Blast from the past :Japan 2019

It felt like I had never left.
The looks, the smell, the feel.......exactly same as 18 years ago!

The immigration officer at Kansai airport, turned the pages of my passport and asked, "what is the reason of your visit?"
"I am here to visit my University professor and friends." I replied back in English.
He nodded his head.
On second thoughts, I hesitantly added,
Watashi Kobe Daigaku de benkyoshimashita". [I studied in Kobe University]

He gave me a big smile and immediately switched to Japanese. Full speed.
I felt nervous, have not spoken the language for 18 long years.
I almost panicked, trying to frame another full sentence in Japanese inside my head.

..and then it happened! It was as if a switch was turned on!

A steady flow of Japanese words started coming out of my mouth. The way the officer nodded and continued talking, they must have made sense too.....
O my God, I can talk!! I mean I can talk in Japanese!
I silently thanked that part of my brain which had carefully preserved the language in some corner.
I talked a lot.
..Ended up giving away a lot of unnecessary extra information to the officer, just out of sheer happiness of being able to speak Japanese again....

The objective of the trip was to "Relive my memories".
There was a certain 'calling' which I was feeling for the past few months. A-senior gave me the final push to 'make it happen'. So off I went to the land of the rising sun......where I had spent 5 years, a long long time ago.

Loved every moment of my 'memory-trip' week ....it was magical.
Excitement, happiness, nostalgia, ...and much more.

I came back, happy and satisfied, with one big realisation.

"Relations have magic in them".

My 'memory trip' was magical not because of the places I visited but because of the people I met, with whom I had created a bond 'then' and reconnected 'now'. 
Where did the years vanish? 
Some bonds are forever!

I dedicate this blog post to all those people who made my stay in Japan memorable all those years ago and who have not changed a bit, till today!
( I met some of them this time....)

1996: First trip outside India...alone. First day, I had entered Kobe University with  a lot of homesickness and nervousness....met Morii Sensei and my group mates.
Time passed. The bond became stronger and stronger.
2001: I was in tears at the airport bidding farewell to the same group.
2019: Felt like home-coming!! Starting from Morii Sensei's warm greeting, Ohkuma's laughter, Satoshi's shy smile, Mawatari's caring atitude, Shiotani's humorous talk,the phone chat with Sudou, Kasahara san's loving hug, Morii-san's motherly cooking...the lunch at the university canteen, my presentation in the department meeting room, the evening beer with all...
......the 18 years in between just vanished.
The university gave me a degree on paper. It gave me much more in my life....

1997: I was introduced to a Japanese 'host' family from the International students department. The objective was to help me integrate into the lifestyle of Japan. I was asked to address them as Otosan (Papa) and Okasan (Mama). It started with a few social-cultural interactions with the family.
Time passed. The bond became stronger and stronger.
2001: I was in tears at the airport bidding farewell to my tearful Japanese parents.
2019: Felt like the daughter was back home. My parents rejoiced. We travelled together, ate, chatted, shopped and had fun..the Japanese parents with their Indian daughter.
Otosan and Okasan are indeed my Papa and Mama in every sense of those words....

1998: Someone at the university mentioned that an Indian family was in town. I got introduced to S'da and family. (During those student days, getting introduced to a family meant good food ;-))On the first meeting itself, they 'adopted' me as their daughter into the family. Over the days, months, years that followed,  they proved that some relations are just special.
2001: I was in tears at the airport bidding farewell to my Indian family in Japan.
2019: The daughter was back. Love and attention was showered on me. They know what I love to eat, what I love to do, what I love to say...they just know me.
S'da and Bouma are not just an Indian family. They are MY family.
Met another Indian family, A'da and boudi. I immediately became their younger sister. Their tiny son P-chan became so attached to me that he even refused to go back home with his parents after one of their visits. I can still remember the scene vividly--a crying P-chan at Motomachi station, baffled parents trying to persuade the crying P-chan and a helpless, sad me bidding goodbye.
2019: Knocked on their door, gave them a surprise. In return, I was super surprised with P-chan all grown up and handsome and working and ......so shy when the station incident was mentioned.
Some bonds are made forever....

1998: Met M as a fellow international student. Clicked immediately. Clearly remember, one time when her mother was visiting from Iran, she asked me if she can tie up my unruly hair. When I said yes, she lovingly plaited my hair and all the while kept on talking to me (in Persian, which I do not understand ).  I could clearly hear my mom talking.."how many times have I asked you to oil your hair properly and not keep it like this, etc etc?" Mothers are mothers everywhere in the world.
2019: Even though social media kept us connected, it was pure coincidence that M was around during my visit. We picked up exactly where we had left..The same giggles, visiting the same places, opening up our hearts and much more...
Friendship has no boundaries and no expiry date.

There is so much more to write.....the food, the flowers, the people, the trains, the language, the weather, the temples, the........

Love you Japan!
Sayonara..till the next time.

Colourful Croatia....

At every step, I remembered last year's World Cup....

Not that I am a football fan (can only understand a goal and have no clue what an offside is!), but it put the country on my radar for sure.
The way the team played......the people cheered....the smart President stood beside her team and congratulated them....
Impressive!

Croatia : A colourful country with lovely people, a perfect holiday destination.

Travel is all about extending the boundaries.

Of our minds.

A long drive through three countries (Germany, Austria, Slovenia) took us to Croatia from The Netherlands. Even though, not an ideal winter destination to enjoy the beautiful beaches along the Adriatic coast, we did get very nice sunny cold weather most of the time. Our first stop in Croatia was Kastela (near Split, Trogir, Sibenik). We stayed there for 3 days and moved on to the beautiful city of Dubrovnik, stayed for a day and came back north to Karlovac (to visit the national parks Plitvice). Then we moved to the capital city of Zagreb, spent a day there and finally came back to The Netherlands from there.

What a beautiful country it is! Nature at its best!!
Apart from nature, the thing that needs to be appreciated is the quality of the roads. An extensive, well-maintained road network is something Croatia should be proud of. Not only the highways, even the 'nature' routes were a pleasure to travel on. Smooth and spotless--touching all the beautiful tourist spots that you want to go to....a treat to travel on the roads of Croatia.

Cities like Split, Trogir or Sibenik -- world heritage sites, so beautiful that they felt like a canvas.

Dubrovnik was straight out of a James Bond movie. The highwalls, the cobbled stoned streets, the perfectly orange thatched rooftops...I could visualize HIM coming out of the alleys on his bike, with 'Anasthasia' behind him. Anytime........

Plitvice park and its surroundings were magical. Even on a partly cloudy day, the blues and the greens of the water were mesmerizing. The camera never stopped clicking but what the eyes and the brain captured are really beyond my vocabulary.

The capital city of Zagreb had a fairy-tale Christmas market. The sub-zero temperatures were nullified by the spicy sausages and the warm glue-wine on the streets. The decoration was magical with music, family chatter and warm hugs. 

Everyday was a treat to the eyes and the heart. 

Beautiful places to see, delicious food to eat, wonderful friends to travel with, warm houses to come back to at night, chill or debate (depending on the number of glasses :-)) on topics like 'Karma', 'parenting', 'energy transition'........

Beautiful things make me philosophical nowadays (nothing to do with age!!)

So I let my mind , camera and my pen free........

Sail beyond the horizon, fly beyond the stars....
--but stay connected to the shore. Always.

Split

Take a break from the 'rat-race'. Stretch, laze and yawn from time to time. 
Spend time with friends. Enjoy the sun.

Kastela

Reflections are only "crooked" if your mirror is shaky with ripples. Use a simple honest one.

Trogir

The journey goes very fast. Pause for a while.....appreciate it.

Kastela

Some colours have no explanations. His palette, his creation, his mood.........

Plitvice

Dubrovnik

The world is a window. Look outside. It is full of colours, full of hope and full of happiness.

I stand and watch the same sun rise and set everyday. Yet each day is unique, each day is special, each day is a gift of life.

Dubrovnik

   There will always be someone(thing) to guide you on your way.....Have faith.

way to Karlovac

Plitvice

The tunnel is very important. It teaches us to appreciate the light at the end of it.

             Reflections are a necessity on the way.
              Reflect. The journey gets better.

Plitvice

 Think. Think. Think.  Natural intelligence(NI) is real.

Zagreb

Use your taste buds. They contribute a lot to "happiness".

Zagreb

Overall a beautiful experience.
Recommended.

Food, Friends, Family, Festivals....... and Flan

Do not underestimate the power of the 'F' words!

😍

They rock!

Durga Puja was celebrated here in The Netherlands. 

(I know, I am writing after a long time)

We put in immense effort to organize it all, created a piece of India here, re-created our childhood memories and basked in nostalgia.

The weeks before the event went in a frenzy, with things to be done, calls to be made, meetings to be arranged. The week itself went in a frenzy too.....satisfied, happy, content and excited with friends. The week after made me feel ..hmm...what a lovely event it was.

Then it was Diwali. I spent it at home with family and lights.

Now it is time for Sinterklas, Thanksgiving, Christmas ...the festive season continues......

As the days become dull and the mercury levels drop, the two things that help me to survive are the festival lights and the baking aroma from the neighbour's kitchen.
(Sometimes from my kitchen too).
The mood (even at work, on Mondays) is festive with a positive feel everywhere. 

(We will keep the boss and the end year appraisal out of this discussion) ;-)

There is indeed a 'Thanksgiving' mood everywhere. 

We are thankful for everything that we have. Life itself has taught us to be thankful.
The Gift of Life.

One of the many things that make this festive season so special is food. 

After a week of delicious Indian Bengali food during the Pujas, the food at the office canteen was no less than a culture-shock! My taste buds freaked out once again!

Why cant they serve hot spicy fish fry at lunch?

I know. I know. (still, dil mange more!)

Food is not a hobby in my family. 
It is passion, it is bonding, it is a 24x7 thought process.

Cooking is not an everyday chore but a celebration by itself.

(I do not discuss this with my dietitian or my gym-instructor, and I do not have either) 

So when my next door Dutch neighbour goes out for a jog because the sun is shining, I look at her from my kitchen window with appreciation and plan to make "Lobongolotika*".

No kidding. 

Different people have energy for different things. That is what makes the Earth such an interesting place to live in.

How boring would it have been if all of us went for a jog just because the sun was shining?

(Impressive! that is one of the most convincing anti-jogging excuses I have come up with in recent times)

The other good thing about the festive season is that it comes 'guilt-free'. 

When happy people talk about food during this season, somehow the topic of calories do not ruin the conversation. Even if they do, they are treated as cute kids whose naughtiness can be ignored for the moment. They are not discussed as scary monsters that take over your life and never leave you.

Take a deep breath. I did make Lobongolotika that day (will share the recipe later).

Today I made a FLAN.  (Baked Caramel Pudding)
Right! just to match the F-words in the title of my post.
The recipe is adapted from BongMoms cookbook.
Every time I make it, it turns out to be delicious and I thank BongMom from the bottom of my stomach.

Ingredients:

• 3 Eggs
• 1 can of condensed milk
• 2 cans of  full milk  (use the empty condensed milk can to measure)
• 1 tbsp Orange zest (Fresh zest adds a LOT of flavour)
• 1 tsp vanilla essence 
• 1 cup Sugar

Ready steady cook:

In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, condensed milk and full milk.

Add the orange zest and the vanilla essence.

In a separate heavy bottom pan, add a cup of sugar and 1/2 cup water. Let it come to boil at high heat. It will caramelize and turn brown. Keep swirling the mix till it turns dark brown and you can smell the caramelised sugar. Keep swirling the pan continuously so that it is not burnt. 

Pour it into an oven proof bowl. Swirl the bowl immediately so that the caramel coats the bottom of the bowl uniformly. 
It solidifies very fast...so be faster.

Let it cool. Pour the egg and milk mix into the bowl.

Preheat the oven to 180 deg C.

Bake the mix in a water bath for 65-70 mins. Let it cool down to room temperature and then put in the refrigerator to cool for 5-6 hrs.

Take out. Cover the bowl with a flat serving plate and with one quick jerky move, turn the pudding bowl upside down. The caramel pudding (with the brown caramel on top) easily slides on to the plate.

*Lobongolotika is a famous sweet from Bengal, India

Value of a Vegetable

Price and Value are two very different things. This realization becomes stronger with each passing year.

(No, this post will not talk about age, in general, but it will talk about the side effects. Side effects which are not related to your knee or back or glasses. 😄) 

Birthdays come and go. Elections come and go. World Cups also come and go.

But the steady flow of wisdom with each passing day  thankfully stays, in most cases. Life opens up new experiences but at the same time also helps me to appreciate the 'older' ones better. 

I understand the difference between 'price' and 'value' more and more.

For example, many years back when my mom made "Alu-Potoler torkari" (Potato-Pointed-Gourd curry),  I used to make a not-so-happy face.  I liked the vegetable (pointed gourd) more than pumpkin no doubt, but still made a face. 

You know the face, the "Myee..hhhh" face.

However,  a "myehh" face, specially at anything on my plate was strictly prohibited at home.

Ma had strict instructions.

 "Thalay ja dewa hobe shob khete hobe"(you have to eat whatever is served on your plate).

So I had to hide the 'myehh' expression and just eat it,  basically swallowing most of it down with water with hopes of seeing fish curry on my plate the next day.

Potol (Pointed gourd) was a simple summer vegetable, hence not that pricey. Therefore, Ma served potol-curry and rice quite frequently.

I only understood its "value" at different stages of my life later.

Stage 1: Hostel life

Although I admit that hostel life was the best part of my life, food was really bad. Vegetarian hostel food in those days were pure torture. All sorts of mushy, slippery, unattractive vegetables were served in the most ugly looking curries one could think of. Tears welled up  in my eyes on certain days .....it was that bad.

Missed Ma's cooking. Anything and everything. 

If only something cooked by Ma would magically appear on the table!

Even if it was POTOL-alu dalna!

Nothing like that happened, I just got used to the hostel food, complained less and found far more important things to enjoy.

Stage 2: Pregnancy

The first three months were awful, could not eat a grain. 

Hormones were being crazy. Mood was all over the place. Poor husband tried to maintain peace.

The next six months were super! Eternally hungry ! Taste buds craving for everything.

If only food would be served! I fell in love with vegetables, all of them.

Pictures of Potol-curry danced around me like the distant desert mirages. The curry which was so 'Myeeh' in my childhood became a delicacy in my dreams...if only Mom was around to cook me a bowl of Potol curry.

Potol was not available in Netherlands, so no Potol-curry was served!

Stage 3: Now!!

I actually love Potol now, in any form.

The value of these vegetables and home cooked food is now well understood (thanks to the number of years added to my life....no one can deny the wisdom that the years have added).

Unfortunately Potol is not that easily available in the shops near my house. However, by God's extreme grace, I do have a friend who lives in a house which is close to an Indian store that sells Potol. This summer, my craving for Potol exceeded all other years and I went up to my friend P, to request him to get me a kilogram of this lovely vegetable. P got the vegetable and planned to hand it over at work (we work at the same office). But I could not go to work the day after, so he passed it on to his wife S.  S works close to my house, so I drove to her office to pick up the kilogram of Potol from her.

As I waited outside her office for her to come out after work and handover the bag of precious Potol to me.....I smiled to myself!

Am I the same person who is doing all this ....just for Potol?

The "value" of Potol must have appreciated multiple times over the years......... 

I came back home with Potol in my bag and plans in my head to use each and every bit of the lovely vegetable.

Day 1: Fried 2 potols (Saved the peels) -- ate too fast, no photos.

Day 2: Made Potol posto with 4 Potols (Saved the peels) --ate too fast, no photos

Day 3: Made Alu-Potol dalna  (Saved the peels)

Day4: Made Potol-khosha-bata (Used all the saved peels)

That is what I call "Value of a Vegetable".

           

Alu-Potol dalna

Potol-khosha-bata

Thank you P and S.

AI Vs NI ...and some Lal Doi

No, we did not have Artificial Intelligence*.

We had (have) the Natural one and completely trusted it (Still do!).

We did not have 'clouds' either.

Actually we did have clouds, but only the ones that brought rain.

We did not have our life's data stored in them.
..and we did not have (or need) GDPR!
Peace.

I have nothing against the AI buzzword...(as if that would matter anyway)

But when I made the AI Vs NI comment (above) infront of A-junior, he gave me a sympathetic look!

No words, but just a "oh, poor you!...so last generation!" look!

*Intelligence, as defined in the dictionary is 'the ability to learn, understand, and make judgements or have opinions that are based on reason'.

...very Natural, nothing Artificial about it!

NI rules.
;-)

pc: youtube.com

Yes, I agree the world is a different place.

We are technologically much more advanced.

We are global citizens.

We trust our smartphones more than anything in the world.

We use 'apps' to determine the 'age of our mind' or 'the celebrity you resemble'.

We use FaceBook to make friends.

We fight out our battles on Twitter.

O Man....where are we going?

Scary again................

AI is so popular, everyone talks about AI. Sometimes even people without NI talk about AI. 
How it is going to solve everything and behave like "us".
Alexa this. Alexa that.
Can Alexa make Tandoori chicken?
Can she fold the dry clothes for me and put it in the closet?
Till she can do the above (atleast), I am not convinced about AI.
I stand by my words.
NI rules.

Friday evening.
Two glasses of beautiful Italian red....and I have no clue where this blog post is going. 
Or is it even going 'somewhere'?

Enough on the intelligence topic.
Let me move from the brain to the stomach which is equally important.

Bhapa Lal Doi

Once upon a time when I lived in a small town called Durgapur, there was a sweets shop called Rabin Sweets.  The shop was famous for its 'Lal Doi' (Red Yoghurt). Baba used to buy it for Sunday lunch, when the whole family sat together with more special things like "Mangsher jhol" etc. The Doi used to come in a clay pot (Bhanr, as known in Bengali) covered on top by a paper and tied with thin strings. This Doi literally made the Sunday lunch complete. Each spoon of the delicate, pink, sweet yogurt was like heaven melting in the mouth....something to die for. The story did not end with the empty bhanr.
At the end, there was always the looming question in the room,
 "ke bhanr khabe?" (who is going to eat the bhanr?). 
The brother and sister looked at each other, competitive eyes trying to remember who was the lucky one the week before. The ritual was a weekly affair! 
"Eating" the bhanr basically meant the lucky person got to scrape off the last atom of lal doi from the empty pot, till he/she could taste the clay of the pot. Literally!
It was such a treat!!

                                  

Anyway, after many many years, memories came flashing back last weekend when I tried to make "Lal Doi". Thank you R for the recipe which is simple but super tasty.
One spoon into my mouth and I went back to Rabin Sweets.....
There was no competition this time for the "bhanr ke khabe?", though. ;-)

Lal Doi - 

Ready steady cook:

1. Take a pack of greek yogurt. Mix it well with a hand mixer so that it is smooth.

2. In a separate thick bottom pan, warm 2 spoons of water and add the "gur" (jaggery). I used Nolen Gur. Let it melt slowly in low heat.

3. Mix the gur well with the yogurt smoothie. Taste it.

4. Preheat the oven at 180 degC.

5. Bake the mix in a water bath for about 45-50 mins. 

6. Cool and serve.

'Certainly' tasty: Bengali Vegetable Chop

Long time no blogging....

No one to blame. No convincing excuse. I am alive and kicking.

...just back from a very short super active India trip.

A beautiful wedding, meeting family (some, after many long years), dressing up, eating like there is no tomorrow, an outing with both sets of parents (in-laws), visits to the doctors, an eye-opening trip to a beautiful school, eating more and more and more......and back!

Saturday morning, back on my sofa, with a cup of tea in my hand, I can ruminate in peace.

If only I knew how to ruminate like a cow, I would bring back and chew the Fish Munia from the wedding, the Pomfret curry from home and the Kochuri-alu from the streets next to the wedding (where I sneaked out to taste some street food while the wedding was ongoing. Being a hardcore foodie is a tough job!).

Ruminating like a human, I am reliving the wedding with its many customs, happiness and laughter, the blushing bride, the gorgeous groom, the short outing with excited parents, the visit to the school where the kids were so innocent and so much more....

......Once again appreciating "The Gift of Life".

So uncertain, yet so very beautiful.

Certainty is boring.

Certainty kills creativity.

Certainty is no fun.

It is actually the 'uncertainty' which makes life worth living!

Amen.

Going back to the topic of food, (which I keep going back to whenever possible), I have to say street food in India ROCKS! It is like having mini Michelin stars all along the streets of Kolkata. They may not have the 'ambience', but they sure have the 'taste'.

The wedding venue had a market nearby which sold fresh fruits and vegetables. In winter, such a market in India is beautiful.  A huge variety of fresh colourful fruits and vegetables glistening in the warm golden lazy winter sun. Men and women with shopping bags in hand carefully picking the vegetables, holding each in hand, examining it from all possible angles before making their choice. Shopkeepers advertising their products with utmost enthusiasm, one shouting over the other claiming their product to be the best. Energy all around. So very different from the cold aisles of the supermarket and the expressionless lady at the cash we see every day.

I just had to go for a walk. To soak in the sun. To smell in the vegetables. To absorb the energy.

Few hundred meters down the market, the second shop in a narrow alley caught my attention.

A very small shop selling Kochuri -- Round puffed Kochuris getting fried in a huge frying pan full of oil. What a sight! What an aroma! What an attraction!

I walked to the shop..'Dekhi dada duto kochuri!" [Can I have 2 kochuris please]

A plate was served. Two hot phulko kochuri with potato curry and green chilli pickle.

As I put the first piece in my mouth, my taste buds danced with happiness, my brain cells shouted in glee, my whole being experienced something close to Nirvana....

The plate was empty in minutes, wiped spotlessly clean with the last bit of the Kochuri.

I have to admit that I went back to the same shop again the next day, even on a full stomach. I have no regrets!

Sadly I have no photos to share, I was too busy eating.

Now let's cook something. I am hungry. Again.

Bengali Vegetable chop

When I started to make this, I was totally 'uncertain' about the final product. I had never made this before. So when A-senior found this recipe for me from You-tube, I was a bit hesitant to try it.

This is a very common winter snack in Bengal. It makes use of the colourful winter vegetables like carrots, beetroot, green peas and makes the dull winter evenings crisp with taste and warmth. Usually, it is served with a salad of thinly sliced red onions and cucumbers.

Ingredients:

3 Beet roots (sliced fine) 

3 Carrots (sliced finel)

2 Potatoes (boiled OR Steamed)

1 cup green peas
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
1/4 cup thinly sliced coconut pieces(fried)

1/4 cup raisins(optional)

2 tsp Coriander

2 tsp Cumin 
1 tsp fennel seeds
2-3 pieces of Cinnamon
5-6 Cardamom
1/2 tsp panch phoron
5-6 cloves
2 bay leaves

1 tsp amchur
2 tsp Ginger paste
salt to taste
Oil for frying
Bread crumbs and egg for coating.

Ready steady cook: 

• Mash the steamed potatoes. Keep aside.
• Grind together the cumin, coriander, fennel, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon,bayleaves, dried red chillies. Mix the amchur powder in this.
• Heat oil in a pan.  Add the panchphoron and let it sizzle. 
• Add the gingerpaste and fry. Add the sliced beetroot, carrot and green peas. Add some salt and cook for a while. Add the ground spices and then the mashed potatoes, mix well and let it cook for some more time.
• When the vegetables are cooked, add the fried coconut, raisins and peanuts.
• Mix well and keep it aside to cool
• Divide in small portions and make them into oval shaped 'chops'.
• Roll in flour, dip in egg and roll on breadcrumbs.
• Keep them in the fridge for an hour to harden a bit.
• Deep fry and serve with kasundi.

It was 'certainly' very tasty!!

The recipe is an adaptation from Bongeats.

A friend took a bite and said, "exactly like in Kolkata".
What a compliment!
Made my day!