eggless

A friend of mine sent a link to a blog and I cannot believe it has happened – at last.

Yeap, a first ever eggless dessert place has opened in Adelaide. The place is called, you guessed it right…eggless (simple but effectively targets it's market). Being a vegetarian*, I have always craved for eggless desserts and now I can find one closer to home. Friends and family have tried to take care of my cravings many a time but it's good to have a place I can go to for our birthday cake orders or just to fulfil those sudden after-dinner cravings.

I’m yet to try this place, but if the ambience is anything to go by, I’m sure it’s heart is at the right place and they have got it just right. *AMEN*. I wish them a very good luck and hope they are here for long haul.

More after I try it out…can‘t wait.

Website: http://eggless.com.au/

*No meat, seafood or egg.

Gandhi, Google & Me.

2nd Oct 2009 - The day started as any other normal working day apart from that it was a Friday. And not any TGIF. It was the day after when my bro-in-law had arrived in Adelaide. It was the day before the long weekend - a labour day long weekend - which meant 3 continuous days of celebration and seeing beautiful places in and around Adelaide.

With that anticipation, I got up at my usual time, got ready and just before heading off to work, I opened my macbook and fired off firefox to check the performance of one DOW Jones from last night. And BANG!! there in the middle of google page - my home page - appeared none other than our own Baapu or Gandhi ji or Mahatma. (and/or all of the above). Google had put this doodle on their front page.

And first thing came to my mind was WOW!! that's very creative, imaginative, thoughtful and lot more. Specially, I loved the face of Gandhi - the way it's suppose to represent letter G. Then it hit me, "oh! yeah today is 2nd Oct - Gandhi Jayanthi". I quickly posted the google page link on FB and left home to catch a bus to work.

Now, catching the bus has many benefits but I love the time it gives me to self-reflect. Today I had Gandhiji with me. While waiting for the bus, I quickly opened my mobile to check gmail and there he appeared again. One of my friends had emailed me the link to google page with subject - "Google Today" and I knew exactly what he was talking about. Bus came, I validated my ticket and took a cozy comfortable seat at the back. And then it started.

I started reminiscing about good old days of public holiday during school. I thought to myself what it would be like in India today. Mahatma's b'day will not go unnoticed if I were to be in India right now. There would be at least one channel - may be Doordarshan - showing THE movie or who knows the competition for the TRP means e'body is showing the same movie at the same time :-). One thought led to another and finally I asked myself, "If there was ever a song which explains Gandhi to my generation or today's generation for that matter, what would it be?". I started jogging my memory (I did miss my iPod then) but nothing came to forefront. I know many patriotic songs but none on Gandhi? May be there are not many/any. Obviously, there are songs like "Vaishnav Jana To.." and other usual fair but nothing which connects Gen-Y or Gen-X to him? C'mon there's got to be some song.

Then right before I got down from the bus (an easy half an hour journey) it came to me and I thought to myself - GENIUS. Nope, I'm not talking about me but the lyricist of the song - Swanand Kirkire. Obviously, the music by Shantanu Moitra is great and the rendition by Sonu is perfect but hats off to the one penned it all.

And the song I'm referring to is Bande Me Tha Dum from LRMB. What a movie but what a song I must say. I quickly logged into my computer and I had to google the song :). As I was at work, I didn't want to listen to the song online, so I thought let me check out the lyrics. And man, they are one hell of a lyrics. I was glad I did not hear but read the lyrics. After couple of repeates, there was too much of emotion building up in me - it's not funny. Now, I'm not sure if the emotion was patriotic type but who cares. I had to release this emotion otherwise I would be a mess at work. As there is no compatriot around at work to talk to, I quickly composed an email and sent the lyrics to almost e'body I know with subject line, "Mahatma - Bande Me Tha Dum". Having shared my thoughts with the people I know and I care made it lot easier and I could now concentrate on SSDD routine.

So here how I spent my 2nd Oct 2009 remembering one of the greatest man to have ever lived and thanks to Google for starting it all.

Side Note: I knew the lyrics made impact on at least one other person when I got a unexpected reply to my email from a family friend of ours. It was her first ever communication on email to me and it said, "Thanks Praveen, It is very nice. Sandhya". Thanks Sandhya ji for replying.

Hello Stranger

Yeap, "Hello Stranger" is what my blog is telling me. OK, so I get the message, hang my head in shame and accept this sarcastic but apt remark from my dear blog. I'll take it a like a hmmmmm...a true blogger. I'm sure lot of you would have heard this from your own blog so you know what I'm talking about.

It's been over 7 months since I wrote any thing here, Actually to tell you the truth it's been almost same time since my last visit here :(. I know i know...I am nasty. Heard that before a plenty, tell me something new. So, what happened? Follows here in this posting is an attempt to justify my absence here so that we - my bog and I - can make peace and start over. If this doesn't interest you any more, pls come back later for some juicy blog entries. And if you do want to read further, beware I did warn you :-D

So here I go....

My Dear Blog,

Initially it started with a writer's/blogger's block. You know what that is, right? Good. I thought, "ah! don't worry, it will come to you...chill pal" but a week turned into couple and then a month . Around this time I started taking Facebook bit seriously. Facebook gave me a new avenue to express myself by it's status update feature. So whenever I had something to say -but not more than a line - I started using that feature. Also, a google group I created to keep in touch with my near and dear ones in Adelaide was taking it's shape and gave me another avenue to share news which excited me or express myself. I also got a new job contract and became very busy at work. And then, I bought the best thing ever, Ok...Ok...2nd best thing..otherwise the laptop i'm typing this on will start to throw tantrum]. 2nd best thing I was talking about is my DSLR cam which gave me another avenue to express myself. And before I know it was August already and....

Oh, wait...got to go...Aarnav is crying, missus is calling.

[An hour later, I'm back after failing miserably at my fatherly duty and handing back the crying baby to his mother.]

ok so where was I?? ...hmmm...yeap and then August came and you know what happened in August, don't you? No, not 15th Aug - India's independence day celebration. I mean after that. What, you don't, how come? Oh!! crap...how will you...I didn't post any pic or didn't write anything about it here. Now I know why you are so upset.

Anyways, you must be thinking how come I'm back? Why now? What changed? None of the above things have changed much. I'm still short of time and yes, I still love posting on FB, my DSLR, my email groups but somehow I miss you. I have lot many things to say to the world through you. So without further adieu pls forgive me and I'm sure I'll keep in touch with you regularly [but just don't act like a pesky little jealous girl friend...I didn't say that, did I? But I'm sure the thought came to me so had to write.]

Cheers,
Your Creator

Whatever Happened Is Justice

Just found these set of videos on utube and thought you might like it too.
It's in Gujarati but if I understood (almost) then you will too :-)

And even though it's a story from Lord Mahaveer's life, don't worry it doesn't talk about Jainism ;-)

Best thing I loved was the visual - simple but effective.

Whatever Happened Is Justice - Part1 - 7:36 mins


Whatever Happened Is Justice - Part2 - 6:46 mins


Have a Great Easter Break. Be Safe.

Yeh G1 Hai

Google's first ever Android phone from HTC called "G1" is being released in Australia tomorrow and in one of those quirky moments, I came up with parody of the original Hindi song "Yeh Jeevan Hai" from movie 'Piya Ka Ghar'.

ORIGINAL Yeh Jeevan Hai, Is Jeevan Ka Yahi Hai, Yahi Hai Yahi Hai Rang Roop Thode Ghum Hain, Thodi Khushiyan Yahi Hai, Yahi Hai Yahi Hai Chaon Dhoop Yeh Jeevan Hai... Yeh Na Socho Isme Apni Haar Hai Ke Jeet Hai Ise Apna Lo Jo Bhi Jeevan Ki Reet Hai Yeh Zid Chodo, Bandhan Jodo. Har Pal Ek Darpan Hai Yeh Jeevan Hai... Dhan Se Na Duniya Se Ghar Se Na Dwar Se Saason Ki Dor Bandhi Hai Preetam Ke Pyar Se Duniya Choote, Par Na Toote, Yeh Aisa Bandhan Hai Yeh Jeevan Hai... Yeh Jeevan Hai, Is Jeevan Ka Yahi Hai, Yahi Hai Yahi Hai Rang Roop Thode Ghum Hain, Thodi Khushiyan Yahi Hai, Yahi Hai Yahi Hai Chaon Dhoop Yeh Jeevan Hai...

MODIFIED Yeh G1 Hai, Is G1 Ka Yahi Hai, Yahi Hai Yahi Hai Rang Rooop Touch Screen Hain, Qwerty Keyboard Yahi Hai, Yahi Hai Yahi Hai Rang Rooop Yeh G1 Hai... Yeh Na Socho Isme Apni Lack of Privacy Hai Ise Apna Lo Jo Bhi Andriod Ki Reet Hai Yeh Zid Chodo, Bandhan Jodo Har Pal Ek Google Hai Yeh G1 Hai... Apple Se Na Nokia Se Moto se Na Sam[Sung] Se Mobile Ki Dor Bandhi Hai Google Ke Dwar Se PhoneLine Choote, Net Na Toote, Yeh Aisa WebPhone Hai Yeh Jeevan Hai... Yeh G1 Hai, Is G1 Ka Yahi Hai, Yahi Hai Yahi Hai Rang Rooop Touch Screen Hain, Qwerty Keyboard Yahi Hai, Yahi Hai Yahi Hai Rang Rooop Yeh G1 Hai...