Hearken to me, Hearties : Nammuru Bengaluru

For that annoying little pest of a kid, my young bruh, to whom I gave my word that my next post would be on Bengaluru .

Like all mallu guys (especially after the movie Bangalore Days), I badly wanted to get a job in B’lore. You could say that I was kinda obsessed with this place. I didn’t want just a job, I wanted a job IN B’lore. I had to wait a bit (not that long, but, long.), and finally , Bazzinga ! I get through the interview for this company. I would love to tell about my company, but, I’m not supposed to !  :D  I remember signing  some stuff and all which told that I’ll be in serious , knee deep ,uh, problems, if I disclose stuff which I should not (I’m not working undercover, nor am I smuggling drugs. Please don’t read this and give ideas to my mom and dad).

Till date, life in the city has been pretty cool.  Monday to Friday, life is mechanical. Wake up, Office, Sleep (After coming back to the room, not at the office. I swear). Weekends are more eventful. Either stay in the bed the whole weekend and save money or set your foot outside and be broke even before its 5 days after payday. When the phenomenon of me stepping out of the room happens, it will be either to get food, or to meet up and hang out with P(Speaking of which, getting an appointment with le PM Modi will be easier, as compared to meeting this guggu .) Other than P, there is my young bruh, who makes me regret meeting him, every single time we meet.  We talk and I usually end up hurting my forehead due to the intermittent facepalms and headdesks. Can’t help it.  Getting used to 

the pain.

After living in Kerala and occasionally in Tamil Nadu for all these years, Bangalore feels like a hill station to me. Cold nights, chilly mornings, cool winds and not so hot days.

Initially I was all spirited about learning Kannada, the only things which I’ve learnt is “Chill Maadu”, “Bob” and ironically, “Kannada Gothilla”. But, I’m happy that unlike the majority of the immigrant techies, I do know that the language is called Kannada and not Kannad. (A solemn self-five, Barney style.)

For a foodie, Bangalore + Zomato  = Cloud Nine.  I’ve bookmarked so many places in Zomato in a month, that I’m sure it’ll take me a year to visit them all.

 Ciao Bob, Valar Morghulis, May the Force be with you, and , Rest in peace, Leonard Nimoy.

P.S : For those who are handicapped in Kannada, Kannada Gothilla means “I don’t know  Kannada”, hence, the irony.

P.P.S : Thanks to those few like-minded spirits I met, who make my life comparatively better, I guess.

P.P.P.S :  If I don’t see Sandy in the next two weeks, Ms P, we are gonna have a talk. This is a threat. 

Hearken to Me, Hearties : Music

P.S – This is a Pre- Script. Not Post.

P.P.S – The songs are in an ascending order of preference. Read this post when you have some 20 minutes to spare. Listen to the song if you’ve not heard it (Links given after each song).

P.P.P.S – Grateful to all who have suggested me songs to listen to. Especially, MnM who introduced me to Blackstratblues.

Have fun, y’all.

Ishanee, this, for you.

For some , music may be an escape . For others, it may be their livelihood. For others, it may be their passion. For me, it’s a part of my life. I can sing (Singing level – Okay, when it comes to competitions, Singing level – Good when it comes to public occasions, Singing level – Greater than 9000 when in the bathroom (If you didn’t understand the last reference , you definitely should make yourself more familiar with 9Gag.)) I’ve been in the church choir for the last 12 years(Experience wise, I’m senior to my dad in the choir and I get to teach him ! Awesome, nuh ! :D ) and an organist in the choir for the last 3 years. But, trust me , when you meet the people I meet, you’ll understand that I’m nothing but a beginner(This is for all the pondi guggus, esp P). I’ve got friends who are technically more qualified in music, more than half of the Mallu population put together.

 I believe that a person’s playlist speaks out louder about him/her than their own self. A person's  playlist is like a selfie of his mind (Note these words down!! I made them up myself and they will definitely be words worth quoting. :D). But, if you assume that a person is a hyper energetic, loud mouthed maniac just because he listens to Green Day or System of a Down, you may be wrong (I definitely love Green Day and listen to SOAD, but, I hate loud stuff.) A person’s choice of songs definitely speaks about his state of mind (Hence, a selfie ! )

So, here are a few tracks which make up my playlist (Only the songs I listen to, the most. Kinda daily, actually ( My entire playlist is about 6 hours long :D ^_^)).

Starting from the least favorite of my most favorite list :-

Anderson Mesa by Jimmy Eat World

This band was suggested to me by a friend ,K. So, I did what I always used to do (After I joined Pondi Uni, of course ! ) – download their discography and listen to the songs. I liked many songs but this one stayed in my mind for reasons unknown. It starts off like soft waves lapping at your feet. Eventhough it doesn’t gain much macho and feels a little off-pitch at times, soothing.

JEW - Anderson Mesa

All We’d Ever Need by Lady Antebellum

I feel that this song is made for those who have unwillingly let go of a person in their lives, be it a partner, be it a soulmate, be it a friend. A very touching, beautiful melody accompanied by just an acoustic guitar and a piano. There is another song called “Just a Kiss” by the same artist , which is awesome, but, I like this one more.

.Lady Antebellum - All We'd Ever Need

Lady in Spain by Ingrid Michaelson

Including this song will be a reason for the guggus to bugs me . Cuz, as per their prediction, I’m gonna end up with a  Spanish girl.

The first IM song I heard was her “Can’t stop falling in love” cover. One song, and I downloaded the discography(again.).

A slow,sweet, steady, melodious but haunting waltz( Yo Einsteins ! By haunting I don’t mean scary; it just demands to be heard again.) The reason why I started to listen to IM was cuz of her voice. A very husky, rich voice. And the accordion.

Ingrid Michaelson - Lady in Spain

Now We Are Free by Hans Zimmer, Lisa Gerrard and Klaus Badelt

From the movie Gladiator. Eventhough I never understood a single word of the lyrics, eventhough I’ve never searched for the translation, this is one song which I dearly love. Very passionate, very touching. The first time I saw the movie, I almost cried when this song came . The visualization !!! Russel Crowe walking through those fields, his son running towards him. Much touching. Very goosebumps.

Now We Are Free

Saawali Si Raat , sung by Arijit Singh

Romantic. One very good composition, made by the music director Pritam, all by himself. :D :D And, of course , sung by Arijit Singh . Nothing much to describe about the song, but, a very beautiful one, nonetheless .

 Saawali Si Raat

Tum Hi Ho , sung by Arijit Singh (again)

One of the most popular love songs ever, as per the Indian opinion.  A technically simple composition. The voice of Arijit Singh did the magic. And , like almost all love songs, a sad one. Very good song if you need to get depressed.(That is the beauty of it. You yearn.) :D

Tum Hi Ho

Hold My Hand by MJ  feat Akon

I definitely am not a fan of both MJ and Akon, still, I love this song. It is one of those few songs which speak more than what the lyrics mean to say, and the lyrics say a lot. A simple rhythm, a simple tune, complicated singing and even complicated orchestration. All this make this song awesome.

MJ feat Akon - Hold My Hand

Love can turn the World by the Gaither Vocal Band

“If coal can turn to diamonds and sand can turn to pearls,

If a worm can turn into a butterfly then  Love can turn the world.”

A Christian devotional song. What I’ve given above is the chorus portion. One of the most beautiful lyrics ever written. This awesome lyrics plus the ethereal singing makes this a beautiful song. If you listen to it, you’ll sway to the rhythm without you realizing it.  And , GVB happens to be the awesomest Gospel band ever !!

Gaither Vocal Band - Love Can Turn the World

I’m leaving on a Jetplane cover by Chantal Kreviazuk

I like CK’s cover of this song, more than the original one. The first time I listened to this song was from the movie Armageddon, ages ago, but, I never realized it until this year. To all my friends out there,  this is the song which you can put to use, if you are facing long distance problems ! :D :D You can put it to use during THE proposal, too (Thank me in advance for the tip, rekha :D )!

Chantal Kreviazuk - Leaving On A Jet Plane

Top Gun OST

This piece of music, was put together by a not so famous guitarist, after Bryan Adams declined the offer to do the theme for this movie (reason : The movie promoted war.).This track is so bloody inspiring that I listen to it almost every day(I find that it takes a lot of inspiration from various sources, for me to stay sane). And, this is the song which made me love the Electric Guitar. Oh Boy, the riffs. *swooning*

Top Gun Anthem

Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri and Rainy Moods.

Not a single song, but, a combination of two, which gives the listener, an amazing feel. The lead song would be Jar of Hearts , with , the Rainy Moods(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDmbGrQqWog) playing in the background(It is nothing but a HD recording of a thunderstorm(with more rain and less thunder.))

J of H is definitely a post breakup song. Much sad. Very cry. What you have to do is to play both the song clips at the same time.(After buffering COMPLETELY.) The steady pattering of the rain kinda adds to the sadness of the song. Very touching. (Don’t curse me after listening to it ! )

Christina Perri - Jar of Hearts

An Ideal of Hope by Hans Zimmer

I go gaga when I hear Hans Zimmer. He knows how to compose, in style. This particular song, he did for Man of Steel . Begins slowly , like how it would sound like when a pin falls inside a glass cup. By the time it ends, the feel crescendos up to some other level. Listening to this one song made me wanna be a drummer (for Hans Zimmer exclusively, of course). Ms. P would corroborate with this. She knows the number of lectures I spent grooming myself to be the drummer of my dreams. This song is so awesome and inspiring that I put the song on repeat and play Call of Duty. Do that , and by the time you kill 5 enemies,  you’ll have Goosebumps and you’ll be determined to hunt down and kill each and every single enemy in that level.

Hans Zimmer - An Ideal of Hope

Kaise Mujhe sung by Benny Dayal, Shreya Goshal

I would say that A R Rahman should’ve got an Oscar for this and not Jai Ho.  I am not saying that Jai Ho is not a good song. Kaise Mujhe touches the heart more than Jai Ho. The lyrics, the composition, the singers. No words to describe.

Kaise Mujhe

Saada Haq by Mohit Chauhan

Another awesome song by A R R. The song smells of rebellion and outcast-edness from the first  note till the last. I loved it when I heard it the first time. And, by the time I learnt enough Hindi to understand the lyrics, I loved it even more. More than what the lyricist says through the song, I like what he leaves for the listeners to figure out. I was surprised to hear songs like this from A R R.  Saala .

Saada Haq

Bombay Rain by Blackstratblues

I love this band. Indian band, world class music. Awesome guitar portions. The song is like rain(That’s why he named it so, Duhh ! ) . Starts a little slowly , and then picks up pace. Will definitely make you headbang, especially, from 3 : 42 . Awesome groove. My current ringtone(Not the whole song, the final chorus portion)

Blackstratblues - Bombay Rain

Kabira (Encore) sung by Arijit Singh (again) and Harshjeep

A very powerful song. I listened to this song for days continuously, after I saw the movie. I still don’t understand the lyrics and I’ve never bothered to. A blend of traditional Indian style and “Western” , both in orchestration and singing. Loved it.

Kabira (Encore)

I know that the list is pretty long, but, can’t help. Now, the most favorite of my most favorite.

Newness by Blackstratblues

Dope. One word that defines the song. Mrundanga, Guitars, a whispering voice and almost no drums(only for the final chorus). An unusual but awesome combo, and, I guess, would go very well with the mood if you are smoking pot. (Please ignore the video in the given link).

Blackstratblues - Newness

Laal Ishq sung by Arijit Singh ( :/ )

I don’t know how this guy sings all the hit songs. I listened to this one after a friend suggested it. This was sometime last year. Till date it remains the most listened song , as my iPod says. P and N used to kick me whenever I say that I was listening to this song :D :D . Very powerful . Makes you yearn. Very disappointing (Read as : pathetic / no) visualization. Movie sucked. Big time.

Laal Ishq

Ente Kannil Ninakkai sung by Naziriya Nazim

From the movie Bangalore Days. The only Malayalam song in the list. Touching lyrics, a bass guitar, an acoustic guitar , a little strings here and there and a remarkable husky voice. N N happens to be an upcoming actress and it was surprising to hear that she sings , too. The music director is a person with magic fingers. Everything he touches is gold. School dropout, Fashion designer, has tried a hand assisting directors, music director, what not. Awesome resume, nuh !!

Ente Kannil Ninakkai

21 Guns by Green Day

I can keep on listening to the song for days, without stopping. Green Day was the first band I started following, that too , when I was still in school. Simply brilliant. (I’m running out of vocabulary(Tried calling you, Rekha, but , the line was busy. Call of Duty, I guess. :D ))

Green Day - 21 Guns

Anuva’s Sky by Blackstratblues

Very infectious tune. Plus , Rock a Bye Baby, rock shtyle. THE most favorite. Listen to it, you’ll understand why.(I could'nt find a video of the song alone, so, please bear with this one. Anuva's Sky begins by 2:20. The first part, consider as a bonus ! :D )

Anuva's Sky

Good Bye, Ciao, Valar Morghulis and May the Force be with you.

Hearken to me, Hearties : Heartache

Heartache.

Yes. I’m emotional.

 No. I’m not feeling blue.

Many consider “heartache” as an emotion when you go through a break up. For them – Take a funnel, look through the narrow side , widen your perspective of life. For me, as of now, heartache can be very much comparable to nostalgia. Comparable. Not the same .

When you are at home and do nothing but eat, sleep and waste your parents’ money , you’ll realize that you have loads of time to think. Think about what you did, what you are doing, and what you are gonna do. Me? I’m at the “what you did “phase now.

Heartache is whenever you think of your friends. I feel it would be natural if you lived like how we did, for two years. We would be together for almost 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, 104 weeks in total. Holidays meant 3 days at home. Not a day more than that. Run back to hostels, be with others. From a routine like this, to 12 hours of TV a day, or 12 hours of working a day, or 12 hours of writing proposals (Research Proposals. Not Wedding proposals) (I do the TV part.) – sucks. Absolutely.

Heartache is when you see your loved ones struggle. Those who deserve don’t get what they deserve. I am not in interested in any kind of research. My friends would die to be a research associate somewhere. But, I get 2 different opportunities. And the authorities who ask me , tell me strictly that I’m not to suggest these openings to any others. Those who are worthy, those who deserve, wait for eternity. This is heartache.

Heartache is when you literally cannot stop thinking about lost friends. For me, especially one. From stranger to friend in weeks, from friend to best friend in days, from best friend to stranger in moments. The stuff we used to talk, the way we used to talk, the lengths of our talk. I’ve lost many a friend. But, by leaving, none made an impact as she did (a void , too). And I understood one more thing. You’ll get new friends. But, none will ever replace them. (Not a GF, I assure.)

Heartache is when you realize that even though you have a bunch of friends who were with you in every ups and downs, you’ll feel lonely. Saving up something thinking to share with someone, and then realizing that there is no someone ! (Like the First World Problem memes.)

 But, I would say that there is a cheerful side to heartaches too ! Something like a joyful sorrow.

Seeing the ads for the new Cadbury Silk Caramel and thinking about how I used to have Silk Chocolate with a couple of people , early in the morning (at times , without brushing our teeth , too ! ), dipping in coffee. Those times , when we used to give each other a silk, almost always when we go home or return . Just a 10 sec long ad. But, gives more than 10 minutes of heartache.

Getting up at 10 A.M in the morning and thinking of the times when I used to get up and go jogging with N . Thinking of the times when all of us used to get up at 5 in the morning, head to the beach, sit there , talk and watch the sun come up.

Going through pictures. The pictures we took when all those who matter to me came for my Bro’s wedding. The fun, the dance, the songs, late night dumbcharades, the sightseeing.
 The pictures we took when we went to Alampara fort. (MnM , I and V couldn’t be there as they are HPP Extreme.) 10 people, 5 motorcycles, a 50 km drive on the ECR Scenic Beachway (A highway beside the sea). Followed by the ruins of a Mughal fort, a waist deep lake ,crossing which you’d reach an almost white sand beach with dunes. The last trip we went together, before we left for our homes. That day evening itself, people started leaving. (P left that day. Rekha and S , left a couple of days later, after taking care to flood the entire area.)

Thinking about the crushes I had in the last two years , including the most strongest one I’ve ever had. (But, it was stopped at that stage itself. LOL. ) . The strongest one, includes a very romantic movie like scene on the Rock Beach (Only from my point of view . LOL again. :D ) with the OST of the mallu movie Thattathin Marayath as the background (In my mind, of course.), followed by drama, drama , more drama and finally, curtain falls.

Good or bad, heartache leaves you with a tinge of sadness in your mind. If the happy ones make you feel more sad, then , you’ve lived a good life.

Good Bye !  

P.S :- Emotional and not blue – refers to my current state of mind. Not always. For Einsteins, “blue” doesn’t refer to the color blue, the other blue.

 P.P.S :- I don’t mean to say that those of my acquaintances who have achieved something do not deserve it. If someone felt so, read what I wrote. Not what I didn’t write.

P.P.P.S :- More clarification on P.P.S – People should learn to develop more sense. They shouldnt start taking stuff too literally. When I say “blah blah blah, you’ve lived a good life”, it doesn’t mean that only that person has lived a good life. Jesus said that he will destroy the temple and rebuild it in 3 days. He was referring to his body. But, since he was a tad too philosophical, the people took what he said literally, and charged him with blasphemy. Things did not end well for both parties. So, even though nothing of this magnitude will happen if you happen to take what I say literally , simply, cultivate the habit, people . Cultivate the habit.   

Hearken to me, Hearties : Onam !

*burp*
Yesterday happens to be the 22nd Onam I've seen. LOL And LOL ! (Youll get the explanation for list later in the post.)First and foremost, Ill tell one thing. Im pretty much high on Jaggery, so, forgive if I happen to be weird :3
So, back to the subject Onam !
Lemme give yall a small intro about what is known as Onam !
 Long , long, long ago , there lived a king called Mahabali. All those who know mallus (Rekha, for sure) will acknowledge that we have a tendency to keep many names for a particular item. Same here. Mahabali, also known as Maveli (Not Machiavelli, Maveli. ), was the just-est of kings, according to the Mallu Mythology. When he ruled over the people, it was said that all knew what peace was. No lies, no false promises , in fact , Shangri-La (I asked MS Word if Utopia meant what I meant. It suggested the meaning, along with this Shangri La. I wouldve gone forward with Utopia, but, who am I to contradict Bill Gates ! ).  
So, Shangri-La . The historians have taken pains to tell us that the mallus , under Mavelis rule never used to do any kind of stuff , which , er, present day mallus do ! They even used to weigh stuff properly (in grocery stores, I guess) and sell , It seems (I dont understand what is the point they are trynna state, though.)
Maveli was ruling in an awesome manner, and as usual , the Gods got jealous. I guess they were like - Dude ! whos this guy ? Come on ! The people love him ! It aint fair ! We should do to something !! We should mess up things for him ! So, they send Lord Vishnu (GoT fans Lord = God. Not like Lord Snow or Lord Tywin). Lord Vishnu, takes the form of a Brahmin, known as Vamanan, one among his 9 incarnations.
One fine day, Maveli was conducting a yaga . The yaga, if completed successfully , would make Maveli, an Asura, even glorious and greater than the Devas. According to the rules and regulations, the person who is conducting the yaga, is supposed to fulfill the needs of any person/Brahmin (im not sure) who approaches him. So, Mr. Vamanan approaches Maveli and asks him for 3 feet of land. Maveli (has to ! ) agrees. It is said that Vamanan grew bigger. Even bigger than gaints. Soooo big, that he covered whole of Earth and Heaven and all places known to man, in just two steps. Now, Maveli is in a fix. Vamanan asked for 3 . He needs 3 . So, ever humble, Maveli kneels and tells Vamanan to keep the third step on his own head. He does, and he is sent to Pathalam . (Underworld . I guess. )If you consider religion as a house, the Gods live on the first floor Heavens, the people on the ground floor Earth and , all the unwanted beings in the Basement Pathalam/Underworld.
So. Once a year, Maveli is allowed to come to Earth and and visit his people, the mallus. That day, we celebrate as Onam. We mallus clean our houses and surroundings (I dont. They say, one shouldnt change for people. So, if Maveli wants to visit my room, the way it is, he is welcome. Else, Sayonara. ) We make floral designs (Using rock salt or grated cocnut, of course.) , we have a feast. Mallus do the last item with utmost sincerity Feast. In Malayalam, - Sadya.
Ill talk a little about Sadya, too !
We eat on leaves. Big , green, clean banana leaves.
We have a 5 course meal including deserts, Mallu shtyle.
The only day when all Mallu families sit together and eat.
So, Ill give a tour of a sadya. The sadya I had for lunch, today.

Step 1 Take the big, green, clean banana leaves as told above.

Step 2 :  Start with Pappadam (Pappad,Kannad these north and central Indians !! Hopeless ! ), Chips and so on ..

Step 3 : Keep on adding dishes .. Pickles to the left most corner , veggies towards right.

Step 4 : Keep on adding .... 

Step 5 : Keep on adding (I'm getting tired of this .-_-)

Step 6 :As the Last step in serving, add Rice , topped with Dal curry, a little ghee. 

Step 7 : Crush some pappadam,add to the rice, start eating your way through the leaf. (Eat the contents. Not the leaf.) 

Step 8 : As desert , eat these 3 beauties. Anyone, I say, anyone, will go high on  jaggery.

Step 9 : Finish off with a *burp*  (This was the burp with which I started.: D) 

Ciao . Valar Morghulis , and may the Force be with you. 

PS : This happens to be the feast which I had for lunch, yesterday. 

PPS :  We had a total of 22 dishes, 3 payasams ,ie, sweets . And we are supposed to lick our leaves , clean. (Not literally lick. Well, feel free if you would

 like to. 

PPPS : I have not meant to disrespect any feelings, be it cultural or religious. Jus , have some fun , people !! YOLO !!!. 

Hearken to me , Hearties : Gastro-memoritis

Gastro-memoritis |Ga ‘strä – mem(Ə)rītis |

noun 
a condition often seen in extreme foodies, where, the person, on seeing good food, is subjected to a continuous gush of memories similar to the gush of 'you-know-what' when suffering from Gastroenteritis.


If you are born into a Syrian Christian family in Kerala, people take it for granted that you are a high functioning Carnivore. Contrary to the tradition , I happened to be a herbivore. Boy ! the mess it caused. My parents were sincerely worried if I had a kidney or a rabbit's tummy in place of a Mallu S C brain. I guess, i partly had. Cuz, I never was able to understand non-veg dishes, skillfully camouflaged (by my loving Mom and Dad, of course) as veg dishes , in their attempts to make me eat non-veg.

This battle raged on for about 10,11 years from the day I was born. People used to ask - "Why don't you eat non-veg ? " more than "Hello ! What be your name ? " (Stupid, right ! ).  And finally, I had to put down my arms at their feet and declare my fealty to non-veg. Started with egg, then chicken,then beef, and so on. But, only one of the captured my heart like no other - Beef (I hope I doNt go to jAil for this ! i'M a pOor little soul) . From the day i started eating it, till the day i ate Bacon for the first time, Beef was my true love.
But, till date , I loathe fish. or anything that is aquatic (Reason - I hate the fishy taste of the fish. and it stinks. a lot. makes me wanna puke. a lot.). Even this raises eyebrows whenever I visit relatives , and they be like " Whaaaaaaaaaaaat ?? You don't dig fish ?? Sad. " I learnt to live with it.

Kerala ain't a good place for a person like me. I don't like Rice and Fish - the staple food of Kerala. And, in this (not so much, but slightly)godforsaken place where I live, I don't have a decent food joint which gives me the food I like. One or two are there , but, one gets bored, right !! So, the only occasion when I get to eat what I like is when I leave Kerala . (Not exactly , but, almost). The rest of the time, I watch MasterChef US and Australia and sail ships. and yeah, get a bout of Gastro-memoritis quite often.


1. Home Sweet Home 

 They say, charity begins at home. For me, to an extent, good food also did. My mom loves to cook traditional food and my Dad has a good hand when it comes to North Indian and Indianized Chinese food, and my eldest brother is good at continental and contemporary , and I love to eat all these.

A typical Onam Sadya (Feast). My Dad is very orthodox when it comes to traditions. Irrespective of the number of people who are gonna eat the feast, he has to have Rice along with some 20+ side dishes . And strictly no non-veg. And, after the meal we have 3 or 4 deserts too. And by the time we finish, I feel like I'd have to use a winch and pulley. Every single time.

Pork. Dried, flavored pork. Had this beauty for a family get-together. That was the first time I ate pork, and I remember that in no time,I was gobbling it up, as greedy as a pig. But, saddest part is that you won't get it like this, in India. They got it from Sweden for the occasion. If somebody is heading that way, please , give me a ring ! *sigh*

2. Pune

Pune !! I went there after I finished my PG. The official reason for the visit was the CSIR NET exam (LOL ! ). We (V,MnM,Rekha and myself) made up this plan when we were still at Pondi. Since Rekha was from Pune,the question of Food and Accommodation was solved. Mann !! This place is so affordable for a foodie !!! Whatever you wanna eat, you get quality stuff , for awesome prices. And when you are still living off your parents' money, it matters. 
                 
                             

Pav Bhaji (left) and Vada Pav (right, obviously !) . I had heard a lot about these two, thanks to S and Rekha. And once I reached there , I understood one thing. If you tell Rekha - You ain't allowed to meet "someone". He'll be like "Meh, okay ! :/ " . Tell him, " Vada Pav/Pav Bhaji is dubba " and lo , you'll see Godess Durga incarnate. Same for S too. Or, for all Marathis, I guess.

                                

                     


Misal Pav. My favorite among the various items I ate. Nothing complex about this. But, goddamn tasty ! Rekha took us to an exclusive Misal Pav joint  - Katakirr. There I got to know one more thing. Take a paprika or a King Chilly.  9 out of 10 Marathis would munch away happily . The food joint gave gravy separately. And based on their level of spiciness they had classified into Light, Medium, Spicy and Extra Spicy (I guess. Can't remember. Was too much involved in eating .) I took the Light one. Rekha took the spicy one. I tasted a spoon. Too bloody spicy. I guess I saw my Grandpa (He had passed away before I was born). Till date, I can't imagine what Extra Spicy would've tasted like (Praise the Lord ! ). But, if anyone ever goes to Maharashtra , it is a must eat.

3. Pondicherry

Foodie Heaven. Anything and everything you wanna eat. Starting from a very humble place called Andhra Mess (I didn't like the food. but, I was the only one who didn't. Everyone else loved it ! Mad people, nuh ?? ! ) to posh places like La Cafe - Good food, great ambiance. Luckily , almost all friends of mine, except Ms I , Ms V , Ms P and Ms N were awesome foodies. Ask me what I studied in Semester 1 of PG - I'll sing the Banana song from Despicable Me. Ask me where all we ate in Semester 1 - I can keep on talking till the next season of Sherlock is aired. The places which have given most awesome memories and food :-

Beans/Chillies

Two small restaurants. Almost the same menu. Slight difference in cost. Of the two, Chillies served tastier food (Run by mallus - Ta Da !! ). We used to go there once in a while to have their Tandoori Chicken. I adored those. I guess that we've been to these places the most. And Lo, Behold, one pic that says it all ! (Courtesy : Mr PD)

Tanto Pizzeria

Authentic thin crust Firewood pizzas, and awesome ambiance. The In-Charge ... He's a jolly good fellow (I sang it.. Did you ?? :D ). Always smiles and courtesies. I remember the Akka (lady) who used to make the pizzas. A sweetling, who'd always give us extra toppings on our pizzas. Always . (Without the In-Charge seeing, though ! ).But, lemme tell you one thing - for Indians, Italian pizzas are blaaaaaaand. We tell him to make it spicy , but , LOL , even I didn't feel that it was . And their French Fries. You'd go gaga over it. Just thinking about those fries brings high tide in my mouth, like a port all set to receive ships.

                                                                 

The best part about Tanto was that they gave something which you won't find in any other pizzeria - French Fries on a pizza . No need to describe. *droooooling*

Cafe Xtasi

Yes. I saved the best for the last. Cafe Xtasi. The best pizza I've ever had, hails from Xtasi. That cheese, that size, that taste... you'll feel like you took Ecstasy (Not the feeling. The drug) . Costly. but really worth the cost. And, they know how to show off ! And, talking about Xtasi, what makes them stand out is their pizza size. A medium pizza , comes around 29cm diameter , a large - 49cm and a jumbo , 69 cm. I take pride on being a foodie and the amount of food I can gobble up. But, not more than 2 slices of the Xtasi's large pizza. And their cheese. So thick, so heavy , so much, so wow . The pics will talk.

Boy . I miss this.


So. I guess you might've understood how it feels to be down with Gastro-memoritis. All the food. All the people you've had it with. All the memories. The thing that makes good food better is the company you have (and less cost, too ) .

Hrithik Roshan (an Indian actor) once sang in some movie , "Khali haath aaye the hum, Khali Haath Jayenge. Translation - We came empty handed , and we'll leave like that only (For Einsteins : He ain't talking about going to a Restaurant or something. He is singing about the philosophies of Life and Death (Like what Alexander the Great did, I guess)) . I may have came to the world empty handed, but, hell no , I wont be going back with an empty tummy ! No way !


Good Bye, Ciao and May the Farce (Pun Intended)(Pronunciation of force, Indian Shtyle) be with you.


PS -
Mallu :  Mallu is the short form of Malayali , ie, a person who lives in Kerala. I am a mallu. So is half of Middle Eastern Nations.
Syrian Christian : No. We didn't come from Syria. A Syrian Christian, in Kerala, is a Christian who has been a Christian  for quite some time(generations). Ancestry. (Anyone interested in knowing more about Syrian Christians ? - http://centreright.in/2012/09/the-syrian-christians-of-kerala-part-1/)

PPS - This post is dedicated to all the foodies I've had the pleasure of getting to eat with : Girish, Wesley, Senson, Aswin et al , and the Pondi gangstas .

PPPS - Xtasi's Cheese . It is very powerful. You'll go high on cheese. MnM always did. She would be full whack after having cheese from Xtasi. If interested , Go to Xtasi , order Four Formaggi . Eat. Float. For testimony , contact MnM . (I'm gonna be deep fried for this. I guess. )

Hearken to me, Hearties : F.R.I E.N.D.S

Wrote the first post, got lost in a whirlpool of engagements and re-surfaced tody. The con of not being one who writes ,  is that even if you try observe the world around , even if you take a power nap, even if you sit and think without moving ,  the only thing which you are gonna get is - mosquito bites(I happen to live in Kerala , a.k.a God's Own Country(Gods love a good laugh)) . So, after many unsuccessfull tries to get a good topic to write about , i turned to my friends,  Ms.MnM and Mr/s Rekha and the almost always silent listener of our Whatsapp group , Ms V . I ask them what to write about and as usual, only pulling my leg happens instead of any productive work. So, i thought why not write about my brigand of Guggus . Here it goes -

People say cousins are one's first friends . Well, even though i have a tremendous numberof cousins, I won't say that I was that much acquainted with them , save a few. After 20 years  and a hinch of good friends, I happened to join The Pondicherry University for my Post Grad studies. And there, I get an awesome bunch of guggus. Other acquaintances took the liberty of naming us as le HPPs, or High Profile People. We should've made it official, but .. Lost the chance . Even though none said it out loud , what I believe is that we were trynna live up to what Robin Williams , may he rest in peace, said : You're only given one little spark of madness . You mustn't lose it. I seriously doubt that we had a lot more than a spark of madness in us , but, hell , it was fun . Two years of literally no studies and only fun . except during the semester exams . and the internal exams. And during the final semester project. Behold , the members of the HPP:

Ms P - From Bangalore or Bengaluru as they call it nowadays . lives by the motto - do timepass till 4 in the morning and sleep till 10 minutes before your class. Loves animals and  a good laugh and a good song .

Mr. S  - From Nashik, a veeeery rural place in Maharashtra . live by the motto - eat, eat and eat even more. I've seen a meme which tells to eat the person who tells you to eat less.  He is that kind of person . Well, he would have been, if he wasn't a vegan . an awesome artist .

Mr . V - from Pune, Maharashtra . due to some anger issues and a natural tendency to be a moderately talented Drama Queen , a.k.a Rekha, after the famous Bollywood actress. Thrives on procrastination. Foodie.

Ms. V - from Vizag(from which fragment of former Andhra Pradesh, I forgot.) A member of a rare specimen who talks a lot (:D) and does even more. Brilliant in studies . poor in movies and even worse in eating .

Ms MnM - basically from Hyderabad , but, lives in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai or
Ahmadabad based on her mood. :D :D
Likes to say that her house is Indian Railways (for Einsteins : its Cuz she travels a lot. ) Loves animals, Deep Purple , The Beatles and whatnot.  Highly nocturnal. Ms P's elder sister, when it comes to this.

Anne - one pet we loved the most. Found her as a puppy , in fact , one of the most cutest puppies ever. Loves coffee . Extremely naughty, when I saw hwe last , some 3 weeks ago.

Well . this makes up the HPP.
At par with them , I also had a few down to earth (as opposed to HPP) extremely close ffriends

Ms.N - An indian version of Alex Dunphy from Modern Family. From Bilaspur, Chhatisgarh. loves to study and watch Korean movies . Stubborn . Lol

Mr. SKD - From Kolkata . Zoology background, but a genius at Coding. Another extreme nocturnal. Remember the race between the Hare and the Tortoise ?? He is the Tortoise. In all senses.

Ms I - from Lucknow . Creative. If you ever need some knick-knacks , she defenitely has it in her bag. Guaranteed.

These. These are the few souls who made life awesome, the last two years. Great souls. Even greater Guggus.

Ciao.

PS : Guggu is a word in the Kannada language ( Kannad as majority of Indians would call it (which is absolutely guggu-ish of them !!)). it means - Idiot .  Fool also, can do.

PPS : One might've heard of people getting lost in the famous Indian Kumbh Mela(a festival sort of occassion where hundreds of thousands of people come together). According to MnM and S , they are siblings who got lost at an extremely long buffet table.

PPPS : The giy who can be seen in both the pictures with humans, is ze Author. Would've loved to be in the pic with Anne too, but, she doesnt pose well people around.

Hearken to me, hearties !

Q : What would a guy who recently finished college do ,back at home ?
A : Eat, Sleep, and repeat.

Q : What if the guy gets bored of the routine said above ?
A : Enter whining, exit friends' peace .

Myself, Susheel , a highly bored PG(fresher) on an ever-disappointing job hunt , proposed and proved the above said hypothesis in just a matter of weeks. Cant simply put to words, how life changes in just a matter of days. From a highly entertaining, occupying and enjoyable two years of study , to a boring , boring and even more boring life , back home.

So, as of now , the only thing  that keeps me going are a bunch of great friends and a couple of decent songs. And when I say friends,  I mean this -

Thanks to that amazing place called ze Pondicherry University (Puducherryyyyy) , i got a bunch, exactly like this. Given the chance, they would dress like this too . No surprises there.

One day I was speaking(whining) to a friend of mine, Ms I , and it was she,  who suggested to write a blog. I snorted at first, but , heck, why not ! I tried to dust up and bring back to life an old attempt at a blog - Kaam ki Cheese ( a foodie named it. ), but, meh , didnt feel so. I deleted it off(i guess) and started this.

I have no idea as to when and on what all I'll be able to write , but, lets see !

P.S  : For those who are "Einstiens" (sarcasm intended) , Su-sheel , in Sanskrit means a person with good habits (something like that . got the idea, right ? ) .


Ciao , Valar Morghulis and May the Force be with thee.