War and War

It's true, we never win with violence.
But, how do we win?
But, do we have to win?
But, what if we don't?
But, I don't want war.
But, it's easier said than done.
But, I want to be safe.
But, how can I, without war?
But, how can I, with war?
But, I'm not at the frontiers, fighting it.
So I can't decide for them.
So I can't decide for me.
But, what can I do?
But, can I do something?
Yes, have faith. In those who've sworn to protect us.
Yes, show solidarity to our nation's heroes.
Yes, stand United with a billion others.
Stop unfriending those who don't think as you do.
Stop trolling those who don't think as you do.
Be compassionate. You are on the same boat.
There's a good chance we can survive this.
But, I'm angry.
But, I can't remain unspoken when my brothers are dying.
See, that's the thing about wars.
Someone starts it.
Someone has to end it.
Someone wins. Everyone looses.
We rebuild.
We wait.
The sense of security lasts a minute, an hour, a day, a decade, a century or a millennium.
But, I'm not sure when, am I?
No, so I need to stay alert.
No, so I need to invest in defense.
The world is a jungle. And I need to stay awake.
But, is there an end to this?
But, was there a beginning either?
The answer to both is, NO!

My friend

A thought occurred today
Completely random, completely unrelated
I wasn't even thinking about you
The thought reminded me of you

What would happen if we never talk?
What would happen if one of us leaves this earth earlier than we thought?
What would happen if one of us loses the will to live?
What would happen if one of us loses it with the other? (Lol)

Nothing!

It would not change the way I think about you
It would not change how much I love you
Your memory will never fade into non-existence
Your voice will never stop singing to my soul

Nothing!

I can feel your hugs while we are miles apart
I could feel your hugs even when we'd be world apart
I can pretend to talk to you right now, and know what you'd say
You are a part of me, and you'll stay there until I'm me

Nothing!

There's not an iota of doubt within me
That this feeling well remain the same
Years and decades can't change this about you
There's no one I could call a soul sister, but you

Hmm! I just hope I find a man, who gets me half as well as you
Who I can bare my weaknesses to
Who I can show off my strengths to
I hope that I can show you off too.

I'm tearing up, relieved that the words have taken shape
Of my respect, my gratitude and my undying love for you, my friend.

Love Dudu!

Shweta Bhat's room

Shweta Bhat is my soul sister and her room houses countless memories of our times together. So here's what it means to me......

Shweta Bhat's room is paradise
It's just made for me
Although my own room isn't
It's how I want it to be

It spills out Shweta Bhat's secrets
Her 'things to do' board once read out
"Buy Ruth a gift!"
It made my day, needless to say

It can get dark and dingy
Like Snape's dungeon
It can get bright and shiny
Like a happydent using person

It's got loads of books, to choose from
It's got so many books,
that I end up choosing none at all
There's magic at work there, somewhere.

It's got a laptop,
With my favourite things to watch
It's Willy Wonka's chocolate factory
A little bit of this, a little bit of that

A lone lamp stands in the corner
Perched over a cupboard
A wishing well, I wish and
It spills over my heart's desire.

It's got that other cupboard
That houses my comfort pants
I steal them from time to time
And let her use them when she rants.

It's got 2 chairs,
She wants nothing to be placed upon
I'm so tempted, always
It's like a compulsion that stays.

It has a window to the world
Although mine has had balconies
Which open to the blue skies
The window is what I crave for.

It has a mosquito bat
That acts as a prop at times
I've never really seen her use it
Not when I'm awake at least.

Most importantly, it has Shweta Bhat
I can't imagine my life without
Who's always kept it open for me
Even if I snore aloud.

Mr Potato

Hey Mr Potato
Do you remember me?
It's me, can't you see?
Your biggest fan,
me, your soul mate
Gee, until I breathe.

My very first time,
I met the slender you,
The tender you,
Shiny and crispy
I only had a few
Minutes, you knew.

Days passed, and that was years ago
I couldn't let you go
Of you I dreamt,
My days I spent,
Every party I went
Although you cost me
Only 50 cents.

No, it was not the money
Your so dark and funny
Salt and pepper
Chilli and honey
Plain and peri peri
So plenty, why the hurry?

I was blinded by
My love for you,
My faith in you, you
Were my devotion, you
my constitution, you
My new year's resolution.

Like every great love story
This has to end
I had to mend
My broken heart
I had to tend.
Make pretend.

You had asked me to stay away
From the broken scale
What did you call him? A sorry tale,
From, the discount sale
You were so conniving,
I could tell.

I had to get over you
I had no clue
You wound your web
Everywhere,
At the corner store
That 'M' you bore.

You know what?
I'm meeting your fat twin
He's not as handsome
But it's a win-win
He's bigger and softer,
But honest within.

Do you know he's baked?
No, he's not fake.
I would not take
him, just to make
Your thin ass shake
Hard and break.

No, I deserve better
You shit old snack
I would never crack
You can never hack
Forget me now
I'm never coming back.

Right here, right now!

Right here, right now
Is all I have
Past is a memory
Etched in stone
Future is another story
Yet to be told.

Right here, right now
I'm free, unchained
I'm the only variable
In this chaotic world
I'm predictable,
In certainty, previously unknown.
I sit in silence, my senses alert
I can see the colours spurt
And hear the music out loud
My beating heart and breathing lungs.
I can feel the wind kiss my skin
And smell the earth after the first rain
I can sense my lips part in a smile
A thought dawning after a while -
What happens now? My mind echoes
Right here, right now
I see myself, crystal clear
I'm an entity
Capable, powerful
"I need to stay in the now"
I ask myself, "how?"

The wait

I've been waiting
But the time won't seem to come
It seems frozen
Not letting me see through some
I've been dreaming
With my feet firmly on the ground
I can feel you
Sense you somewhere around

I've been asking
Questions who's answers I can't find
It's so simple
Yet, it beats me all the time
I've been counting
The days that have come and gone
Hopes that crumbled
And the ache that leaves me scorned

I've been calling
On to you, come find me when it's time
I'll be ready
To hop on, once I see the sign
I've been thinking
If you'll sweep me off the ground
Lift me up
Turn my life around

Terminal

Begin.

I'm excited.
Seated on a comfortable chair
That leans backwards
Spins me around
Phone plugged to a charging point
That's unnoticeable under the table
Reading and answering
Posts on Quora
While a sea of people pass by
Speaking their own tongue
Children, adults and elders
Some copassengers, some not
I'll never know, because
I've buried myself in my book
In the game of thrones
"Call home." A voice rings
I hang up after a good 10 minutes
Sneak a peek at my boarding pass
At the clock on my phone
Raise my head to look around
In no particular direction
For no particular reason
While the clock ticks, I pen
These words down
I say, "The life of an urban man"
Many words written online
Many scribbled as statuses
Many sarcastic, many funny
While an elderly gentleman
On the next table wonders
where spoken words have gone.

End.

Simple cream of Mushroom and Spinach soup

Ingredients: serves 1

1 tablespoon plain flour
2 tablespoon vegetable/olive oil/butter
2 cups milk / 250ml
1 cup mushroom
Handful of Spinach
8-10 pepper corns
1 bay leaf
1 Clove Garlic (optional)
1/2 onion

Method:
1. Saute mushrooms (halved) in 1 tablespoon vegetable/olive oil/Butter
2. Once tender, add Spinach and saute until leaves are cooked. Keep aside
3. Boil milk, Bay leaf, onion and pepper corns. Simmer on medium flame while stirring continuously.
4. 5 min after the milk begins to boil, filter the milk to separate the spices.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable/olive oil/Butter. Once hot, add pain flour and roast by stirring continually.
6. Once flour turns brown and smells nutty, take off the flame and keep aside.
7. Mix 1/2 cup spiced milk with roasted flour and stir to remove lumps.
8. Add the rest of the milk, sauteed mushroom, spinach, salt to taste and simmer on medium flame.
9. 2-3 min after the milk begins to boil, the mixture thickens.
10. Blend the mixture and serve with a toast.

Grapes and Watercress salad

I fell in love with fruit-leaf-cheese salads few years ago when I had the watermelon-feta cheese-arugula salad at Prost. I might have tried every outlet in Bangalore that served the salad - some nice, some a feeble attempt to just bring it to the table. My best was at Big Brewsky, until the restaurant got busy and didnt get the measure of the ingredients right anymore.
Funnily enough, this is not the receipe of the WFA. It's something I invented on a beautiful spring afternoon in Ingrave, UK. The reason I can confidently take credit for the invention is simple - I looked it up on Google and didn't find anything remotely similar.

Receipe: For 1 person
16 grapes cut in quarters/halves
A palmful of Watercress
A palmful of mixed baby leaves - spinach, red chard, lettuce (avoid iceberg)
1/4 Red/white onion Or 1 shallot, cut length-wise
1/4 orange/red bell peppers, cut length-wise
2 tea spoons grated cheddar cheese

Dressing:
2 tea spoons of lemon juice
1 tea spoon of white wine vinegar. In case the ingredient is missing, add 1 tea spoon of lemon juice and 1 tea spoon of water.
1 tea spoon of olive oil
Pinch of salt
Pinch of fresh ground pepper
1 tea spoon of water

Method:
Mix all the ingredients, but the cheese. Once the vegetables are coated with the dressing, sprinkle the cheese and toss the salad a couple of times.

Early bird!

I love the morning calm,
that's so hard to find around.
I love to wake up to chirping birds,
The sound of music, so divine.
I love the empty streets,
The space I need to breathe.
The unending roads that curve ahead,
The smooth rides, fairly said.
Gusts of wind brush my face,
The stench of yesterday washed out.
Sunrise reminds me of abundance,
While the light gets me on and about.
The changing colours of the sky,
So beautiful, yet so shy.
The lifeless concrete, in the background,
That reminds me of the world around.
I love the fresh air,
With every breath I prepare,
For another day that awaits,
A new beginning, a new start,
Countless opportunities apart.

The god of small things

In chaos, I found happiness,
In what I had known as mess;
Blinded that I was these years,
By my own sorrow, and shed tears.

Alone, I thought I was left,
By friends, I felt bereft;
Little did I know, it was me,
Who had cut myself from the glee.
Joy, I rediscovered among friends,
One that knew no ends;
Friends who remained true to me,
Come joy or misery.

Alone, I craved for company,
Notwithstanding mind's cacophony;
Forgotten, lay the one I loved most -
Me, I realised had become a ghost.
Adventure, I rediscovered in cooking,
Solace in books, that were biting dust;
Patience in the haphazard traffic,
Silence in the melow music.

Alone, I fought my struggles
Cursed, I thought was my fate;
Confused, caught among the puzzles
Of life and the game that it plays.
In goodness, I found strength,
In belief, I found courage,
I opened my mind to opportunities,
I found my god in small things.

The Traveller

I want to go to the end of the world
sit on the ledge, try to see beyond the visible
as great men had done years before,
and journeyed far, as is told in the yore.

I want to go to the lost civilizations
walk upon the soil that housed generations
millenniums ago, who lived and prospered
and passed on to us, their precious world.

I want to go to the farthest of places
untouched and pure; live with the people
speak their language, learn their ways,
cook their food and trace their heritage

I want to go to the densest of jungles
and seek compassion in the wild;
and experience life the way it started
leaving all comforts behind

I want to go to the scared of places
where the greatest religions were born
which hold the faith of millions of people
witnessed miracles and the divine.

I want to visit the ruins of kingdoms
and study their birth and downfall;
learn the influence they had
on art, language, architecture in all.

I want to visit the country side
where life is laid back and simple
get in touch with the roots of society -
in the hustle and bustle of a community.

I want to go to the secluded of beaches
and experience the vastness of nature
swim in the salty waters, listen to the tides roar
when a moon lights up the sea and the shore.

I want to go to the busiest of streets
taste the street side food so rife
marvel at the world of an urban man
relish and cherish his everyday life

I want to travel back in time

.... to be continued

PS: Nothing inspires me more than to connect with you from across the world. Make your presence felt, leave a comment :)

Agara Lake

Agara Lake is one of the rare natural lakes of Bangalore.

The history of the lake can be traced back to the 8^th century. Evidence of the existence of the lake is found in historical documents related to the city of Bangalore. Till a few decades ago the lake was used for the purpose of irrigation and to provide drinking water to the people residing in Agara and the surrounding villages.

A huge catchment area surrounds the lake. Not so long ago, the rain water from this catchment (mainly HSR) used to keep the lake brimming with water. The lake also received the water that overflowed from the Madivala Lake through the Raja Kaluve. The excessive water of the Agara Lake overflowed and reached the Bellander Lake.


However, due to the excessive water pollution and mismanagement of the lake maintenance, the once-attractive lake was turned into a dumping site for garbage and breeding ground of mosquitoes.  Also a fly over construction at the 14th Main and ORR junction caused the source of water from HSR catchment area to get closed that is not yet revived.

The citizens of HSR Layout, along with LDA (Lake Development Authority) are making continuing efforts to save the lake from deteriorating and to put to use an excellent water source to recharge the alarmingly depleting underground water tables.

The iconic ‘Children-Globe-Rooster’ statue that stands along the fence of the lake has been freed from the menace of wild shrubs and bushes. This statue is a big draw for children and adults alike. More than 230 fruit-bearing tree saplings, including varieties such as jamun and peepal, have been planted on the island of the lake.

Source:
Karnataka Government website
Kavitha Reddy's Blog

Photo Tutorial - Basics 1 - Rule of thirds

Photography to me is a way to see the world as it's not and at times, as it is. Yesterday, I decided to give it a serious try. 

I'm not exceptional artistically or a natural, like most of the junta who try their hands on the art; but I'm doing my homework, learning the basics and seeing results as my pictures get better week after week. 

I'll be sharing my journey and I'm hoping my blogs will help beginners to take better pictures.

camera: Canon PowerShot SX100IS

The heart of the picture is its composition, i.e., the elements that make the frame. The easiest rule to learn and remember to ensure good composition is the Rule of thirds. 

Basically, you have to divide the picture into 9 equal grids using 2 horizontal and 2 vertical lines. Once done, the subject of the picture has to be aligned  along these lines of their intersections.

If the background has 2 textures, as in landscape photography (sky and earth), the horizon can be aligned along the lower or upper horizontal grid line (1/3 sky, 2/3 earth OR 2/3 sky, 1/3 earth).

I enabled the grid lines feature in my camera and applied the rule of thirds and I felt I was taking more sensible pictures.

PS: If the blog was helpful and you were able to take better pictures, I'd love to hear about it. Please drop in your suggestions and experiences.

Vietnamese - Phobidden Fruit review

It's my first time at Phobidden Fruit and my first dig at Vietnamese cuisine and I JUST LOVED IT!


ambience:  
Ups: Choice of open terrance and closed room, decent music, comfortable seating, simple and earthy interiors (wooden furniture and cane lamps).
Downs: None worth mentioning

food:
Ups: Original, unadulterated Vietnamese cuisine, in-extensive and detailed menu, sufficient options for vegetarians, excellent dipping sauces.
Downs: None worth mentioning

price: 500 per person 

quantity:  
2 people can share - 1 appetizer, 1 main course, 1 soup/drink, 1 desert.

service:
a little sluggish on the day I visited. However, I couldn't find any related complaints on zomato.com

location:
easily accessible, 12th Main Indiranagar

what to eat:
You can read my post on Introduction to Vietnamese food, if you are a first timer:
http://ruthvika.blogspot.in/2014/05/introduction-vietnamese-food.html

what we ate:
beverages: Ginger lemon cooler

appetisers: Bahn Xeo (Crispy rice crepe with soft filling of button mushrooms, onion and bean sprouts), Mekong momos (steamed dumplings with a choice of filling served with a tomato garlic sauce dip)

main course: Peanut Sate Curry (a creamy, mildly sweet peanut curry, with fresh vegetables and spices, served with steamed rice), Thit Kho (caramelized pork in sweet-spicy onion-garlic sauce served with steamed rice)



Info, Photos, Menu and Map @
http://www.zomato.com/bangalore/phobidden-fruit-indiranagar/info#tabtop

PS: If this post has been helpful, and you ended up visiting the restaurant, please drop a comment
Thanks in advance!

Introduction - Vietnamese food

Vietnamese cuisine is known for it's freshness, meat and flavours. In spite of having a food culture of it's own that dates back a couple of thousand years, it has been in parts influenced by cuisines of colonisers (China, France) and close neighbours (Thai).

The key ingredients include rice, meat (beef, pork), sea food (prawn, shrimp), noodles, fish sauce, soya sauce, fresh vegetables (bean sprouts among them) and herbs.

The cuisine varies across North, Central and South Vietnam due to climate and soil quality.

Southern dishes tend to have an abundance of flavours and vegetables, herbs, meat, chilli and fruits due to tropical climate and fertile soil. Northern dishes tend to have less of these due to hard winters.  Sea food is abundant throughout due to the long seacoast of Vietnam and used extensively.

Flavours:
spicy, sour, sweet, chilli and at times bitter.

a TYPICAL meal:

Starters: 
Vietnamese Pancake (bánh xèo)  made out of rice flour with various fillings (beef, pork) and dipping sauce.
Fresh Imperial Rice Paper Rolls with prawn, pork or Prawn on Sugar Cane and dipping sauce.

Soups: 
Pho noodle soup, suited for the hard winters of the North
Vegetable broth soup (Canh Rau)

Main course:
Steamed fish or Caramel pork with prawn (tom rang thit) served with tossed morning glory and garlic with Steamed rice.

Desert:
Crème caramel, a dish of French influence.

PS: If you've found this information useful and tried the Vietnamese cuisine, I'd LOVE to know about it. Drop me a mail at ikadakimasuu@gmail.com or leave a comment at this page.
Thanks in advance!!!

I'm a slave to my mind

"I'm a slave to my mind, I do as it says
I can't seem to break away, I'm used to its ways."

Wise ones have always told, to keep it under control
Ill happens to those who don't, legends have foretold.

Mind grows strong with anger and fear,
It dwells on uncertainty, scares you mere,
Negativity helps feed it to the brim,
And you'll see your future has turned grim.

Keep faith in yourself, don't buy into the mind games,
take a deep breath, and do it always.
Feel positive, that hinders it the best
plan the future, and finally put it to rest.

You'll never be a slave to your mind nor do as it always says.
You will always break away and not get used to its ways.

PS: Dedicated to Smitha Sheshadri

Apartments - The new localities in India

I'm a child of the 80s and 90s and was a 4th generation neighbour to families living in our locality in Dharwad. I stayed in the same neighbourhood for a good 21 years of my life; so I knew my neighbours. The children in the neighbourhood were my extended friends and I grew up with them. We played, sometimes even studied together.

In the 2000s, when my sister was growing up, my parents moved to a new locality and things were very different this time. They were vary of the neighbourhood and the people alike, as it was new to them. Families which move often face the same dilemma these days as the times are not as trusting as they used to be.

So I was in for a surprise when I moved into an apartment in Bangalore. I see that families here are not vary of each other. I myself have chatted up with quite a few residents in the society at random. It's great that children and adults get to experience the company of their neighbours that went missing for a decade in the 2000s.

Apartments, especially gated societies give a sense of safety to otherwise vary parents. Now parents can let children play without having to worry or keep a watch on them. It's not just the children, but also adults above 60 years of age, who get good company. In addition the amenities provided by the apartment at the cost of maintenance, (like tennis, basketball, volleyball courts, club houses and swimming pools, and an open space for people to take a walk safely without having to worry the time of the day) comes at a cheap price if used effectively.

Many nuclear families are shifting to apartments on rent, by renting their own, individual houses for safety. But I hope they also recognize that these places also give them experiences which might have easily gone unnoticed and missing.

PS: To readers: If you noticed something similar or different, leave your thoughts.

The Sun

On a cold October morning, I’ve woken up at half past four

I’m sitting in the balcony, of my house on the 8th floor

I look at the horizon, and I see he’s not there yet

But, I’m so excited that I just can’t get back to bed

Everything around looks a shade of brown and black

It’s as though I’m seeing the world through a tinted lens pack.

I look behind me and I see a canopy of roofs

I can’t get through them deep into their grooves

May be there’s a beautiful lawn or a garden full of flowers

I think, how I’ll never know even if I’m in one of the towers

I turn a little to my right and I see an unfinished room lit,

May be the labourers are working into their night shift

Further right, my eyes freeze on a patch of brown,

I can still hear sweet voices of children on that school ground

So I’m back to looking east, and I see a faint red glow

The brighter it gets I see true colours of things below.

And slowly emerges a foray of colours,

First red, pink, orange and then the others

It spreads around and envelops the entire eastern sky

It’ll happen anytime now, he’s only a moment shy.

And finally, he rises all majestic and bold

He looks just as beautiful as I was told.

On a cold October morning, I woke up at half past four

I’m sitting in the balcony, of my house on the 8th floor

Full Metal Alchemist!

Alchemy refers to transformation of matter. In olden days, the subject was considered as the forerunner of chemistry and was used to transform base metals in gold.

Every transformation in the Universe follows Einstein's 3rd law. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed. However, it can be transformed. Most common example - Ball rolling down an inclined plane. Similarly, mass can also be transformed into energy. Example - Digested food produces energy.

Full Metal alchemist is a 51 episode Manga animation series, dealing with complex applications of transformation and transmutation, defined as travel through parallel universes, the most advanced explanation of Alchemy and in particular human transmutation.

Its truly said that, with great power comes great responsibility; responsibility to use the power in a controlled environment. But those with great power often start believing and playing God themselves. They toy with the natural flow of things, underestimating the basic law of Alchemy. Excerpt from the series - Human kind cannot gain anything without giving something in return. to obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That's alchemy's first law of equivalent exchange.

I'm sure I've created enough interest for you to grab the episodes and watch them :) Happy Watching :)