Food in China

When we planned our trip to China, we received warnings from many well wishers on the food there. A Gujju friend told me how even her hardcore Panju friends had a problem with food in China, rice that is yuck and sticky, the smells and the taste. She was insistent on sending me home made theplas and pickles to help me tide over the China trip.
But China opened up my taste buds in another way! There was no Chicken Manchurian and American Chopsuey that we Indians so love, but the food was simply fantastic. All restaurants have picture menus, so you can see what your dish looks like and then order. We learnt to eat with chopsticks, but towards the end of all our meals would use the soup spoons to eat off all the food (else we would sit there forever)!
We hardly even ate chicken or fish, because beef and pork was always on the menu and never failed to satisfy. (OK, once maybe!). Wild China, the tour company that organised our guide and food has the philosophy of taking clients to places that serve wholesome, authentic, regional Chinese food. So we were warned that while the loo facilities in these places might not be the best, the food would be outstanding. We ate Beef and Pork in all their variations - with whole red or green chillies,with fresh garlic shoots and bamboo, fried crisp, with vegetables, or in curry and other sauces.There were soups with weird leaves in them, though they tasted lovely. And green tea aways accompanied the meal to clean up the palate and to help digest food.
The best hamburger was the Chinese one we ate in Xian - crisp bun with pork in a nice sauce. That was also the only place that served raw garlic with noodles, because the region eats it like that.
The Dumpling restaurant in Xian was another great experience. This four storeyed, massive place is packed by 6 in the evening. We were served a variety of salads with jellyfish and other sea animals before the dumpling service began. There were 18 different kinds of dumplings, in different shapes too! Fried, steamed, sweet and savoury, we had dumplings with chicken, pork, beef, fish, rabbit, walnuts, coconut, even a few vegetarian ones.( I believe that is where I started putting on weight and started looking like a dumpling-again)!
Our adventurousness stopped with exotic meats like donkey and bull frog! While husband and son enjoyed the donkey meat, I ate it only because I did not want to look squeamish!
But the food I hated the most and would not recommend to anyone was the Beijing/Peking Duck. They serve it in style. The Duck, looking lovely with a beautiful brown glaze is artfully carved at one’s table. The crispy skin on one plate, skin with meat on another one and just the meat in another plate. You are supposed to wrap it in the thin pancake, top it with some veggies, add sugar and other sauces provided and bite into the duck! I could throw up because all that glitters (glistens) is not gold, and the skin was ugh!
The Muslim quarters in most Chinese cities is quite a fun place. Food, all kinds of skewered meats, breads like khubbus and pita bread, dried fruits like dates and walnuts in big baskets, desserts made of tofu and other unrecognisable things are all in display there, but don’t eat there if you don’t want a Delhi Belly.
And everywhere Chinese glug green tea as if there is no tomorrow. They put green tea leaves in their bottles and refill the bottles all day long.The drinks carts have all kinds of green tea drinks. We bought tea from Dragon’s Well at Hang Zouh - apparently known as Emperor’s Tea, but I bet the emperor never paid so much money for those measly tea leaves!
The fruit is lovely. There was a mini mango that had a thin skin and a tiny seed and was delectable. Everywhere, skewered pieces of melon were being sold and were so refreshing in the heat.
The traditional stores and the wet markets were great fun to go through as well, though not after a meal coz the smells and sights could make you throw up. There is a Chinese saying - we eat everything that flies (except the airplane), everything on land (except the cars) and everything in sea (except the boat)! And that is totally true.
We did not see any snakes or fried locusts on display, but there were whole chickens and ducks, skinned and displayed with an artistic tilt to their heads. Offals stuffed into various kinds of sausages, eels, turtles and other unrecognisable sea animals and meats of all kinds of animals. Sea cucumbers selling at RMB 9000 for half a kg and worms at RMB 6000 for half a kg are believed to cure arthiritis and other old age problems.Chinese traditional medicine is still big business and the shops are stocked with all kinds of weird looking things.
So, if you plan your holiday to China, don’t be nervous! Unless you are vegetarian ofcourse (even eggplant is served with pork!), though there are Buddhist restaurants that serve pure veg food. Or you can pig out on KFC, MCD and Haagen Daaz.

Indian Kids - globally competitive??

I am amused when I see fantastic statistics on how well Indian students are doing internationally and predictions that Indian and Chinese students will overtake the world.
Chinese kids I don’t know much about, but Indian kids have a really long way to go -
- Untrained Teachers - India needs to invest a lot more in educating teachers today. Most teachers were educated like us-in schools that focussed on rote and paid little attention to creativity. And because teachers don’t have the correct skill set, they are unable to help children think out of the box too. At a recent science fair submission, a couple of kids decided to do a project on the sub-conscious and conscious mind with some interesting hypotheses...the teacher shot it down saying it was too boring!
- Poor Infrastructure - How many schools have good labs and good teachers who can demonstrate concepts? Good museums that help children assimilate classroom learnings are just not there. Not all kids can go to apno London to see the Natural History Museum or the Science Museum to understand how things work. A visit to the heritage sites is a lesson on good storytelling gone bad. Nishna came back terribly disappointed from a trip to Lothal, an Indus Valley site - they were shown a boring audio visual presentation and the guide who accompanied them was not clued on.
- Connecting the real and book worlds - Have you ever noticed how boring the Civics lessons in Indian school text books are? Civics might be the most important subject for our kids and us, because it tells us how our country is governed and what the roles and responsibilities of the government are? So if schools can organise a trip to a biscuit factory, they can also connect with the local panchayat or gram parishad and take children for a trip there. How about a trip to the Police Station? Or a government hospital? How else can we make learning valuable for our kids?
- Pursuit of perfection - we just don’t have it. Indians do chalu , chalta hai type jobs and no one has patience to learn something really well. I have to stifle a guffaw when kids get their black belts in martial arts or top honours in piano and ballet, because they don’t have the right reference points. One viewing of Jaden Smith’s Karate Kid was enough to make me aware how sorely lacking we are in the pursuit of perfection.
Lost opportunities - Brought on, for instance, by over zealous parents who out-source simple school projects that the child presents as his own. Or bolstering the letter of intent in college applications by waxing eloquent about great deeds done in Community Action Service. Kids bask in the glory of work that is not their own - these are opportunities lost as the child has not worked towards acquiring a skill set. And sooner or later all these things will come back to haunt us - And we will be the world’s most populous country with a poor skill set and no way out!

Woman Power

Kanimozhi is quite a delight to watch! She is a corrupt politician who has built wealth on her father’s gains but is also a WOMAN.
I love the way Kanimozhi does what most of us women do when confronted with disaster. We weep copious tears, look appropriately pathetic and whine that we are mothers and need to get back home to our kids. Kanimozhi ofcourse has bigger issues .She does not want to spend time in the jail because like every working woman she leads a tough life - she works during the day, she has to run errands, cook dinner for the family and put her kids to bed after singing them a lullaby.
Now is she to blame? Ofcourse not! She is only doing what most of us women excel at. Bad mood - blame it on PMS; depressed after a baby - post partum blues ;putting on weight - it's the hormones; feeling low and fatigued - mid life crisis; angry at husband - well, a woman’s life is a bitch!
When we get caught skipping a red light, each one of us can act demure and coy in front of the traffic guy and while bargaining hard,a little flirtatious behaviour with the seller never hurt anyone .But when we are caught out at something, our moral indignation is very high - I am a woman, why would I do something like that?I am a wife, a mother. I am an honourable woman - how dare you cast aspersions on my milky white character?I am not that type of a woman!
Only we women know what nasty bitches we can be. We are as good as men when it comes to lying, cheating, siphoning money off, gossiping, deceiving and other vices! But if we are the weaker sex, why should we not shed tears, resort to hysteria and use all womanly wiles to ease out of a situation? Way to go Kanimozhi - you are on the right track woman!

Jivo Jivo Pakistan

Jivo Jivo Pakistan

At the Wagah Border between India and Pakistan, during the fancy change-of-guard ceremony every evening, the Pakistani crowd lustily chants ‘Jivo Jivo Pakistan’.
Boy am I glad India got partitioned in 1947. The problems that Pakistan faces are horrendous and I shudder to think that those problems could have been ours too. Sometimes, just sometimes I feel sorry for them..the tribals are difficult to handle, the Taliban is a nuisance and there are terrorist attacks all across Pakistan.They have killed their leaders for reasons ranging from gender to religion.They attack visiting cricket teams and their poor cricketers are trying to make a fast buck out of match fixing. They are Don Quixotic - suing Twitter for one million dollars and blaming India for almost everything.
Most of their problems are their own doing. When religion takes precedence over governance, and religious leaders become more powerful, the fabric of the society is bound to change.And when there is less regard for its citizens there is a free for all.
And what a shame to have the US carry out attacks in Pakistan to flush out a terrorist! I would have been mortified and angered if the Americans did it in my country!
Most of us, especially from North India have this romantic notion of Pakistan and a hidden yearning that Pakistan should still belong to India. My grandparents grew up there, married there and then escaped to India to save their lives. They would tell us of the lush countryside and the local folklore of Rawalpindi and Sukho. As a Sardarni I would love the freedom to visit Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak. There was so much shared culture in literature, food, clothing and rituals. Then ofcourse the lovely Mohenjo-daro and Harappa are also in Pakistan.
But there is nothing romantic in the notion of Pakistan. Anyone who has any money is leaving the country to never go back. Who would want to bring up their kids in a country where everything is so bizarre! Where my friend says you would not want to go to a beauty parlour for fear of a bomb attack.A country that is always bleating about its good intentions that everyone doubts anyways!
I am glad Pakistan is a buffer for India (never mind if it focuses its negativity on us!)And I am glad it got formed and hope it remains a country forever.
Jivo Jivo Pakistan.

The Power of 40

At 40, there is plenty of anxiety! Most of us are well on our way to the top rungs of the Corporate hierarchy and are making good money! And may buy a BMW and feel pleased as punch when a young wannabe looks our way (but frankly, she would like to see a younger dude).
We may joke and say that 40 is the new 30, but hello, deep down all of us are not so very happy about it! Menopause is looming large on the horizon and the bloody weight does not shift an inch no matter how much u exercise. Kids are growing up and the empty nest will become a reality only a few years from now. And wrinkles are supposed to showcase the events in our lives, but it is not a pleasant sight to see them and neither are the grey hair!Many job opportunities don’t look for someone in their 40s!

I read this piece some days ago and am looking for a way to rejoice being 40! And here it is - for all my friends who are 40 or going to be there in a while!

In mystic thought, 40 symbolizes the ascent from one level to a higher one and spiritual awakening.
When we mourn, we mourn for 40 days.
When a baby is born,it takes him 40 days to get ready to start life on earth.
When we are in love, we need to wait for 40 days to be sure of our feelings.
The Flood of Noah lasted 40 days and while the waters destroyed life, they also washed away all the impurities and enabled human beings to make a fresh, new start.
In Islamic mysticism there are 40 degrees between man and God.
There are 4 basic stages of consciousness and ten degrees in each, making 40 levels in all.
Jesus went into wilderness for 40 days and nights.
Muhammad was 40 years old when he received the call to become a prophet.
Buddha meditated under the linden tree for 40 days!

So apparently, you receive a new mission at 40, a new lease of life. And supposedly, there are no wrinkles or gray hair strong enough to defy the power of 40!

So go discover your mission, while I try and figure out mine!!!

A Lazy Parent

I am one worrried parent today. Surrounded as I am by committed, zealous mothers and their super achiever kids, I feel I am failing in my maternal duty towards my kids. The only classes my kids attend are the ones in school, they have gadgets of all kinds, they watch loads of TV, they play on the computer all the time, they have not been deprived of any toy/clothing/object they have ever wanted, they eat junk and drink coke when they want and go for fancy holidays all the time.

Am I the lazy one here? I don’t know what they chat about with their friends on bbm or gmail or facebook. I don’t get up in the mornings and churn out goodies for their snack boxes. When their clothes become tight I realise they need new innerwear. And why am I a softie where they are concerned? Why can’t I force my will on them and get them to be excited about ‘something’,nay ‘anything’ in life? They have not found their groove yet and seem to be in no hurry to do so. They are nonchalant about comparison to other kids. They are not the top graders at school and are not competitive to want it either!

When I hear of kids who are committed to an activity or task, I start to get a headache. When I hear of kids who get up early morning and train for a game, even on weekends, I get palpitations. The Singh family seldom gets up before 11 and laze the day through.

And to excuse my laziness, I tell myself I am in a good space. My parents did not hover like helicopters over my head all the time. I had to do my own homework. Post school I was only in unstructured play. My best lazy summer days were spent in the company of a good book, a pack of crax and a bottle of campa-cola! Praneet’s favourite play was to fight a battle with the ants on his wall with his little water gun. My parents did not know of all my secrets with my friends and did not snoop on me. I did not go for any tuitions and did not learn to play any instrument.

And we turned out just fine. We did what was required and knew the limits of the freedom that we had been given to us. Finally, the responsibility of what we did was our own and no-one was to blame.

And the lazy me is going to give her kids just that childhood and hope that good things come off it. Will Udai become a computer whizkid? Will Nishna publish her first book as a teenager? Will they turn out to be good human beings and will they do well?Will they earn good money and find good life partners?

Who knows the answers to all this? All I know is that they will do everything they are destined to do! And in the meantime, we can all be happy and safe in our hugs, kisses, laughter, little secrets and lots of love!

The Five Important Men in My Life!

Think about it... Most of our lives we are defined by the men in our families. I am Bakshi’s daughter, Praneet’s wife and Udai’s mother! Apart from these three men, there are other men who help me run my life and are critical to my mental, physical and emotional health.So here are the other 5 important men in my life

1. My bro-in-law - My bum-chum - the guy who boosts my ego the most! He thinks I am a great person and praises me at the drop of a hat. He always takes my calls! He is partial to me in any conflict and supports me through thick and thin! I can flirt endlessly with him without being misunderstood!

2. My driver - He is my Man Friday. He knows my schedule, knows what quantities of veggies and fruits to pick up and the music I like in the car. He selects and gets the bouquets made for all my friends for their birthdays. (Infact, hubby darling also gets him to get a bouquet for my birthday and anniversary!)The guy knows when to strike and ask for a raise or a holiday!

3. My trainer - He is relentless in trying to match my pursuit for losing weight. He also lends an ear to the inane conversation I make just to get through the training session. He knows how not to speak the truth and tell me that I have put on weight! He juggles his schedule for me and is always available.

4. The guy pals - A diverse bunch I value deeply! The strictly platonic friends who are there to see me through any minor or major crisis. Non judgemental and fond of me, these guys give me gyan and perspective on male and female behaviour! These are people I might share a hobby with and/or the friend I can match drink for drink and trust to be driven back home safe!

5. Males in the maid’s family - In order to keep peace at home, this group needs careful handling. So a cake on the son’s birthday or an advance when the husband asks for it is to be done asap. And these are the men I turn to when there is a conflict with the maid. I can trust them to make sure that my home runs smoothly at all times!