Because..food!

Okay. There is this very stupid notion that foodies are fat. Oh person who thinks that way! I hate to break it to you. Loving food has nothing to do with how much you can eat (alone). There is this saying that Quality trumps Quantity and that's what I am talking about. Trying different variety of food is also an activity via which a person can show their love. And I preach so much because I fall into that category.
The category of persons who love ordering and tasting different things but too scared to do so because they don't wanna waste food and be a threat to the society. ( No , that didn't escalate. Food wastage is an endemic we can ill afford)
Writing is how I express emotions. And what better emotion to express about than the express one I have towards food? I am going to share the pictures of and give reviews of the yum food I tasted in the awesome restaurants I happened to visit in the last few days. Belt up! The ride is fun , I swear.


1.  IDDOS , KOTHRUD , PUNE

check it here

4 feet dosa

GHEE RIDDEN PONGAL

MOLGAPODI IDLI

FILTER KAAPI

Okay. Now that I have your eyeballs glued to the screen , let me begin. After a month of spending time away from home , nothing speaks to you more than your home food. South India is where I come from and IDDOS is hands down the best restaurant to have south Indian food in Pune. While the likes of Vaishali and Wadeshwar suffer from a case of severe overratedness , Iddos goes about serving awesome food quietly. 

Things to eat : 

1) 4 feet dosa : Crispy , looong dosa with yummy tomato chutney. The sambhar wasn't that great but better than most. They also serve coconut and green chutney. Didn't like the green chutney. 

2) Pongal : One of the few places which serve pongal in Pune. If you're a fan of ghee you're in for a big treat! Just melts in your mouth :') 

3) Molagapodi idli : Tiny button idlis marinated and drenched in chilly powder is just what you need to lift your day to the next level

4) Filter coffee: Nowhere near my grandmom's coffee :P but way better than your garden variety bru. Seeing the manual filter and davara tumbler ( cup and saucer) set just lifts your heart.

2. Picantos Mexican Grill , Aundh , Pune : 

check it here

Went with the whole squad

Creamy chicken Mini bowl and chicken enchiladas

Tacos

Cinnamon dusted churros in chocolate sauce

A nice restaurant to go with your friends. They had games like monopoly , scrabble and Uno. Also , they served very quickly when we kept hitting them with volume,

What to try : 

1) Cheesy chicken mini bowl : Surprisingly fresh for the amount of cheese involved , lots of fresh veggies , chicken , rice and of course cheese! 

2) Tacos: Yummy tortilla shells stuffed with the perfect blend of kidney beans , chicken , tomato salsa and sauce! Dish of the day

3) Chicken Enchiladas: Jam packed with flavor and cheese. This one is a keeper!

4) Churros: An interesting eat. While the churros and chocolate sauce were yum , your affinity towards cinnamon ultimately decides if this dish is a hit or a miss. 

What I am having today :- 

So the cook took a holiday today. So ordered in bomber chicken burger with coke from Rush hrs , kothrud , Pune! I shall update on that soon.

Bah humbug!

It's been a really long time since I wrote on this space. Looks like time wastage is faster than water wastage after all . So what's been up ? Life! :P I've been trying to do more reading and yoga ,i.e. , trying to go back to who I used to be lol

literally

Subtle message to everyone - I'm turning 18- on this March's 25th day!! ^_^_^_^_^_^
a) please courier/hand deliver my gifts. Material gifts preferred over genuine wishes from the heart .
b) the significance of this number EIGHTEEN.

Talking more on a) will only further depreciate my public image so let's move on to b)  - the so called crux of this post ( if you are really searching for one here)

aaHH . . it's so nice to be back in sss :')

well said xD

There is always this irrational hysterical hype surrounding birthdays once we hit pre / teens
 Miss the good old days of simply cutting a mickey mouse shaped cake wearing party hats and having potato chips and coke with that! Seriously , what is so special about turning older? Growing up is overrated . Sadly we learn that only when we do *sighs*
The only surprise in surprise birthdays is how the birthday kid acts surprised -_-
For more intel on b'days click ----> here

Notwithstanding this usual nonsense , we have to feel happier on our 18th - because we are supposedly ....'legal' or majors. Roughly translated this means that we can continue to do what we've already been doing - this time with legal sanction. I don't seen any parents turning cooler with curfews and higher authorities will simply find other reasons to catch us .
So what does one actually get to do when they turn 18?
1) Act surprised in the midnight when parents/hostel mates invade your room with delicious chocolate cake and apply it all over your face .

should i add more feels?

2) Say innumerable thank yous to the unbearably innumerable "Happy b'day! You're 18! party hard. " Not to sound ungrateful , but replying to the 87th post on your wall is not as cheerful a task as it is to replying to the 3rd one . Also - posting 'HBD' is worse than posting nothing at all. There are many ways to save time - Abbreviation is not one .


3) You get to watch A certified films in the theater . While admittedly , it IS useful for puny people like me to have an ID card to prove their actual age , It is highly redundant among the common mass of teens, who due to their sheer looks and height pass off as adults and have watched a hundred million A films in theater already. Also the theater owners don't really check . -____-

4) You get convicted for offences . With great age comes greater responsibility and greater punishment .

5) Another catchphrase for your mother to insult you with. Instead of saying " Samyuktha! you are seven donkey years now and still don't take care of yourself " she says you are 18 now
.
6) You get to vote . But that is only if you turn 18 before January 2014 . Choosing between a possible authoritarian , an idiot and an impractical aadmi doesn't seem very appealing though. Still Universal adult franchise is our unequivocal right - all of us MUST vote irregardless of the bleak political climate. Register a no vote in the machine - but do vote! Unless we exercise our duty cum right  , we don't have the right to moan and complain.







Got sidetracked by sensible thoughts. Where was I? .... * slaps her head* *really loses track* *reads the text again*

Yes!  It has been a long time since I blogged . Bear with the cynical tone and abruptness in flow . Will get my swag back soon :) (hopefully :P ) and my b'day IS coming up . But your wishes are more than enough to fill  my lil heart (simply putting on a front) .Birthdays are actually nice in the sense that they acknowledge the existence of a person and make them feel truly special . Also turning 18 means accepting adulthood and responsibility for one's actions - as pretentious as it may sound now , it is the first baby step towards true independence at least a symbolic landmark . Like buying stationery or going to temple before starting to study for your twelfth board exams .

All the best and advanced congratulations to all those who are writing there board exams :) If you're actually reading my blog now , it means you are procrastinating at the highest level and you are probably bored to death . Just remember that you can bask in the glory of this one focused month for months to come :D

P.S - (To be more subtle) Please do something for my b'day. I'm not this choosy in real life xP

open this ----> here 

Bah humbug! Get to work all of you,
Semi 

Miss Gadget B|

Very recently, I read an article by a friend and it was regarding the role played by gadgets on our lives. And it set some thoughts in motion. What am I without my electronic playthings? In my case (similar to many other cases) electronic gadgets are not a mere decoration or style symbol. They are my lifeline to the outside world. But, are they becoming so indispensable that I cannot lead a life without them?  So what if they do become indispensable – is it really ‘wrong’ to be dependent on our devices, isn’t it like our immediate future? In this post, I am planning to self analyze on the importance of the gadgets in MY life and I hope it mirrors something  and rubs off on you :P

The following are gadgets I hang out with:

1.   1.    Phone -

The most abundant and obvious option available. Every Tom, dick and harry and even every shiva , vishnu and hari owns a phone xP I own an android - Samsung galaxy S duos – not the fanciest but hey!  Not the lamest either. Once upon a time popular for texting, however nowadays phones are increasingly being used to whatsapp , wechat or bbm your friends. Facebook through phone, selfies through camera are also popular features. Busy bee peeps can actually use their phone for emailing, memos and even as a planner. Incidentally phone can also be used to make calls :P although I find my phone hanging the most when I open my number pad -_-  I think I can survive WITHOUT my phone only if I have another source of internet and if I hate the human race suddenly ( it does happen frequently in my case :P) P.S – Nokia 1100 will always be the best ‘phone’ ever.

 

2.     2.  Laptop - 

    IMO every college student and professional needs a laptop. It is a gateway to research and a weapon to destroy deadlines J . More importantly it helps you download and watch millions of movies and t.v shows :’), play awesome PC games xD and serves as a library and organizer for your e-books and music. When I lack a laptop in my life I feel severely incapacitated. That too when you live in a hostel, far away from the slow but steady P.C which till today remains a faithful backup guy J p.s – I have a HP lappy .

3.     3.  iPad –Generally ridiculed to be an absolutely useless device , the iPad is absolutely useless. Unless you know how to use it. Guys should really stop saying ‘ the only reason people buy an iPad is to show off that they have one’ . Agreed. There are some techie snobs who purchase apple products to show off. But when you own an iPad – YOU OWN AN iPAD!! There are millions of awesome apps to download from the iTunes storeJ instagram , facebook , google plus , paper , zomato , maps , evernote, snap guide …. I can keep going on about them ^_^  While you can’t carry a laptop everywhere you can certainly move around with your iPad and do almost all the same tasks more efficiently. Okay enough advertising. I do think I CAN live without my second generation iPad.

4.       4.Headphones –

I cannot even picture my life without my most recent acquisition; MY SKULL CANDY headphones!! Refreshingly red, they add another dimension to my otherwise quieter life . Persistent exposure to loud music does injure one’s ears but #YOLO YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE *__*   P.S – own good headphones. They really enhance your life :’) and NO , I shall not last a day without ‘em .

5.       5.Ebook reader –

Currently I live without one. My kindle died a month ago and it was one of the more emotional funerals of my life :’( while E-book readers generally aren’t the locus of our lives, they are always there in the peripheries. Living without them is painful. While an iPad is helpful for reading books – it is not as welcoming to a diversity of formats like a kindle. Ohh Kindle I miss you so much :*

6.       6.Mp3/iPod  – You obviously need one dude. Why? Music makes life beautiful ^_^  I own a transcend and iPod shuffle 3 .

7.       7.Pen drive – Only reason my friends share their t.v shows / projects / digital data with me. Wayyy more storage and utility than a cd or floppy. Really musing how small the next storage device will be. Can live without it – if your friends are willing to share theirs with you :P

While my predicament may seem doomed towards addiction, trust me when I say that all these gadgets are very useful and make up my life. I can try explaining how ‘my’ generation has been brought up with these devices and so inevitably and intricately connected to this nexus of electronics but fact of the matter is that too much of anything is bad.

 Yes devices are quicker but they make us lazier.

 Yes they save trees via paper but they waste expensive electricity.

 Yes, they were made to save time but in reality they waste a lot of time.

 At the end of the day they are mere things they have no evil intention of their own to eat up our time.

 It is up to you and me to decide how to use them

. Live life king size but also don’t forget to be wise!!

 ;) ___/\____

Ciao till then

Semi B| 

ek gaon mein ek kisan raghu thatha! :P

It's been a week in Pune already!! :O
and believe it or not  - I have fallen in love with this city! <3
or maybe it is just another one of my defense mechanisms , protecting me from shocks. Whatever this is , it has aroused me enough, to write a post! So let me finish this before reality sinks in .
( Side note :

hahaha

  Defense mechanisms are pretty intriguing . Do you know that I haven't cried a single tear drop yet? My friends think it is some kind of sacrilegious blasphemy from my  part. But hey! If pessimists argue that I have effectively ended one life , I argue back that I have just started a new one :) I do miss chennai . However , I am not going to go gaga over it. Okay I just did . )
I haven't had much chance to discover the city in its entirety yet. But , from whatever I have seen - it is fresh , green , pleasant and mindnumbingly beautiful :')

So here it is . The elusive list of things I have noticed about Pune and my new life in general :

Not THIS adventurous generally :P

1) I was never a nature loving person or that's what I thought. However , climbing the hill in my college ( yes , there is a hill in my college :O ) changed that perspective. The liberating atmosphere , the refreshing smell of pure , fresh air is well worth the climbing - which in itself is exciting and adventurous! Also , I am for the first time realizing that there are four types of climate in a year :P Living in chennai can easily erase this fact into a mere illusion. Back there it is either hot or hotter :')
And in other seemingly related news I got crowned 'Miss Green' by the Mess Bhaiya ( more like a thatha actually :P ) Don't start clapping already - I got called that because i was wearing a green kurthi LOL

2) My new friend rightly said , " Here in Pune , people talk to you in Marathi . If you don't know that they'll talk to you in Hindi and after that they stop." Yeah that's right. English doesn't work with the rickshaw wallahs . Coming from Tamil Nadu , a state which has fervently opposed Hindi often in the past and which doesn't give importance to Hindi in it's education system - I am at a huge loss here . It doesn't help matters that I hated my L3 hindi teacher and in turn conditioned my hatred towards that subject. To all the young readers out there - Learn HINDI. It is very hard to learn later and in this increasingly globalized world it is good to know 3-4 languages . And learning the 'official' language of your country is never a wrong place to start :)

The fundamental problem with most Tamils in this regard ( I am heavily generalizing here ) can be summed up with one joke in a yesteryear Bhagyaraj film , which sadly is still popular. Instead of saying ' Ek Gaon me ek kisan rahta ta' the hero mispronounces it as ' ek gaun me ek kisan raghu thatha' Thatha means grandfather in tamil and raghu is a common name. And ever since then Hindi has been ridiculed and not learnt -_-

3) I love the food here. My hosts may think I'm being overly polite when i say I love roti over rice. Fact is I actually love north Indian food :') Being open to trying new dishes has finally helped this time. Thank you masterchef australia for opening my eyes about food :*

4) Heavily generalizing , yes. I find the pace of Pune to be much slower than Chennai . Maybe it is the monsoon's cozy feel . It perfectly suits a lazy person like me :')

5) It doesn't hurt that folks back home miss me . Makes one feel loved ,you know :P ( even though this may  only last for a short while)

perfectly put by some random citizen :P

6) Lastly but not the least , I am very proud of my new found independence. I make my own bed , wash my own clothes :O , do my dishes etc. Being self sufficient makes one immediately feel adult like :D I was so proud when I wore the tee shirt,which i had washed with my own hands ^_^  P.S - This doesn't mean that I'll do housework when i come back home to chennai xP Home is where the ass lays ;')

Random realization - Blood clots are very random o.O

Semi