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Category Archives: Play
The pool ‘princess’ and her adoring audience
I’ve always known how to swim. My sister and I were in a pool from practically the time we were babes. And it has always been a joy to jump in and start swimming… without a care in the world! A quiet peaceful time of contemplation, random musing or even brain ‘radio silence’.
Growing up with a father who was professor at the University of Manitoba meant access to their olympic size pool. I never knew anything else so just assumed all pools were big, cool, pristinely clean, bright and full of people enjoying their laps.
To discover people splash about in small hot pools chatting was bizarre. I mean come on, pools are meant to enjoy a blissful swim… Beaches are where you combine swimming and play but a pool? Pools are to be in the solo zone, a happy place for focused fitness! (more…)
The wedding that wasn’t then was…
While waiting at Delhi airport for our flight home after a wonderful wedding weekend, the Maharashtra state election commentary was on the TV.
I had a flashback to the Indian national elections in April 2014 and an unexpected impact on another friend’s wedding. (more…)
Manitoba, Muffins + More in Singapore
One of the best things about my recent trips through Singapore was meeting up with friends. And the food. How fab is it when they combine?
An old University of Manitoba friend invited me to meet him and his wife at this lovely little cafe The Muffinry on Telok Ayer. Little did I know til I reached, that this charming place is actually theirs! (more…)
‘Pop’ home for ‘pop up’ Assamese
I ‘popped’ home to Mumbai on the weekend and found myself at a ‘pop up’ venue for a home made lunch of various Assamese delicacies. Expect by now most are familiar with the concept – enjoy fab food outside of the traditional restaurant setting with other ‘foodies’.
In this case, our venue was a funky store Sanctum, our hosts The Secret Ingredient and our chef the beaming energetic Gitika. (more…)
“Let’s go out for dinner!” aka the Puncak un-plan…
If someone says to you “Let’s go out for dinner Saturday”… you can be forgiven for having visions of a civilized sit down dinner, a glass of wine, a little desultory conversation..
However, that’s vastly underestimating my friends.
What did we do?
Hop in the car and drive from Jakarta to Puncak… braving macet in the city and macet on the winding road up to Puncak pass. (more…)
Fusion Soup – Massaman Pumpkin
One of the delightful things about living in Asia is access to a great variety of vegetables the easy way one can fuse flavours just by combining a little of this with a little of that!
While home, I had a hankering for pumpkin soup… but decided to give it a Thai twist! (more…)
The Emma G Days… a tribute to taking a chance!
Once upon a time there was a young lass, who had a crazy notion to run a late night vegetarian café! So she gathered her friends and friends of friends, they pooled their meagre resources, wrangled a Student Business Loan… And voilà! “Emma G’s Deluxe Eatery” was born 25 years ago!
It was a moment in time. Most of us were around 19 years old, we were fearless of failure, didn’t actually care about making money, just wanted a home for aspiring artists, musicians, writers, students and sundry misfits. (more…)
Canadian lass in Bollywood – Aspiring actress or dreams dashed?
A dear director friend asked if I could meet with a young Canadian woman contemplating moving to Mumbai to get into acting here. Mostly from the perspective of how I’ve adjusted, my experience with visas, etc.
East weds west on the small screen – read all about it!
Now it isn’t completely unheard of.. after all… in a country of a billion plus people there is a ONE new TV serial that actually stars a blonde haired blue eyed new bride “Firangi Bahu.” I’ve been a bahu or daughter-in-law and survived to tell the tale! It isn’t a completely preposterous idea…
But breaking into ‘The Bollywood Biz” ain’t easy… and while I’m no expert, I have watched on the sidelines off and on since 1990 with friends and family (partner) who have struggled and sometimes succeeded in film, TV and stage. Along the way have picked up a few insights and stories behind the stereotypes….
Yet I still felt like such a nasty horrible person dishing out the following reality check dashing starry eyes and hopeful smiles: (more…)
Behind the billboard… Daddy Cool
A couple of years ago, my partner got a real kick out of seeing this billboard plastered around Mumbai…
Aalim Hakim Poster – look closely at the lower left pic
Why? Though he spent 30 years in the ‘biz’, I was the one getting a tiny slice of ‘fame’ (notoriety?) thanks to the small square with my photo.
Today, he’s having the last laugh as billboards for his recent TV commercial can be spotted all over the country! And the ad is running not just in India but also in South & South East Asia, Africa and the Middle East. (more…)
Happy Holi + St Paddy’s Day
When away from ‘home’ it is easy to forget the rhythms of ‘home’ festivals and celebrations.
Like missing Chinese New Year celebrations in India… and catching the tale end in Malaysia.
St Patrick’s day wasn’t even on the radar until I went to Bluegrass in Kuningan, Jakarta for dinner with a fab gal pal and saw the St Paddy’s themed F&B specials appealing to the ex-pat crowd. (more…)
Everyday Asia 