Day 21 - A Recipe

Yummy Fried Prawns

Ingredients

Prawns  (shelled, de-veined,washed) – 500 gms

Spring Onions/Onions (chopped) – 1 medium-sized

Tomatoes (chopped) – 2 medium-sized

Ginger Garlic Paste – 1 tablespoon

Chopped Garlic – 2 to 3 cloves

Curry Leaves – 8 to 10

Red Chilly Powder – 1 teaspoon

Turmeric Powder – ½ teaspoon

Salt – To taste

Oil – To shallow fry

Coriander Leaves  - To garnish

Method

1.       In a non-stick pan, heat some oil. To this, add the onions and curry leaves.

2.       Fry the onions till they become translucent. Add the tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, chopped garlic and spices.

3.       Cover the pan and cook till the tomatoes soften.

4.       Add the prawns and cover and cook till the prawns are done.

5.       If there is some liquid remaining in the pan, you can turn on the flame to high and sauté till the desired consistency is reached.

6.       Garnish with some chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with roti, dosa or steamed rice with kadhi.

Day 20 - A Hobby of mine

Cooking ... it is not just a hobby ... it is a passion ... seriously ...

I like her hair !

Day 19 - A Talent of mine

I think I'm pretty talented when it comes to putting my thoughts in black and white.
Well, not just thoughts ... I am pretty darn good at technical documents as well (ahem!).

Day 18 : Irony & Sarcasm

Today, a friend of mine, whose native language is not English, asked me the difference between Irony & Sarcasm.

It started like this:

Mr X:
....and I have bought 2 lollipops like the ones in weeds, but still not tried :-P
they had everything there... cookies made with it, flavoured beer and spirits
Me:
oooooooooh
nice nice
very cool
Mr X:
ahah,are you ironic?
:-D
Me:
haha nooo ... !
and the word is sarcastic !
ironic is not correct
u have to say sarcastic
Mr X:
heheh... then what is ironic?

.... and this put me in a fix. 'Ironic' didn't seem right & I didn't know why.

 ---

Excerpt from Dictionary.com :

Irony differs from sarcasm in greater subtlety and wit. In sarcasm ridicule or mockery is used harshly, often crudely and contemptuously, for destructive purposes. It may be used in an indirect manner, and have the form of irony, as in “What a fine musician you turned out to be!” or it may be used in the form of a direct statement, “You couldn't play one piece correctly if you had two assistants.”

The distinctive quality of sarcasm is present in the spoken word and manifested chiefly by vocal inflection, whereas satire and irony, arising originally as literary and rhetorical forms, are exhibited in the organization or structuring of either language or literary material.

---

.... well ... now I know ! :-)

Day 17 - An art piece

The Thinker (French : Le Penseur)

This is a bronze and marble sculpture by Auguste Rodin held in the Musée Rodin in Paris.

I mean ... I could be him ... just ponder about things for days at end ...
Why are we on this earth? Who or what put us here? What is my purpose in life? What happens after I die? What happened before I lived? Who am I? Who is He?...

I just want my spirit to be absorbed into this piece of stone ... this magnificent and poetic piece .. and learn his thoughts, understand him, and, maybe, gain a little insight ... the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything ... and, trust me, it ain't 42 !

Day 16 - A song that makes me cry

There's only one song that fits the category here - "Roothkey Humse Kahin" from the film "Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar".

This is a song that brings me to tears nearly every time I hear it.

The video features a young man watching over his elder brother as the latter's life hangs by a thread. With flashbacks from a pleasant childhood to troubled teen years and conflicts, the video captures their ups and downs as brothers. The vocals are wonderful and touching. The lyrics follow a similar pattern with descriptions of how the years went by and how he always took his brother for granted. The chorus of the song translates to "I never thought I'd miss you this much if you ever got mad at me and left".

Watch This : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrm01yKFjmE

Don't you just love pedicures ?

Oh-oh-oh, and by the way, Y-O-U-apostrophe-R-E means 'you are'. Y-O-U-R means 'your' !

That female is sooo me ...

Day 15 - Nostalgia

I know the list says "Fanfic" ... but I haven't read any ... so I'm gonna write about whatever I like !

What is it about some memories that literally make us 'ache' for those days ? It could be something as simple as the smell of mom's cooking.

I get into these walks down memory lane very often ... and its tough for me to stop 'walking'. Its tough to let go ... to 'grow up'. Often, once I'm in the mood, I'll listen to music from those days and just imagine I'm in a time machine ... back to the 'good 'ol days'. Why are they called so? Why is it always that the 'old' days are always good? There is something comforting about them ... something familiar ... I know that I, for one, do not like change and resist it as much as I can.

I've been looking at photographs from my school days. It was all brought on by a reunion planned in school this weekend and some "Backstreet Boys" tunes. I miss the idle chatter, the 'puppy love', the picnics, the exams, the tuitions, the phone calls, the boy bands, the french fries and cola ! *sigh* .... We didn't care about how we looked or how we dressed,we just wanted to have fun.

How I wish to be a teenager again! Not a worry in the world - nothing to fear! I really miss being like that ... fearless ... I mean I could do anything I wanted ... what's the worst that could happen? As an adult (hardly one) ... I'm always calculative of my actions ... always responsible for them ... there's not much room left for spontaneity.

I know ... its not like I'm dead ... I can still be fearless ... jump off a cliff or go sky diving ... but that will also be planned ... as part of some vacation ...

Hmmm ... maybe I need to plan to be more spontaneous ... :-)

Day 14 - A non-fictional book

I can only think of "Who Moved My Cheese" here again ... this time I will post a picture too :-D

Day 13 - A Fictional Book

Again ... I haven't read many books but my favourite has got to be "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" written by Douglas Adams. I know ... I mentioned "Who moved my cheese ?" in an earlier post. That is because I wanted to something different to fill in for the "fictional" book post. Big deal !

"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is a fictional guide written in the form of an encylopedia. The ideas mentioned in this novel are truly profound spiced with dark humour and satire ... both of which are my cuppa tea. (Have you ever read the comic strip : Cyanide and Happiness ? ... read it .. it is dark, random and racist ... mostly ... ).

You HAVE got to read this novel ... I'm not kidding here ... you don't know what you're missing !!

"Trillian: I have a plan.
Arthur: Does it involve pushing him out there and then running the other way? "

Day 12 - Amber by 311

So I was watching "50 First Dates" the other day ... (for those of you who haven't watched this movie, it is a light-hearted comedy starring Adam "Goofy" Sandler and Drew "Cute" Barrymore) ... and heard this track "Amber" for the first time.
It was apparantly written by the lead singer of the band 311 , Nick Hexam, for his then fiance, Nicole Scherzinger (of the Pussycat Dolls fame).

It has got a smooth mellifluous reggae feel with the most amazing lyrics for the chorus ...

"Amber is the color of your energy,

Shades of gold displayed naturally"

It seriously lifts my spirits and takes me gliding through the air ... floating away to a paradise with clear blue skies and pure white sand ... the soft rays of the sun on my face ... almost ... well ... amber ... *sigh*

Have a listen : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCO-3TzoFJo

Day 11 - A photo of me taken recently

My profile pic has been taken very recently ... :-)

Day 10 — A photo of me taken over ten years ago

A picture of me taken more than 2 decades ago :-)

Day 09 - A photo I took

The Campanile @ San Marco, Venice

Day 08 - A photo that makes me angry/sad

Talk about ruining a perfectly good face ... 'ruined' is an under statement ... she should have put her money to better use ...

Day 07 - A photo that makes me smile

Can you blame me ? :-)

Day 06 - Jamie Oliver

He's this absolutely adorable English Chef who makes the most amazing stuff. I mean, who doesn't love a man who can cook? Its not just the cooking but his funny antics in the kitchen that get me going!

I made this wonderful "Roast Chicken with Rosemary Potatoes" for lunch today.
It turned out to be awesome ! Thanks Jamie :-* ... (psst ... I know you are married, but I am still hopeful ... maybe we can talk over some tea and scones ;-) )

Day 05 - My Favourite Quote

This one is tough ... I have way too many quotes to quote here.

(Thinking ... Thinking ...)

I mean ... do I pick a line from a movie or a book or a song or something else ? Arrgh !

(13 minutes later ...)

"If something is so complicated that you can't explain it in 10 seconds, then it's probably not worth knowing anyway."

I mean, seriously, what I hate more than anything in the world is fumbling, mumbling and rambling. If I ask you a question, I expect the answer to be one short sentence at the most.

Examples

Do I look fat in these jeans?
Umm ... maybe it is the color or the fit. Why don't you go for the ....

Correct Answer : No

Do you want to die?
Every1 is dying... there's nothing we can do about it. That is the whole cycle ..

Correct Answer : I'm sorry about the previous answer.

Day 04 - My Favourite Book

Ok ... honestly, I am not much of a 'book/novel' person. Just the thought of having to wait at least 350 pages to know the end of a story is ... well ... too much waiting. I love to read articles and blogs and stuff like that. Despite this, I have read a handful of books.

My favourite would have to be "Who Moved My Cheese?" written by Spencer Johnson. It is a motivational book that urges you to "be the change you want to see in the world".

If you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for? Its a pretty short book which I hope inspires you as much as it has inspired me.

Day 03 - My Favourite TV Program

Could I be more in love with F.R.I.E.N.D.S ?

This sitcom has bought many a laughs to an otherwise dull day. Whenever I am blue, I turn to F.R.I.E.N.D.S to make me smile. I don't know what it is about them. Maybe it is how perfectly incomplete each one of them is alone and how perfectly complete they are together. Maybe it is how maybe in some way, we have been like them at some point in our lives. Maybe it just brings back warm memories of being in a tiny hostel room with Marie biscuits and tiny plastic cups of tea and a true friend to share them with. I don't know ...

Day 02 - My Favourite Movie

Although I watch a lot of movies, my favourite has got to be Andaz Apna Apna. There is no contest here.

It is a classic case of poor boy meets rich girl and mistaken identities. From 'Uncle Kaun?' to 'Teja main hoon, mark idhar hai' ... it is a laugh riot from start to finish!

The act that steals the limelight is Paresh Rawal as Teja and Mr Ram Gopal Bajaj.

I have indulged in never-ending conversations quoting only the lines from this movie ... and I'm proud of it! Seriously, don't get me started ! :-D

'Yeh Vasco De Gama ki gun hai .... kiske mama ki gun hai?'

Day 01 - My Favourite Song

I listen to a LOT of music ... and different kinds too! It all depends on my mood and whatever tickles my fancy. What I do do (lol) once I find a song interesting is - I google the lyrics. This is the most important part of the song for me ... the melody of course is essential but lyrics are what make or break the song for me.

My favourite? November Rain by GnR
Oh where do I begin with this one ? Everything about it is so ... magical.
The lyrics, the read-between-the-lines, the concept, the piano pieces, the guitar solos, the singing, the video ... *sigh*.

"When your fears subside and the shadows still remain ..." (*sigh*)

A new post everyday for the month of April !

Day 01 — Your favorite song
Day 02 — Your favorite movie
Day 03 — Your favorite television program
Day 04 — Your favorite book
Day 05 — Your favorite quote
Day 06 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 07 — A photo that makes you happy
Day 08 — A photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 09 — A photo you took
Day 10 — A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 11 — A photo of you taken recently
Day 12 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 13 — A fictional book
Day 14 — A non-fictional book
Day 15 — A fanfic
Day 16 — A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 — An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
Day 18 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 19 — A talent of yours
Day 20 — A hobby of yours
Day 21 — A recipe
Day 22 — A website
Day 23 — A YouTube video
Day 24 — Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 25 — Your day, in great detail
Day 26 — Your week, in great detail
Day 27 — This month, in great detail
Day 28 — This year, in great detail
Day 29 — Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 — Whatever tickles your fancy

Punch Punch Punch Punch Elbow Elbow Elbow Elbow

The wiki quotes, "Tae Bo is an aerobic exercise routine that became popular in the 1990s. It was developed by taekwondo practitioner Billy Blanks[1] and was one of the first "cardio-boxing" programs to enjoy commercial success.[citation needed] Such programs use the motions of martial arts at a rapid pace designed to promote fitness. The name Tae Bo is a portmanteau of tae kwon do and boxing."

Did I tell you how much I love this? I've taken only 2 classes so far in my gym but I'm already a fan! It has got these different kinds of punches and kicks with these awesome martial arts stances. I wear these fingerless gloves I've got and pretend I'm like in "Mortal Kombat" or something. It is serious fun when you imagine fighting with an actual enemy (ahem) with of course short breaks to sip water n stuff :-D !

You HAVE got to try it !