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Yearly Archives: 2016
Night sky in Singapore
While I am completely happy in our home in Mumbai, we do not have a ‘view’. Our choice of location was motivated purely by practicality – close to the highway to scoot to the airport or other parts and close to my partner’s mother.
On my December trip to Singapore, I stayed one night with a friend in ‘CBD’. We went to see the documentary ‘Naked DJ‘ at the Singapore International Film Festival then returned to this view. It was a most enjoyable evening sitting and chatting on the rather large balcony, with the evening lights our backdrop.
I’ve had the privilege of many fabulous views on my stays in various cities. Do you have a favourite?
Other Sunday Snaps:
Brazil beckons – what to do?
My partner and I decided to do something quite uncharacteristic. Actually plan a trip. As in advance plan. As in a trip which is purely for pleasure prompted by a friend’s wedding with zero work or family connect.
So far all we know is we need to be at Praia de Balneário Camboriú early December 2016.
Beyond that we know nothing. Have decided nothing. And are open to all possibilities.
Balneario Camboriu at night (praias-sc.com)
Couples who travel together well tend to have one who delights in the planning process, figuring out options, tracking down great places to try, things to do. The other may have ideas which the planner takes into consideration, but is happiest just going along for the ride, enjoying the moment.
The challenge is between my partner and I, neither of us are the planning types.
Our travel tends to have a fixed requirement – work or family or event – where we throw in a dash of pleasure and detour or two for good measure. It also tends to be places where one or the other has some experience in the destination.
By contrast, our trips can also be completely impromptu jaunts to join friends in an amusing location where the ‘planning’ stage is restricted to reaching the destination – like my trips to Amsterdam, Goa and Vietnam.
Which works great for us and we have terrific travels – together and solo.
Til now…
Going all the way from India to Brazil means we cannot stop at the wedding alone! Noo… we simply MUST do something more. Who knows when we will next make it all the way to South America. Neither of us have ever been. But what? Where to start? What to do?
From Brazil, talk with another friend coming from India for the wedding turned to potential adventures in Peru, Argentina, Ecuador… um…
Clearly we need to do some research!
Any suggestions of “must do” activities in Brazil? And “Wouldn’t it be fabulous to try…” in the region?
Cristo Luz (Wiki)
Related posts:
Mmmmm mangosteens! In Bangkok
When you travel a lot, little extras in places you rest your weary head start to make a difference. Like a luscious exotic fruit plate.
What is even nicer is when there is a little help to navigate the delicacies offered… like this hotel from a stay in Bangkok in 2013 that had a menu card with explanation, how to eat and what you could expect trying the fruit.
The SukhoThai’s fruit plate
Me? I sooooo knew what I was diving into! From that tempting bowl, I went straight for the mangosteens.
Mangosteens have been a favourite since I first strolled with a friend in Singapore through a market in China Town. She made me buy a full bag – warning me that I would never be able to stop with just one.
She was completely right!
That sweet, tangy, juicy oh so yummy fruit… I’m craving it right now just looking at these photos, imagining that plump white pulp bursting into flavour in my mouth.
Mangosteen demolished
Related posts:
Bangkok – Going once, twice, thrice!
Do you have a place where you have never quite managed to spend more than a couple of days?
In fairness to Thailand, I’ve yet to do justice to this remarkable country in even one trip! Without a doubt, food is fabulous, folks I’ve met terribly considerate and I’ve only had positive experiences. It is my fault I have yet to truly explore… (more…)
Whisky Lady – Feb fun
After 25 whiskies in January, you can imagine this month I needed a little ‘catch-up’ time. Whisky Lady featured posts on both whiskies sampled in February plus the balance notes from January.
Even better, February was filled with three (yes 1, 2… 3) whisky clubs tasting sessions. Anyone who thinks there are no folks passionate about single malts in Mumbai is clearly misinformed!
Aakash Odedra – Rising in Mumbai
Living with an actor means our lives are full of lots theatre, music but less of dance. Growing up in Winnipeg we had the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers… where I studied as a child. I love watching the art form and when there is someone truly talented taking to the stage, you can be completely transported.
While there are opportunities to see traditional forms of Indian dance, and Bollywood aplenty, the kind of modern dance I knew growing up rarely makes it to these shores.
Thanks to British Council, Sunday changed that. My friends and I reached St Andrews and wondered what we were about to get in to… the entire auditorium foyer was running amok with students from local dance schools. It felt like we were about to step into an amateur school show.
We were wrong. Completely wrong.
Held as a tribute performance for Aakash Odedra’s two dance guru’s, the show had four pieces – each unique, each remarkable in a distinctive way. (more…)
Big B in Bandra
India’s greatest superstar of all time remains the “Big B.”
For those who never heard of Bollywood (is that possible?), Amitabh Bachchan, is the ‘angry young man’ who took Hindi films by storm in the 1970s and 80s. Who made “Kaun Banega Crorepati” (Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?) the ONLY show you heard blaring from every single home, with streets deserted so all and sundry could be glued to the TV set. Who remains film royalty even in his 70s.
Part of the Bollywood Art Project, this image can be found strolling along the bi-lanes of Bandra.
Other Sunday Snaps:
“When is duck not duck?” In Bombay
So… when is duck not duck?
It could be a fish if you live in Mumbai!
I first had ‘Bombay Duck‘ in New York when visiting a Parsi friend from Mumbai. It was masala dried – stinky, chewy, very different but also quite good.
Then I moved to Bombay and discovered fresh bombil, deep-fried is beyond yum! If ever asked what goes superbly with a chilled beer? The answer is ‘Bombil Fry‘ aka ‘Bombay Duck.’
When a duck ain’t a duck
Bombil is actually a lizardfish… uh yeah… this duck is now actually a lizard? What is it with the misleading names and this fish?
It is rather popular with folks from Maharashtra… and the dried form is privately ‘smuggled’ across borders – hence my tasting contraband ‘Bombay Duck’ in New York back in the early 90s.
Any food in your ‘hood’ with a misleading name?
I’ve also come across :
- 水煮鱼 aka Shanghai “water boiled fish” that is actually drowning in oil!
- Or “prairie oysters” that are… ahem… fried baby bull balls
Other Sunday Snaps:
We have our home back!!
I cannot even begin to describe the amazing pleasure it is to FINALLY have our home back! No lingering construction work, no workers crap cluttering our balcony, no walls waiting for plastering, no unfinished painting to be done. Nada!!
The work only began on our building in March 2015. And was only supposed to take 2-3 months. Hmmm….
We aren’t yet truly ‘home free’ as work continues on other flats so we still contend daily with the whir and whine, pound and bang, however our home is blissfully worker free. And back to normal!! (more…)
Obsessions… playing with piano keys
My partner suffers from the occasional bout of artistic obsession…
For some time, it wasn’t a new film, play or even music. It was piano keys!
No it wasn’t playing piano… it was creating art installations out of piano keys from one of first pianos in Bandra… as in over 100 years old!
The keys laid out after manic cleaning
What happened to the piano that came with these keys? Well… it was transformed into a bar some time ago. I recently met its owner and saw photos of its transformation – remarkable!
What happened to the piano keys? Here are a few of the pieces my partner created.
One project in process…
Wait…. wait… wait….
And the finished product:
There are also very practical “Keys for keys”
He also created a “Leaning tower of keys” and the final project was the “Key Lamp” which had a few iterations before finally becoming what you see here…
I’ve often been the beneficiary of his obsessions. When he says, “Let’s not get rid of it. I have an idea…” Chances are something quite interesting will be the result.
Anyone have an obsessive quality? Any interesting outcomes?
Related posts:
Everyday Asia 