be updating my blog on Delhi eateries soon as I have visited a few in d past few months.

Zaitoon - Arab Cuisine

2012-07-12T01:25:00.001-07:00

Located at DLF Palace Mall, Saket, New Delhi offers some of the best food of Arab and Lebanon. We prefered to go the non tradition way this time and trying the food at Zaitoon. We ordered two dishes Paneer Arayes and the other Hummus Falafel, both priced at 135/- each.

The dishes looked colourless unlike the punjabi food we are used to :) They tasted yummy and were worth every penny spent but coz Zaitoon is located in the Food Court area of the DLF Place Mall, I can't comment on the ambience or service. The food of course scored 10/10. For more on Zaitoon visit http://www.zaitoonfoods.com/

The service was quick and we collected our food from the counter. After having our meal we were requested to fill the feedback register. One suggestion that I gave them was "Plz make MENU CARD more descriptive" For Eg: I ordered Paneer Arayes and the description written was:

Paneer Arayes
Cottage cheese baked with khubus
served with hummus and turshi

which is totally arabic for me...........
Simply put "u want to know what u r going to eat" and in my case I didn't know what I am gonna eat. Had the menu card been more descriptive I would not have to ask for the help. Anyways, the food scored and that is what matters.

BERCO'S at Dwarka

2012-06-11T22:41:00.002-07:00

The first I had food at Berco's was in the year 2006 at Cannaught place, Delhi. the CP Berco's is small in space but not in menu. Famous for its chinese and Thai cuisine, Berco's has 14 resturants in and around Delhi. For a better look at berco's log in to http://www.bercos.net/menu.html and have a virtual tour of Berco's restaurants. The restaurant operates from 12:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m

The best thing about Berco's is the helpful staff. We ordered Fish Thai Curry (cooked in typical kerala style in cocunut milk) and ordered noodles to go along with it (as my daugter is very fond of noodles), the person taking the order told us that rice would go along very well with fish thai curry and not noodles. We accepted hi ssuggestion and YES the food tasted very well!! Thank You Berco's for serving such delicious food.

Passion Fruit cooler tasted very fresh and broke the monotony of fresh lime juice. A must have was also Ginger Fizz. For appetizers this time we chose Tangy Button Mushrooms which were very chilly and cooked in tomatos, onions and lots of garlic. A meal for two costed us 1200 including services charges which has 100% value for money. The ambience at Berco's Dwarka is serene and calm with Buddha pictures engraved on the walls and a dim lighting to along with the whole mood. My take on Bercos's is 9/10 for the food, staff and ambience and hospitality.

The Tibet Kitchen

2012-04-30T22:21:00.003-07:00

Amar Colony, Lajpat Nagar
Tibet Kitchen
A little overview about Amar Colony is must when I write about it. Amar Colony is famous for wholesale ladies suits and the main purpose of visit was to do some shopping (that's what we women look forward to when we go wid our girls).
The best part was food at TK - fresh, nicely cooked and extremely yummy. We reached there at around 3:00 pm. The rush hour for lunch was at its best, with no place to sit, we had to wait for few mins but the wait was worth every morsel we had. With seating capacity of approx. 30-35 people, TK is undoubtedly the best in Amar Colony. The staff was good but the waitress serving the food was a bit rude with her speech.

A lot of lady staff was present in the restaurant, which is good.....(hip hip hurray to women power), from accepting the cash to feeding data to serving food ....all was done by ladies except the chef who was a male. I am not sure if TK is run by ladies only, neither did I ask as I was busy gulping down my yummy food. With no flashy interiors and nothing much interesting hanging on the walls, TK was a lill disappointment minus food. They say food has always been the plus point abt TK but for the past few months they have not come up with anything interesting in their menu.

My points for TK-
Ambience- 5/10
Food- 9/10

TK gives a dhaba type feel but with the word "DELHI" attached to its address it gives u a feel of nice dhaba with fresh food.

Cinnabon at Vasant Kunj

2011-12-13T16:55:00.000-08:00

The wikipedia entry for Cinnabon is simple and "tasty", it says "Cinnabon is a chain of American baked goods stores and kiosks, normally found in high-traffic areas such as malls. The company's signature item is a grande cinnamon roll."

Had the pleasure to eat cinnabon rolls at DLF Place Mall in Vasant Kunj. Located at the ground floor, one can smell cinnamon all over the place. As the name suggests, CINNABON offers its baked stuff with cinnamon mixed in it. The preparatons are eggless. Although I was apprehensive to the rolls a try but my husband convinced me. Unlike the way I thought, cinnabon rolls came as a surprise with not very strong cinnamon taste in them. Yes, the rolls were yum and kept on getting yumier by every bite.

The CINNABON has a open kitchen and the preparation is open to everyone who wants to see it. Worth every bite for money and taste, one should give it a try. The mini cinnabon rolls are available for Rs.65 for 4 rolls, which is a great value for your money and taste buds. The coffee is available for Rs.70 onwards.

The wikipedia page for CINNABON is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnabon

The official Facebook fan page is http://www.facebook.com/Cinnabon

For its ambience I would give it thumbs up and no scoring. For its service and quality I would give it 5 on 5.

Krishna at my place

2011-08-21T02:45:00.000-07:00

On the eve of Janamashtmi, I got krishna (idol) at home today. Did puja and offered him fruits and flowers :) I think it was what I wanted to do in a long long time. BRING HIM HOME!! Will post the pics soon. In persuit of happiness - this is how I would describe my state of mind now. But after bringing him home I am more than happy. I wish he brings his naughtimess and fun along. Bless us wid loads of happiness.

Grandma's tips

2011-03-03T03:11:00.000-08:00

For the mothers whose kids don't like veggies and specially green veggies: cut the veggies, wash them and make a puree. Add these to the flour and make chappatis out of it. Works with my daughter!

Things I'd love to do again

2011-03-03T03:07:00.000-08:00

Starting painting again, last I painted was 10-13 years back.
To be able to read a book, I am constantly busy with one thing or the other.
Start gardening all over again.
Play ludoo and other board games.
Feed my daughter the food I like so dat she makes up for the daily calorie intake.
Take a walk with my friend S in the garden near my maternal house.
Hug, sleep, kiss, feel, touch, cuddle my mom again and again and again.
Read newspaper in the morning and exercise.

The list is endless........... As a mother I am the time will return to do all these again :) but a few years later.

A visit to Delhi Zoo aka chidiyaghar

2011-02-02T03:07:00.000-08:00

The Zoo Cafeteria

Giraffee

Birds


Bear

Delhi Zoo or National Zoological Park of Delhi is located next to Purana Qila and has many varities of birds and other animals. The Zoo has a cafeteria of its own and is makes its presence felt just on the entrance. The Zoo is spread over a wide area and houses large varities of birds from peacocks to eagle and vultures.

The main reason to visit the zoo was my daughter as we wanted her to see the animals that she sees in her books. She cud very well relate to the animals and even shouted the names.
On entering the Zoo one finds visitors going all around the place but the arrows marks on the road make for a good direction. Leopard cat, Indian Rhinoceros, Hippopotamus, Black Buck, Indian Gazelle and Lion-tailed macaque are some animals you should especially see on your visit.

Winter time boosts of some migratory birds including storks, ducks and others. The caged and non caged animals have plenty of space necessary for the survival. The flora and fauna is just amazing as the trees are marked wid names both in english and hindi.

I was amazed to find that there are many varities of pepal tree and some of them even have medicinal values. You are not allowed to carry any eatables along so eating in the zoo cafeteria is a good option. While exploring the zoo one finds small shops which offer coffee, mineral water and cold drinks but no eatables. So stuff yourself before you start with your journey. Teasing and feeding animals are not allowed but there were a few people who were seen doing so. Some other details include:

Location: To the South of Purana Qila on Mathura Road.

Time to Visit: Open on all days except Friday

Admission Fee: Indian citizen: INR 20 and kids below 5 years: FREE

Time required for sightseeing: 3-4 hours

Elephants

The best way to see the zoo is by foot as some enclosures are a little far away from each other but vans are also available to explore the zoo. I my opinion winters is the best time to go to zoo as the weather allows you to explore the zoo on foot and not much is required to keep yourself hydrated during the winters unlike the summers. My daughter had a great time inside and was much excited to see the elephant poop. All in all we had a great time!

A time for myself

2011-01-28T03:33:00.000-08:00

A contrast of now and then:

Now: Drag myself out of the bed and prepare breakfast
Then: a wake up kiss from mom and a lill exercise in d morning

Now: run, rush, fast, quick
Then: relax, enjoy, take it easy attitude

Now: "come baby, wear this cap, eat this food, lets go"
Then: come home after job, eat, chat wid frnds

Now: running and slashing the door, picking up laundry, tiding the living room
Then: Nothing doing....just sundays on my mind

Now: Living wid parents
Then: living without parents, now dat i m in delhi and my parents live in chandigarh

I have to agree life for me after wedding was "in the fast lane". Not that he is not nice but I guess I was a brat :D.There are so many other things dat I can count my finger as to how live has become so complicated. Not dat I don't enjoy it now, I do. Earlier it was morning kisses from mom n dad and now its morning kisses to my daughter. I love doing it!! I just wish I cud do what I like to do earlier. Although maids and other life-made-easy equipments have made life easier but still 24 hrs seem so less. In the end all I can say is I need to be active and not crib about "everything"!

Khan Chacha at Khan market

2011-01-14T03:12:00.000-08:00

A chandelier-cum-iron-rods


A view from the windowof KC

Khan Chahca in Khan market needs no introduction to Delhites. kebab rolls, kathi rolls, keema rolls, veggy rolls, mutton seekh kebabs, paneer tikkas, mutton tikka rumali rolls, chicken tikkas, chicken tikka rumali rolls you name and they have it. The place is open from 12:00 pm - 11:00 pm and also liquor.KC is a small tandoori joint on the first floor of a posh market with some amazing and innovative interiors. The place is jam packed with ppl who love to savour the taste of frehly cooked rolls. We went there at around 8;30 or 9:00 and the place still looked packed with ppl. The rolls start from 100 and fish tikka can be had for 150 for 6 pieces.

The interiors are nothing special but amaze you with their simple and intelligently put thoughts. when you enter KC the walls welcome you with their rustic feel. The walls are not plastered thus invite a glance with their unplastered look. The photographs of cricketers and film star adorn the walls. The ceiling has a chandelier-cum-iron-rods hanging to it look.
Khan Chacha was in news for all the good reasons, read it here http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/HC-relief-for-Khan-Chacha-family-landlord-cant-use-name/articleshow/5128982.cms

Breast Cancer

2010-09-13T02:04:00.000-07:00

One only comes to know "more" about a disease or a situation when one comes across it. Somebody very close to me has Breast Cancer and I can't stop thinking about it. Although I haven't told many ppl about who that person is but it I just wake up during the night thinking about the C word. I never thought it cud happen to her. When I first came to know about it I searched Wiki for more info., googled about it and taking to my hubby about it.

There is very little I can do but I talk to her, listen to her and try to understand how she feels about it. Her biggest fear is undergoing chemotherapy which results in loss of hair and other side effects.

Empty mind is devil's workshop

2009-12-10T06:24:00.000-08:00

The following few months have been very stressful for me because I am occupied with various useless thoughts (not all the time but still....) My first day in London was terribly bad and I can't forget it, a short account of the day -

My husband went to office at around 8:30 and then P starts to cry out aloud - took her out for a short walk - came back and then she starts to cry loudly - played with her - then a huge cry - a while later a knock on the door - the family living upstairs came and asked me rudely "Why is she crying so loudly? Did u say smething to her? is she fine?" - P sleeps a lill later - The lady living on the upper floor gave me a devil look when I went out - I ignored - Husband comes back home - A knock on the door and .......POLICE - They ask me "do u have a baby? v have a complain against u....d baby has been crying whole day....is she fine? Can v c her?" They c her n go away saying "she looks fine, healthy"

This is definitely not the way I expected the family living on the upper floor to behave but I guess they were just trying to be good citizens?????????

The reasons for which P was crying:

She was missing her dada n dadi
In India, we don't keep our babies in diaper, atleast I didn't. But in London we made her wear diaper all day long coz of carpets n wooden flooring.
All day long P was just seeing me n nobody around her....as in no dada n dadi.
Lesser toys as it was the first day and we had few toys for her to play with. Later on we got some more for her.
No familiar voices t be heard n only mum was there for her.
Loneliness and change of place.

I think all these reasons are just enuf to state why my daughter was crying and instead of helping me with my baby the lady was rude n threatening. later on I met her outside my house n told her all the reasons that I have mentioned above to clarify as to "why is my baby crying". Although, she didn't deserve to be told all this. Anyways, I am happy to be flying back to India by Dec end. But, I have no reason to say I like London because.........I would not like to be back here ever.

Some food photography taken from K530i

2009-10-08T04:39:00.000-07:00

Passion Fruit, Raspberries and Strawberries

Jacket Potato with tuna and sweet corn

Raspberries jam filled Doughnuts

Blackberries

Confession

2009-09-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

Many a times my friends n family from India have asked me "So do u like living in London?" My answer "NO, It's boring here, I don't like the place". But, being true to myself I somewhere like it here :)
Peaceful, happy and content - that's how I feel it here. Although I miss mornings of India, where one can usually here sabjiwala n doodhwala in the morning selling their stuff. But most importantly I miss family n friends.
My evenings in India would pass chatting with friends n going on evening walks with them. Here, in London the weather is very unpredictable so can't take my baby out daily.

On my baby's front she has started walking, saying mum (for water n me), papa n evens tells us to switch on d computer so that she can watch her nursery rhymes. My day passes preparing food, taking baby out for walk if the weather allows and playing wid her. I haven't been able to read much in the past few months but I do take a sneak peak on the blogs I love reading.
I have started writing about Home Remedies which is based on my experience wid my daughter. Hope u all like it.

grandma's tips

2009-09-27T23:58:00.000-07:00

Based on my experience, for dry nose in kids/infants, put small amount of desi ghee on finger tip and apply to the inside of the nostrils.

Short of Words

2009-09-14T14:13:00.000-07:00

Usually I have many things to blog about but now I don't get time to blog about them or generally speaking I am sometime short of words. Sometimes I need a wake up call from my friends :)
P turned one year old on Sep 1. and we celebrated her B'day away from family and friends :( Well, not intentionally but coz we are in London for some time. We came to London in the first week of August and since then our weekends are spent either sightseeing or shopping. Our trip to London Aquarium and London Eye went fine but very hectic as P was not comfortable traveling in Tube. She wants space and wanted to roam about in the train but sometimes it's just not possible. Whenever we go out I pack her baby bag with things like:

2 Diapers
2 undergarments
An extra t-shirt
Something to eat
Her sipper
A pair of socks
Sweater for winters
Spoon
Biscuits or Chips (for MOM)
Toys

All these things are a must for me carry along or else I can't leave the home :)

Random Musings

2009-07-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

There are a few of friends who tell me that they don't know how to say NO or rather they can't say NO I always tell them where the line should be drawn whether it's office, home or friends.
I agree there are times and situations when one just can't say NO and we tend to do what we don't want to do.I face YES and NO situations time and again specially with P. I know what's good for my baby and what isn't.I listen to everyone but do what I want to. I don't say that I am adamant but when it come to listening to your conscious I don't ignore it.

With P I have realized one thing and that is there are hundreds of people who will come up
and suggest you ABC remedies but thay are not willing to take the responsibility for the outcome.When I delivered P I went through a very rough phase of my life, which haunts me till date and honestly I don't want to relive it. Through this blog I just want to share it with you all.
I went through post partum depression and I guess every new mom goes through, but somewhere I wasn't prepared for it. All day long I was feeding my baby, yes all day long, which was a big change. Second comes identity crisis, I was just a mother and not a human being, atleast this is what my family made me believe. Although I loved being a new mom yet I was not able to totally identify with it. My husband wasn't near to me as I delivered at my native place and not in Delhi. So, being away from husband during the tough times is a BIG NO. Husbands are a big big support and I think most of you will agree to this.

All in all I did what I didn't want to do....STAY AT MY NATIVE PLACE and ignored my gut feeling. Plz listen to your heart and in the meanwhile if you face a similar situation as mine, DON'T FORGET TO CHERISH BEING A MOM!

MY DAUGHTER MEANS ME MY WORLD.

Small Wonder

2009-06-05T08:54:00.001-07:00

My daughter is a small wonder. She makes my smile all the time. All my worries just go away when I look at her. I never knew she could mean so much to me. I love her.

Purvi has started crawling and she tries to stand holding sofa or chair. I try to capture those moments in my camera but she is so conscious that she moves around. But, at times she just smiles back and takes the camera away from me.

We go out for walk together in the evening and her smile has made many friends.

A little update about myself: I have started working for 3-4 hours now. A friend of mine gave me the opportunity to work with him. Currently, the firm has 20 employees and are planning to expand. It is amazing to be back in the corporate sector and a very welcome change. Purvi, in the meantime stays with her grandma. When I come back home all my time is for her then.

I just realized that I write nothing else other than my daughter on my blog. Although, I never want to make this a mommy blog yet its turning to be one.

That's all from me, nothing much. I am enjoying my newly acquired motherhood!

Bah-i Temple

2009-03-13T07:41:00.001-07:00

We have been on our Delhi Darshan AGAIN. Earlier it was a little discomfort traveling with our daughter but now we are at ease. Last weekend we went to Bahi-i temple. Also known as lotus temple, it is surrounded by water on all sides.

Here's a wikimapia link for the Bahi-I temple read more on Wikipedia I was amazed by the architecture of the lotus temple. A must see if you visit Delhi.

Suggestions Please

2009-02-28T09:52:00.000-08:00

I really don't know how to say it but sometimes I feel so helpless and irritated at the same time. She wakes up every hour during the night and that leaves me sleepless, energy less and irritated. The impact of her waking up is so severe that even my husband has to bear the brunt of my anger and tiredness. i know its bad but can't help.

Any suggestion on that front would be really appreciated.

Purvi at five months!

2009-02-19T09:10:00.000-08:00

Remembering Biji

2009-01-29T06:05:00.000-08:00

This post is very special for me as I blog about my dadi ma. She expired on Jan 26, 09. I had just met her last year in the month of Nov. and I told her that I would come soon to meet her. I hadn't met her for last 5-6 years because of some reason or the other, sometimes the reason was studies and other times the reason was just laziness. I guess I took her for granted and thought she would live for many more years. Now I regrett not meeting her earlier.

This time when I met her, the real reason was Purvi, dadi ma called my dad and asked him if he could bring Purvi and Anu.

When I came to know that she was no more with us, I cried and at the same time thanked the almighty for I had a chance to touch her, talk to her when she was alive. All the old memories come rushing to my mind when I think of her. I remember asking her to help me with my math problems and she would do it in just fraction of seconds. Ohh...I miss her. May her soul rest in peace. She would wait outside for me and my brother, whenever we got late from school then she would cook food for us and the three of us would sit in the kitchen and eat together.

When I met her she told me that she misses me like anything and desires if I could come again and meet her. She was staying with my uncle in Punjab.

I am happy that my father was near to her when she took her last breath, holding her hand. She told my aunt that she just loved meeting me and Purvi and that she was happy. All that I feel guilty is that I could have met her earlier.

Poops and poopoos

2008-12-19T08:35:00.000-08:00

The title may sound weird but that's what is running through my mind now as Purvi can poopoo any time.

It's just amazing to see Purvi and sometimes I can't just imagine myself doing all that I do now as a mum. Things like making Purvi do poopoo, give her bath, wash her clothes, feed her when she cries and other small things like that.

Sometimes even small things look so big as its tough to leave Purvi alone and do the household work. Becoming mom is a full time job.

As of Purvi, she has discovered her hands as well as ours. She tries to hold our hands and play with hers. It's not easy to understand her silent language as she only knows how to cry?

She cries when:

She is hungry
she is feeling cold
she want to go poopoo
she wants me by her side
she wants to hold her toys

All in all my daughter knows how to CRY :) and much more.

I am able to blog today as my hubby is taking care of our daughter. Thank You, dear husband.

That's Motherhood!

2008-10-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

I think motherhood is all about not getting time for yourself, it's all about TIME FOR THE BABY! Well, whenever I plan to blog or surf net, Purvi wakes up as if knowing that mum is going to be busy for herself. This picture was taken in the Hospital when Purvi was one day old.