Travel Bug - Goa day 2

I was up early and though there were many hands that went up when I asked who was up for a walk only two showed up - Anu and Pooja. We walked to Candolim beach and turned left (right goes to Calangute) which is a much longer stretch of the beach. I enjoyed walking by myself after some chat with Anu and went almost to the end where the beach ends on to a rock. The other side of the rock and the civilisation is Dona Paula if I am not mistaken.

Morning walk - Pooja behind us

Anyway long walk ended after an hour and a half and i went back for breakfast at Lily Woods which is rather insipid fare. Anjali wanted to check out a rented bike but because she does not have a license she could not ride (I realised mine had expired as well) so Shobhs hired one. We decided to visit the Museum of Goa which was a few kms away. Anu and Pooja were up to it so we hired a cab for a most expensive 1000 bucks while Shobhs and Anjali went on the bike.

The Museum of Goa is an independent collection by artist Subodh Kerkar whose paintings and sculptures were all over the place. Entry is a bit steep at 300 bucks but its for a good cause so we didn't bother too much about it.

Its a two story building with a lovely cafe to the side where some Brazilian lady was having some event.

 We looked all over the place and returned an hour later. Lunch was at Fisherman's Cove down the road which was quite nice (nothing exceptional though)

Back to the room and woke up in time to take Anjali to the beach - she wanted to ride and I sat behind her. She shopped a bit and we joined the others who had come to the beach to watch the sunset. Raja carried a beer and he swigged away at it while we got some snacks from our faithful Lawrencio shack which no one seemed to inhabit.

Back to Raja's room where some more revelry was continued before we wound down for the day.      

Travel Bug - Pune-Goa Diaries

 Prarthana planned a family thing to coincide with Pooja's return after two and a half years in the UK -post her Maters in Architecture and her stint with various jobs. The venue was Goa and the month was May. But anything for family and anything to get out of Hyderabad which was like a furnace at that time - 43 but felt like 48. My plans of driving to Goa and then to Pune slowly melted in the rising heat and I used my grey hair to good effect and decided to fly despite the added expense of last minute booking. Due to some ill planning and last minute decision making by me, we ended up going to Pune on the 2nd and then to Goa on the 4th. (Many have asked me the question that might have come to your mind - why did you not fly to Goa directly? The answer my friend is that I have been touched by the heat a bit.)

Lily Woods!

So off we were by the 1025 flight to Pune which was quite enjoyable - short. Reached the Deshmukh's place by midnight. Some chai and late night gupshup and off into dreamland. Woke up early and headed off to a long 7 km walk on the periphery of the township - trees, grass, walkers, runners, cyclists, dogs on leash, swimmers, cricketers - the place was abuzz with activity. I came back home after a nice long walk and settled down to a chat with Prakash and Gauri over chai and breakfast. Finding a lot of time for myself I opened the book Sagar had shared with me 'The Surrender Experiment' and finished it by later afternoon. Quite a fascinating book - surrender and the world shows you the way.

Malay dropped in and Kalpak did too in the evening. Flight to Goa was at 515 am which meant we had to get up at an ungodly hour like 230 am and head off which we managed to do.

This was an even shorter flight! 45 minutes?

Landed at Mopa airport, hopped on a cab to Candolim and caught Prarthana and Pooja up early with Anu. Then we got the place where we were to stay in the same Lily Woods which seems to have flats for all sizes - 1 bhk, 2 bhk,3 bhk and perhaps even a 4 bhk. Some boring breakfast and rest after the midnight caper and Prarthana invited us over to a restaurant by the name of Tomatoes. Nice food.

Turns out there's the election on the 7th in Goa and they would not sell booze from the evening of the 5th. With considerable foresight we stocked up the fridge with beer and other products that will be in short supply soon. Raja came in a bit and we went to the beach. Sunset at the beach, walk along the water with Raja and Pooja and back to the Lily Woods where the girls regaled us with songs and stuff.

A rather full day. I like the look of the little restaurant called 'Taste of Goa' which I propose to haunt in the coming days.  

The Godfather - Movie

 1972. Rewatched it with Anjali. Gets better like wine. I am amazed how I remember the smallest characters, what happens after each scene. The book and the movie.

Classic.

Alibaba Ani Chaishatale Chor - Movie

 2024. Marathi. Cute.

Three couples, all over 40, achieved enough in life, meet for parties to spice up their lives. At one such party the lights go off, there is a sound of a kiss and a slap. The rest of the movie is spent figuring out who kissed and who slapped and this brings out many skeletons in the cupboard. Interesting perspectives.

Fun. 

Shaitaan - Movie

 Vikas Bahl. So thought it was worth a shot.

Interesting premise.Chap hyptonises a young girl in a family so she's fully under her control and how he uses it to terrorise the family and to further his own evil designs. Gripping enough. Good performances, but lame ending I thought. Not up there for me. 

The Algebra of Happiness - Scott Galloway

 Scott Galloway is a self-made millionaire who has founded several successful companies, teaches brand management at Stern College, NY and does a bunch of other things which would figure in his mix of 'the algebra of happiness.' He teaches this subject (algebra of h) as part of his brand management course if I remember right and he has put it all together as a book for readers who are keen to find out more about the algebra of happiness.

Scott splits up the book into four parts - Basic Equations, Success, Love and Health. In his introduction he talks of something that stayed with me - how he blew away his youth in tons of pot, movies, random sex encounters with strange women and so on and then finds a job at an investment bank because his friend wants one. 

In the introduction to the basic equations of success, he says if one wants financial freedom one must burn fuel in the first five years after college. He says one much work 16 hour days to achieve that kind of success - won't come by watching TV. No sweat, no gain. He says one must get a good partner who is tuned to your way of thinking (and also someone better than you he says at some point), get to the right place where the action is (New York, Mumbai whatever), invest early and often (startnow), use the power of compounding to  create your wealth, be in the stock market. 

He says the definition of being rich is having a passive income which is greater than what you can burn,

Scott says happiness is family. He talks of forgiveness.

In Success Scott shares stories from his life - how hunger is the differentiator between talent and success. He also talks about how following your passion may not guarantee success (the intersection of what you are good at, what people will pay you to do and what does not suck - is where you need to be) and how boring is sexy. Much of success is about doing the easy stuff right like 1) show up early 2) have good manners and 3) follow up. He says one must believe one deserves the best (improve your deservability in small ways) and stop feeling like a fraud. He says - find your voice. To succeed be a salesman, sign up for public failure. When you see success don't get trapped in its trappings, keep the cash, stay humble. Measure what matters in your life - it will reveal stuff about how your life is going - money, relationships, career, growth, love, happiness. Learn from rejection - nothing fantastic will happen without taking a risk and subjecting yourself to rejection. Serendipity he says is a function of courage. The key to employing yourself - be a grown up, be civil, be secure with yourself. Be visible he says - and there's the nice story of how his step father gave him 200 dollars and asked him to invest and how a young stock trader was kind to a schoolboy and invested the money and taught him about the stock market. Scott found him and paid it back.

In Love Scott says that Love and Relationships are the ends - and everything is just the means. Its a beautiful statement and should go into quotable quotes. Another one - love received is comforting, love reciprocated is rewarding and love given is eternal. His advice on marriage - don't keep score, don't ever let your wife be hungry or cold, express affection and desire as often as possible. Keep your kids close. Another definition of love (from his therapist) - it is the willingness to take the life you have built for yourself and tear it up for the other person. Tell and show people you love them - say it, call, hug, kiss, hold hands. Enjoy the small moments with people (create them). Being with people you love at the end of their life - care for the caregivers, draw boundaries about how much you can take on and how much you cannot, share media time, relive their life by looking at pics, say what needs to be said including how much you love them, people will surprise and disappoint, don't get hassled by their illness and its affects. Love a kid who is not your own, appreciate what you have, find your own heaven. Love unconditionally.

In Health Scott says - be strong even when things are looking like they will fall, cry, trade closeness for harmony, stay present, be a nice guy, praise others.

...

And of such stuff is Scott's book made of. Lots of practical wisdom coming from his own life. His love for him mother, family comes through. His acceptance of his follies, weaknesses, his desire to help others find their way through teaching, writing, speaking. Very nice.

The Surrender Experiment - Michael A Singer

Sagar gave me this book and asked me to read it. I read Michael Singer's 'Untethered Soul' four years ago and found it a very interesting read. This book is all about how surrender brings forth things that we cannot foresee or control. Singer goes from not wanting anything but peace in meditation, to quieten his mind and to listen to his inner voice, to live his life with zero resistance and finds stuff that he cannot dream of happening - like starting a spiritual commune to building a billion dollar business.

The concept of surrender is something that caught my attention a while ago. I found that there were times when I could do nothing else to change the situation there were a couple of responses I normally had 1) give up and say I never get what I want 2) get attached to the one outcome in my mind and go at it hard. I learned a third one in recent times by trial and error - that we can surrender to the situation. Now the way I understand surrender is to 1) not get attached to only one outcome 2) to be fine with whatever be the outcome 3) to keep the mind completely clear of any attachment and 4) not interfere with the process or try to control it in any way. Let it unfold and you see perfection the way you cannot imagine it.

That's what Singer did with his life. Going off from college into meditation, he found a moment when he saw himself being the witness to what he was thinking. It was a subtle moment with profound implications. Singer gave up everything, took off in his car and few belongings, found peace and clarity in meditation. He kept surrendering to whatever life threw at him - which was his experiment - and found himself returning to teach a course in college, write books, buy a piece of land in a place that would become a spiritual centre and a business hub based on spiritual practices. He finds Paramahansa Yogananda's 'Autobiography of a Yogi', organises a Shaktipat for Swami Muktananda, has his heart chakra opened by Amrit Desai and has several other such deeply profound spiritual experiences. The way the right people would show up to help him build a house, a community, a business shows his openness, his surrender to the process of life. 

Singer taught himself to code and became a master coder building applications for companies, taught himself to build houses and built houses later. Whatever he did he did with a mindfulness, with full awareness and love and no transactional element. The people who came into his life showed up at the right time with the right expertise - coders, builders, lawyers. So deep was the surrender experiment that the award winning entrepreneur (who also was a monk) had to face a jail term which was probably his biggest test of 'surrender'. Knowing only one thing, Singer surrendered and was let off by the FBI.

There is one line in the book when Singer says - be open to all outcomes (or something to that effect). I fully subscribed to that. There's so much wisdom in the book and a clear story on how one can also achieve a lot by taking the path of least resistance, by surrendering.

I am reminded of a scene in Apollo 13 when Tom Hanks says how he surrendered on a particular flight and had no way to land or whatever The moment he turns his mind off and fully surrenders to all possibilities is when he sees a green patch of water in the middle of the ocean which is a miracle.

Its a beautiful feeling to experience surrender and its miraculous side effects. I can relate to some small experiences of mine and hope to grow my consciousness deeper into that space. 

Thanks Sagar.

Book Launch of Michaeline Singh's 'It's All In The Mix'

 April 20. Akshara Book Store, Journalist Colony.

'It's All in the Mix'

The perfect location for a book launch. Satish and Mickey invited a small group of family and friends and launched Mickey's debut book - a lovely cook book titled 'It's All In The Mix'. We showed up on time, met Satish and Mickey, our other pals from OU MBA - Shrini, Bijju with their better halves Prashanti and Aparna and Shrini's young son Nikhil. 

The author - Michaeline Singh

Mickey, Me and Satish

Satish's young ones - Rahul and Nikhil were in attendance too.

Satish beginning the proceedings - Shrini, Nikhil and me listening intently

Looking formal and dressed for the occasion Satish started the proceedings with a lovely introduction to the book, Mickey's journey as a cook, adding little details in his own unique, insightful and  humourous manner. Mickey's friend Ms Carmaline Mario did a well thought out Q and A with her - why the title, her journey as a cook, what she wants to achieve with the book and many more such questions.

Mickey in conversation with her friend Ms. Carmaline Mario

I was given the honour of launching the book with Mickey who spoke about her journey, remembered her mother emotionally, before we unveiled the much awaited book. 

Launched - 'Its All in the Mix' enter the world

I spoke about the difficulty of authoring a book and also how satisfying the process is when it finally takes shape and comes into the world. A few more questions from Mickey who put the men in a hot spot by asking questions related to cooking.

Mickey and Satish

The Singhs - Nikhil, Mickey, Rahul and Satish

After the even we all drank some soft drinks and chai, ate sandwiches and samosas, bought our copies, got them signed by Mickey and left. It was a lovely event with a wonderful vibe and I was glad to be a part of it.

Shrini, Nikhil and Me

Prashanthi, Aparna and Bijju

Prashanthi, Shobha and Bijju

Nikhil, Biju, Shrini and me

That's a cake - and we ate it!

All the best Mickey. 'It's All in the Mix'   

Thought for the Day - You Can Create Beauty Everywhere

 You can seek beauty everywhere. All you need is an inclination to make your life beautiful.

I saw this garbage truck today - all broken, battered, dirty.

But stuck near the broken windscreen was a small bunch of lilies. A piece of beauty in his world.

I could do that too.  Where is my focus? The garbage truck chap showed me that we can all do that - make our life beautiful in small ways - whatever our circumstance.

Thought for the Day - Mom's Mango Tree Surprises Me Again

 Mom planted the tree in the mid 1970s. For over forty years I did not even acknowledge its presence - showing how unaware we can be. Until a few years ago, maybe five years ago, I realised that the tree usually gives off a huge crop - one summer we picked off 600 mangoes - huge and sweet pedda rasalu. Ever grateful to Mom I distributed them to many.

There is a constant demand for the fruit from my colony predators who say its the best mango tree in the colony. The people from the three houses behind ours take away all they can with their fruit picking implements. Last year our neighout into whose house a large part of the tree and the crop goes - asked if we could chop the branches off. Almost 30% of the tree went and my heart went out for it.

Vasu would come to pluck mangoes. Rajesh plucked them this year. Manga makes lovely avakai.

Abhijit just loves to sit under the tree. So do I.

This year I was not sure how many would remain but Rajesh and Lakshmi braved the sun and plucked close to 200 mangoes - huge, big, happy pedda rasalu. I distributed them to my siblings and friends. Some we kept for Manga's pickle.

I am overwhelmed by the tree and its generosity. All I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you. I feel Mom must be up there feeling happy that I have at last woken up to nature's bounty in my backyard.

And hey, Vasu showed me the sapling we had planted in his plot in Beauty Green. It has survived and grown. Mom's work is now going far and wide. 

Anjali - Books from her School Days

 While clearing up Anjali's room I made a pile of her books from school - dozens of text books and note books with many subjects, concepts, theories, exercises, problems solved, answers written, experiments conducted. As I flipped through the books I was struck with wonder at how much she had studied, learned all on her own. I do not remember any instance when she approached me for help or when I felt the need to offer her help. Save small requests to ask her questions or minor doubts in Telugu, she never asked me anything (which was perhaps good in the long run because she did a good job by herself).

I remember how I was a cause for concern for my father with my falling grades after moving to Hyderabad. I would top the class before that and somehow lost my mojo after moving - Dad would worriedly take me to tuitions, coaching classes - but you can only take a horse to water.

I did not drink. I drank only as much as I needed to.  

Book piles

Looking back i wonder how worried my father might have been in those years. And then I looked at what Anjali had done by herself.

It did amaze me though at how she went about it. I could not help but write a note to her on how impressed I was with her work ethic. Least I could do.

The text books went to Daksha school which distributes the old books to government school children and the note books and their empty pages went to the colony watchman Raju's young kids to practice their maths. 

Anchakallakokkan - Movie

 2024.

A politician is murdered in a wood unraveling a series of conspiracies and sub-plots until the culprits are brought to justice. Weird characters such as the two trigger happy sons of the politician and others make the movie interesting but on the whole a bit too action heavy.

The part of Kerala that's shown looks beautiful.

   

Missourie Breaks - Movie

 1976. Marlon Brando. Jack Nicholson.

Jack Nicholson plays Tom Logan who heads a gang of rustlers who steal horses. They cross paths with a landlord Braxton who kills one of their gang for trying to steal his cattle. The battle escalates with Braxton hiring Clayton (Marlon Brando) who is a regulator (one who fixes rustlers for a fee). Braxton's daughter falls for Tom (god knows why) while Clayton finishes off the rest of the rustler gang. But Tom kills him and Braxton - and still Braxton's daughter comes running to him asking if they have a future together. Again moral dilemmas galore - why is the thief a hero?

But Brando and Nicholson ignite the screen as the ad says.

 

The Whale - Movie

 2022. Oscar winner for best actor.

Brendon Fraser plays a frighteningly obese English teacher who teaches online classes and is grieving the death of his partner and the loss of his connection with his daughter - he left the family for his partner. Caught between his grief and guilt he devours all that's within his sight, growing to a size that makes it difficult to walk, stand. How he tries to salvage his relationship with his daughter through his pain and ill health is what the story is about. 

Fraser is brilliant and its no wonder he won the Oscar for his performance.

   

Gone Baby Gone -Movie

 2007. Ben Affleck's directorial debut. Oscar nominee.

Two private investigators are hired to help find an abducted young girl and uncover a web of drug traffickers, kidnappers, double crossers, paedophiles and murderers - finally ending in a moral dilemma that breaks up many relationships.

 

It's All in the Mix - Michaeline Singh

For someone who started to figure out how to peel onions at 26, Michaeline Jennifer Ann aka Mickey aka Mix, has come a long way. Her debut book 'It's All in the Mix' is a delightful, easy-to-read, easy-to-hold-and-implement book; one you can keep in the kitchen to help you discover and expand your culinary talents.

The 175 page book is a nice size which makes it convenient to hold, has nice pics and a font size that is comfortable on the eye. Its glossy finish gives it longevity which also indicates that the author is in the business for good - she means business.

Divided into seven sections - Breakfast, Snack and Starters, Dals, Rice Dishes, Vegetarian dishes, Non-vegetarian dishes and Desserts, 'It's All In The Mix' dishes out 72 mouthwatering recipes which look great to eat and easy to try. There are tips given at the end of each recipe to take care of the small issues that one might encounter in the process of cooking that particular dish.

Here's the menu on display then.

Breakfast - Bread Upma, Cheese Omelette Bake, Egg and Cheese Bruschetta, Egg Rolls, Garlic Bread with Cheese and Oregano, Grilled Chicken Mince Tikka Sandwich, Omelette Stuffed Cheese Toasties, Pull Apart Bun, Semolina Appe and Semolina Upma.

Snacks and Starters - Aloo Poha Cutlets, Butter Murukkus, Chapli Kabab, Chicken Mince Croquettes, Chilli Cheese Toast, Maggi Noodle Cutlets, Moon Dal Cutlets, Pan-Friend Meatballs, Potato and Paneer Patties, Rice Tikkis

Dals - Channa Dal, Dal Maash, Moong Dal, Palak ki Dal, Panchmel Dal

Rice Dishes - Curd Rice, Kheema Pulao, Lime Rice, Onion Fried Jeera Rice, Peanut and Capsicum Fried Rice, Peas Pulao, Sausage and Egg Friend Rice, Tomato Rice

Vegetarian Dishes - Aloo Dum, Aloo Gobi Capsicum Sabji, Aloo Stuffed Capsicum Rings, Aloo Tamatar ka Saag, Arvi Masala, Bhendi do Pyaaza, Boiled Egg Curry, Chigur ki Bhaji, Dil Wale Aloo, Lobia, Mooli ki Sabji, Pala Dill Sabji, Palak Paneer, Paneer Tikka Masla and Paneer Methi Chaman

Non-vegetarian Dishes - Afghani Murg, Badami Murg, Butter Chicken, Chicken Korma, Chicken Peshawari, Garlic Flavored Mutton, Kadai Mutton, Lal Maas, Chicken Rogan Josh, Patiala Chicken, Pudina Chicken, Spicy Chicken Curry, Tomato Kheema, Zafrani Mutton

Desserts - Apple Halwa, Badam Halwa, Gajar ki Halwa, Khajur ki Kheer, Vermicelli Bites, Mishti Doi, Mango Phirni, Cake Pops, Badam Coconut Laddoos

Mickey gives a bit of her history, the way she grew up in a large family and how she was pampered as the youngest and did not really have to learn to cook until she went to Dubai, where she found her soulmate Satish (who loves his food) and discovered her love for cooking at about the same time. It is a testament to their love that she has grown to be  great cook and has produced this wonderful book - showing what love can do to improve the craft, to deepen relationships. Their young sons Nikhil and Rahul are also good cooks apparently. Satish has been a great support to her through the tedious and frustrating process of getting a book published. 

As a non-cook - my range extends to tea, omelette, rice - I was impressed by the fact that this book somehow made me look at cook books differently. After flipping a few pages I chanced upon Mickey's Bread Upma and felt like I could try it out - and perhaps a few more. This is a huge change for someone who found all other cook books very complex. I think that feeling itself is a good validation that Mickey has got something right in this book. It has the potential to interest beginners and amateurs apart from seasoned cooks.

Its not easy to write and publish a cook book - pictures, details etc. But Mickey pulled it off from a concept stage eight months ago to actually launching it last week. Wishing Mickey and the book all the success and nice things they so deserve.