Trip to San Diego!

Photo Source: http://comeheretome.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/sandiego.jpg

Having just returned from an extended long weekend vacation from San Diego, I feel more than obliged to write about it in this blog entry. So here goes. I believe, and I think most people will agree, that California has always been a separate animal on it's own. It has it's own unique traits and characteristics. Take for example, it's various cities - Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Los Angeles - all seem to have their own distinct take on what it's like to be a part of California. Same goes for San Diego - I truly felt that this was a city that portrayed a sort of quaint and subtle demeanor, if you will.

San Diego had numerous good places to visit, sightsee, and relax. Listed here are the one's that we visited - 



Point Loma Lighthouse

Point Loma Lighthouse, Cabrillo National Monument - I would like to start by stating that I have a thing for lighthouses! There is just something about lighthouses that draws me to them - I always feel they seem to display an auro of serenity and peace. I often start wondering about the history attached to them and basically get enthralled by their presence. So no points for guessing that this was the first place we visited upon our arrival to San Diego. This particular lighthouse was built in 1855 and I could not help but start to wonder what tales could be told if only it's walls could speak. Also surrounding the lighthouse were sweeping harbor views stretching from as far as Mexico to the east of Los Angeles. Those were a definite treat for sore eyes.

  

La Jolla Beach

La Jolla Beach - This has got to be my second most favorite beach (the first always always being the beaches in Goa). The La Jolla beach was a quintessential little beach that was beyond beautiful. In fact the beach was so serene that even mammals such as sea lions could not keep themselves at bay (pun intended :-)) You could literally see dozens of them basking in the sunlight on the cliffs. What was nice was the extra care that was taken to avoid hurting them. For instance, during the times when the sea lions ventured onto the beach, beach goers were requested not to go onto the beach in order to avoid scaring them.

The sunsets at the beach were phenomenal, so much so that we tried to go there each and every evening. You could also see a number of scuba divers in the ocean. The real estate surrounding the beach was absolutely gorgeous with a price ranging from anywhere between 1 to 7 million dollars (phew!). But it was easy to understand why it was what it was. The town of La Jolla including the restaurants surrounding the beach were really quaint and had a sleepy rich town feel to it. A dinner at one of the restaurants on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean was especially memorable due to it's fabulous views.

Mission Beach - This was the other beach that we tried out. This was more of a typical beach with thousands of beach goers, beach umbrellas, frisbee players, and what have you. If all you want to do is sun bathe with a million other people then this is the spot for you :-) Incidentally, we were not huge fans of this beach.

Hotel Del Coronado



Hotel Del Coronado @ Coronado Island - Coronado Island was a cute little beach town connected to San Diego downtown via a single expansive bridge. The island is most famous for its Hotel Del Coronado which is a Victoria style beach resort built in 1988. The resort has been featured in numerous movies and has housed everybody from presidents to celebrities and other royalties. The beach town itself was lined with small restaurants, shops, and boutiques. A good place to stroll about, shop, eat, and relax.

Gaslamp Quarter

Gaslamp Quarter, East Village & Little Italy -  In the heart of San Diego downtown was the historic district of Gaslamp Quarter. This area had a plethora of restaurants, shops, bars, and more. We had one of the best brunch ever at this one nondescript café called The Mission in East Village which is adjoining the Gaslamp Quarter. I have always felt that California has much better food and food options including much healthier choices and smaller portion sizes (which is a good thing) as compared to the East coast or the Midwest. And if anyone requires proof of this, all they have to do is visit The Mission. Breakfast included Mexican fusion dishes such as (my favorite) Papas Loco which consisted of  rosemary potatoes, grilled jalapeños, black beans, very little cheese, avocado slice and sour cream. Absolutely delicious! Little Italy was another area adjoining the Gaslamp and we had one of our best Italian meals ever at the Bencotto Italia. This restaurant has won awards for the Best Italian in SD Magazine 2010-12 etc. and rightly so!

San Diego Safari Park

San Diego Zoo, San Diego Safari Park, SeaWorld - Finally a mention about San Diego's infamous zoos and safaris. We visited all three and were able to do so easily in a span of two days. But if you had to choose between these, I would recommend not missing the Safari Park. This was located around 30 miles from downtown and is a park built in the wilderness. It offers several different types of safaris such as the Cheetah Safari (meet the Cheetah's up-close and personal), the Caravan Safari (hand feed the giraffes and rhinos), the Rolling Safari (segway tour of the park), Roar & Snore Safari (camp out in the wilderness and spend the night listening to the roar and growl of tigers and lions) etc. What was nice about this park was the animals were kept in their natural habitat for the most part and not confined to cages as is the case in a typical zoo. At the end of the day, they also offered a Cheetah run where you could watch the Cheetahs run full gait in the open. The Safari Park has also apparently secured 800 acres of surrounding land to protect other wildlife such as rabbits, deers, mountain lions etc. in their natural habitat. These animals are not part of the park but stay without fear of human encroachment in the acres surrounding the park.

The San Diego SeaWorld also warrants a visit if not for anything else then for watching Shamu, the killer whale show. It was really endearing to watch how mammals respond to human signs and hidden languages and one really starts to wonder how these mammals were trained in the first place.

Finally, I would like to mention a few other things that caught our notice such as the weather which was slightly chilly due to the wind (yes, yes although it's California). You could also notice a lot of homeless people around downtown and some of the other areas. And a final mention about a must eat spot (for non-vegetarians) - the infamous In-N-Out burger. Unfortunately there was nothing in here for us, but I have heard the burgers are so good that apparently even Angelina Jolie stopped by to pick up burgers here after the Oscars, which is funny when you think about it :-)

All in all, this was a memorable vacation once you minus the tedious flight and travel time from Chicago to San Diego. My verdict - A nice place to visit if you have kids, a one time place to visit if you don't. :-)

The Kite Runner

I really believe that blogging is an excellent way to share some of the things that I come across in my daily life that warrant a special mention and acknowledgment. This novel - The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is one such thing.

I absolutely love Goodreads.com and one of the things I heart about it is the ratings and category system that they have. So for instance, there would be a category for 'Best Books of the 20th Century' or another one for 'Books that took me completely by surprise'. This latter category is where I often came across this book and did not give it much of a thought. Reading the summary of this book did not have much of an impact on me either as emotional sagas are really not my thing and this sounded like a frontrunner candidate for the same. So long story short, never bothered requesting this book from the library and frankly never planned to in the future as well.

That was until the day I came across this book in the mini library in my building and decided to pick it up on a last minute impulse. I almost put it down again but then thought hey, what the heck. And that is how I laid my hands on quite possibly one of the best books that I've read in recent times.

I remember wanting to start reading the first few pages purely out of curiosity. And that was it! That was all it took to get me hooked! The first thing that I noticed was the absolutely gripping writing style. The author seems to pull you into the world of the novel and it's characters from the first page. I truly believe some people 'write books' while others are 'writers'. Khaled Hosseini fits into the second category. And for me, these are the kind of books that are an absolute pleasure to read! (I can hardly wait to start reading the authors second novel - A Thousand Spendid Suns which is rumored to be even better than The Kite Runner.)

From this point on I would like to give a Spoiler Alert, so you may want to stop reading from here if you do not want anything of the book revealed. The Kite Runner tells the story of Amir, an affluent Afghan boy and his best friend Hassan who is the house help. The story unfolds from a first person narrative (i.e. from Amir's perspective) which may throw some people off but first person narratives generally work well for me. The novel tells the story of their friendship and the turmoil that overtakes their lives following a certain incident. The story follows the protagonists life across two different nations and his eventual journey towards his homeland for redemption. Along the way, the readers are taken through Afghanistan's journey through the decades and how it has affected the lives of it's people.

I believe this novel has different shades. It is a mirror to the face of society and to us as human beings. Are we really this selfish? Does loyalty like Hassan's truly exist? Can humans enforce (or endure) such cruelty? And so on and so forth. This novel tells you a lot about human nature, what differentiates us from one another, and the irony that is life. It speaks about the impact that our decisions have, not just on us but also on those around us. 

Your heart goes out to some of the characters in the book. The story of Afghanistan is certainly heart wrenching as the author vividly takes the readers through decades of Afghan history. Throughout the book, I felt like I was watching the story unfold via words rather than reading it. And I would also like to state here that this has been the only book that literally gave me heart palpitations while reading some of the scenes. And that I believe is the mark of a great story and a great storyteller, to be able to have that kind of an effect on it's readers.

I think it is easy to understand why this novel has won so many awards but for me, it was the absolute magical pull into the novel and into the characters that the author was able to achieve that was the winner. Not only are you drawn into the deepest darkest intricacies of the human mind, but are also subjected to the pain of a nation to survive something that was not on accord of it's own calling. A wonderful, sad, and enlightening read.  If you can endure harsh truths and are looking for a novel with a powerful storyline, that will fascinate and grip you till the end, then I would highly recommend not missing this one!

My Love for Ethiopian Food

Today I would like to talk about what has quite possibly become my favorite cuisine as of late. The picture above depicts this - Ethiopian food. Not many people are aware about what a wonder this cuisine is - I certainly wasn't. So hopefully this blog post introduces many more people to this wonderful food and encourages them to try it out. You will certainly not be disappointed :-)



Mesob

 Firstly, I would like to start by mentioning that this is a very very good option for vegetarians, although non-vegetarians certainly won't go hungry. Plus the food is essentially quite healthy! Ethiopian cuisine is traditionally served on something called as a mesob, which is woven from straw. The lid of the mesob is opened and is used for holding the plate.

Which brings us to the next thing about this cusine - the plate. Ethiopian food is served on a simple steel plate but placed on top of the plate to hold the food is something called as an injera which is a yeast-risen sourdough flatbread (similar to the Indian 'dosa' but much more tangy). The injera is made from a special grain called 'teff'. The teff flour is allowed to ferment for several days! That gives it it's unique sour and tangy taste. The injera serves as an excellent base for the food as it has a spongy texture and holds all the liquids in place. The idea is to break off pieces of the injera and use it to scoop the entrées off the plate. Thus the injera serves a dual purpose :-) There are also separate rolled up injeras provided in case you need more (which you will).

The main courses in an Ethiopian cuisine are mainly made out of various grains, lots of spices, and different types of stews called Wats. They also have something called as a Vegetarian Fish which are chickpea balls in a spicy sauce. This is another heavenly dish that I love. There is also an Ethiopian appetizer called Sambusa which is quite similar to the Indian samosa. The most popular (and my favorite) curry is something called as Berbere which is a combination of chilli peppers and various other spices. Berbere is essentially used as a base for some of their entrées. Their side dishes consist of everything from spinach to dals to lentils to chickpeas and even cheese. Each one of them more delicious than the previous!

And now the most surprising factor. Ethiopian food is usually eaten in a single plate! And by hand! This is pretty much the only place where I have seen folks pull up their sleeves and dig into the food, by hand, along with their friends, all in the same plate. But you are more than welcome to ask for a spoon and separate plates too if that's what you desire :)

Ethiopian coffee is another speciality and a must have. It is served in this special coffee pot made out of clay.The people of Ethiopia also follow a coffee tradition and this is enacted in one of the Ethiopian restaurants in Chicago. Basically if anyone orders coffee at any table, the servers bring out a fresh pot of coffee and move it from table to table allowing everyone to smell the aroma. This is an invitation that states that we have brewed coffee and you are all invited. And after this, they serve free coffee to each and every table in the restaurant! Pretty cool!

Another speciality of Ethiopian cuisine is a honey wine called Tej. Tej is usually homemade and is essentially a mix between honey, wine, and beer (due to it's hops-like taste). This is another must-have just for tradition :)

And at the end of this, I would like to make a brief mention about the best Ethiopian restaurant that I have been to in Chicago. It's this seemingly nondescript restaurant called Ras Dashen. I have tried several other Ethiopian restaurants but none of them hold a candle to this one. Also the cherry on top is the absolutely fabulous live music that they play on Friday's and Sunday's. The music is by a band of five people, each playing a different musical instrument. The end result - simply divine! So the next time you are feeling a little adventurous and want to try out a new cuisine, I would definitely recommend Ethiopian food, if not for anything else then for the sheer experience of it!

CATS - The Broadway Musical

I've been meaning to write about the most recent Broadway musical that we went to - CATS. 'Writing' about it may not be the correct term in this case, Raving about it would be more like it! I have always been a huge fan of Broadway and ever since we moved to the city, numerous opportunities have presented themselves enabling me to go to several Broadway musicals. CATS by far, has been the best of the lot so far.

CATS is based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot. It has been the second longest running show in the history of Broadway and has also won numerous awards, including the Tony Award for the best musical. Going to watch the show knowing these things, I was nodoubt excited but also just a tiny bit skeptical. After all, adults prancing about in a cats costume was a little hard to relate to 'fun'. But boy, was I mistaken! This show surpassed my expectations manifold!

CATS tells the fictitious story of a tribe of cats called the Jellicles. The Jellicles have a Jellicle ball and the night of the ball they make a Jellicle choice. The choice they make is basically deciding which cat gets the honour of going into the Heaviside Layer (afterlife) and come back to a new life.

So this is the basic story that is relayed to the audience through a series of musical numbers. As the story unfolds, each of the CATS varied characters are depicted. For instance, you have a rockstar cat (fantastic moves), a lazy tap dancing cat (mindblowing tapdancing), a magician cat (mindboggling twirls) etc. There were also some numbers which were performed by the entire tribe of Jellicles. Those, for me, were one of the highlights of the show!

The music which is a live orchestra takes you to a whole different level of trancelike enjoyment. I absolutely love love loved all the musical renditions. And add to that the totally entertaining and fun dance moves, the fabulous singing, and the amazing theatre lightwork and you can't help but get captivated by the show's spell.

Although all the numbers were spectacular, there were some that simply stood out more than others. My favorite one of them was the story of Grizabella. Grizabella was a glamour cat once upon a time but is now jaded with the harshness of the world. The number portrays her constant desire for acceptance into the tribe. The actress who has played Grizabella is absolutely wonderful and her voice has such an unbelievable pitch to it.

The other number that I especially enjoyed was the Rum Tum Tugger, which tells the story of our rock and roll cat. He was supposed to be more like an Elvis Presley of cats, with similar (if not better) pelvic thrusts and dance moves. Very very entertaining.

If anyone is looking for starting their foray into Broadway musicals, I would highly recommend them not to miss CATS. They also have this on DVD and I believe there is also a film on this, but I am not sure if a television would do justice to the pleasure of viewing this live! So all in all, this was one fun, magical, enticing two and a half hours and I will most definitely go watch them again if they ever return to Chicago. An absolute must see!

Happy Mothers Day

This blog post is exactly what the above picture depicts...an ode to my mother, a gift to her across the miles.

Across the miles I send this to you
With heart full of love and feelings so true
For today is a day as good as any
To say what I mean with words so many

I may have been bratty too many times
And overwhelmed you with my sighs and whines
And taken you for granted without a thought
All the times that I argued and angered and fought

Looking back I feel how foolish was I
To act like a spoilt kid, who knew why
You certainly deserved much more than this
It's all I can say, it's all that I wish

But one thing's for sure, that's not ever changed
My undying love for you is still the same
No gains, no wants, no pleasures sublime
Nothing can change that, no distance, no time

And as I write this with tears in my eyes
There's one single truth that cannot be denied
This comes from the deepest heart of a girl
That You are truly the best mother in the world!

Satyamev Jayate

A lot of people I've been talking to have displayed a desire for me to write about the latest and greatest thing to hit the Indian television screens - The new show called Satyamev Jayate.

Aamir Khan, the actor who has written and produced this show, has always been in a league of his own. Be it his movies, acting, or public personna, he has always stood his ground and refused to follow the contemporary route. So it comes as no surprise that this, his newest venture, surpasses anything that has been shown on Indian television before.

For starters, let's take the theme song and video of the show. That in itself is enough to help surface the feelings of patriotism that we as Indians seem to have long past forgotten. Add to that the slick yet emotional trailers that were shown a few weeks prior to the launch, and you have more than half the majority of people chomping at the bits waiting for the show to air.

So given all this hooplah, was the show worth it? I, and most of the folks I spoke to, would say yes. And judging from the critical acclaim and mass following that the show seems to have already garnered, it may be safe to say most definitely yes!

One of the most important things about this show that differentiated it from others was that it not only talked about the problem at hand but also provided solutions to remedy the same at the end of the show. And the solutions proposed were not mere possibilities, but a solid plan of action was laid down which everyone can, one way or the other, participate in.

Also, one could not help but notice the solid and extensive research that has gone into this. Some very alarming and unexpected statistics and facts came to light. Not just was the show emotionally hard hitting but was also technically so.

Another commendable point was that this may quite possibly be the only show that is aired on both STAR and Doordarshan simultaneously. The point to note here is that Doordarshan is primarily one of the few Indian networks that are still free to the public, so airing the show here makes it accessible to more people. And if that wasn't sufficient, a special screening of the show was done in villages where accessibility to a television set was not possible.

And the wheels have already started turning - the day after the show aired the Rajasthan Chief Minister urged organizations to start taking appropriate actions against the atrocities summarized in the show, and also started reviewing the existing efforts that are in place.

All in all, it was clearly evident that this was a project straight from the heart. Aamir Khan has apparently spent two years working on the concept for this show, and it is clearly evident that his efforts have paid off. Hats off to him and the rest of the people involved for starting almost a revolution of sorts albeit through a television set. But the effects of this will reach far beyond the television and hopefully will help to shape India for the better.

Do we need a superhero?

So I went to watch The Avengers movie this weekend and half way through I got thinking. About what would happen if we had our own in-house superhero...The notion on first thought sounds appealing and welcome. A larger than life human figure with superhuman powers? Who's also just, loyal, and on the side of good? Hell yeah! Who wouldn't want that!

But then I got thinking about the subtle factors that would come into play in such a scenario. Which nation would our superhero be affiliated to? His place of birth probably, but isn't that a little unfair? Other countries could easily percieve this as an undue advantage for one nation.

Are we guaranteed that our superhero will not (ever) succumb to corruption or fall prey to the evil powers that be for greed? Can and will he not be lured by promises of extra strength/power/gizmos that our latest state-of-the-art technology can offer? And what happens if he does fall into such bad company? Who then will be responsible for controlling him? And more importantly, can he be controlled?

Who would prioritize the various problems that our world faces in a fair and just order for our superhero to focus on? In other words who would determine what problems take precedence over others? Or will that be the task of our sole hero? And if yes, then are we naive in putting our fate in his hands?

What about any collateral damage that might occur while he is at work flying around or catching the bad guys? Who would be liable for that?

These and similar other thoughts kept flying through my head as I watched the movie (which was very good in all regards). However after everything said and done, the notion that someone can guide us along the path of goodwill, keep us safe from harm, restore world peace, and act as a beacon of justice is more than a little difficult to pass.

From Paris With Love

So ever since we visited Paris this past winter, I've been itching to tell anyone and everyone who listens about the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) differences between a city like Paris and a city like Chicago or New York.

Pace - For starters, lets talk about the pace of life. Early morning rush hours, commuter traffic, the literal stampede to get to work, the I-have-no-time-to-slow-down attitude all seems to be part and parcel of the lifestyle here. Which is why Paris came as a pleasant surprise in terms of the early morning commuters enjoying, and I mean enjoying!, their early morning coffees and walking, yes I mean walking! to work, with apparently all the time in the world. This was certainly a refreshing (and envious) new perspective on potentially how different a corporate culture could be.

Simplicity - Next would come simplicity in day-to-day activities. At a time when I can personally not imagine many things that are non mechanical when it comes to the commercial sector here, whoa and behold, what happens when you witness a single milk delivery man delivering fresh milk and dairy produce early in the morning to a classy Paris café? You are stuck with awe because you never thought you would witness this simple, good life again! But wait, theres more. The next thing you notice is a cellar door opening right in the middle of the café and a hand drawn rope pulley pulls up to take the contents that were delivered underground. No automation and no gimmicks.

Food - Since I briefly mentioned breakfast, I might as well go ahead and talk about The Food! If I had to describe it in one word - it would be Divine! None of the processed, mass produced foods that we have become so accustomed to. Just wholesome, homemade, fresh, out of the oven, simple, delicious, fabulous food! Be it a small roadside cafe, or a fancy restaurant - one thing was common - the quality and I believe the love and pride that went into making the food!
And I would also like to mention here the conservative attitude of the food joints. Seldom did I find a restaurant or café that had marmalades, butter or even tissues for that matter, simply lying around. This was surely a drastic contrast to what we are accustomed to here.

Fashion - Now can Paris be mentioned without a mention of fashion? I agree that we have more affordability here in terms of clothing et cetra as well as the infamous New York fashion weeks and so on for the couture savvy, but Paris has always been known for its fashion and rightly so! Any real connoisseur of fashion will definitely appreciate the beauty in the clothes, the shops, the shoes, and the people. Most of the locals seemed to be in the best shape of their lifes! Add to that the mile high Pradas, Louis Vuittons on almost every second person, and beautiful clothes, and you have a walking runway right before you.

Infrastructure - A little bit about the infrastructure. I once heard that you are never more than 500 meters away from a subway station at any given place in Paris. That's how well connected the city is in terms of infrastructure! Sure beats the I-need-a-car-to-go-anywhere motto.

Culture - And how can I not talk about the rich rich culture! This may not be a very fair point to compare and contrast against, since it is hardly a country's fault that it is fairly new or old. But one can't help but marvel at the beautiful and historic architecture, the monuments, the fountains, the cathedrals, and the museums of Paris. It suddenly made sense to me why this country produced some of the greatest artists of all times (read Picasso, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Manet) :-)

Language - Finally, one mention about the general disdain for English in Paris. I had heard a French actor mention in a movie once that he does not speak English even though he can because he doesn't like the way it makes his voice and words feel. I remember laughing out loud then but only now do I realize there is a lot of truth to that. Plus I did get the feeling the French were being troubled on my accord by having to speak in a language other than French. ;)

I do believe all cities have their unique traits and almost what can be called as distinct personalities. But the clear winner for me was set one cold winter day as I walked the streets of Champs-Élysées and sighed heavy with contentment - at the food, the culture, and the sights.