Ponto de Vista

A few weeks ago, we were at the office late and I had an even later dinner to attend. I knew I’d get a raging headache if I waited until I reached my friends’ place so I stopped at the Cafe Coffee Day in the lobby of our building to pick up a sandwich. It being a bit late, they’d run out of options. From the vegetarian sandwich I had very few choices but this one — the Spicy Chinese Veg Sandwich — was the one I couldn’t resist. It turns out to have “Veg manchurian” — that most Indian of Chinese dishes — and, wait for it, chow mein. Yes, a noodle and cabbage sandwich. 😆 And it was pretty damn tasty. This past week, I made Maya try it. She liked it!

Dilli is blooming. There is purple jacaranda blossoming all over and boughs laden to the verge of drooping with yellow lanterns of laburnum at intervals. But nothing gladdens my heart more than the vivid splashes of orange and deep red the Gulmohurs bring. My heart is smiling.

On Saturday, a bunch of us from work plus other friends went to the poolside lounge at the Park hotel near Jantar Mantar. It’s called Aqua and it was lovely. I loved, loved, loved it.
There was a cool breeze blowing, a dj spinning great lounge and house music, pitchers of LIIT and Passion Bay … we even got to sit at the edge of the pool and dip our feet in. Aaaah! And of course we danced, the lack of a dancefloor being no object.
Earlier, 6 of us had gotten ready together at my house over sandwiches and Bacardi … and it was like being back in college. Later we went to the Yellow Brick Road and had a variety of random things (coffee, tea, soup, dessert, and a sandwich) between us ;D)

Spotted in Lajpat Nagar: hollow-headed clothes horses. Literally. Go figure. 😉

Last month, Tish took me to see Begum Abida Parveen in concert at the Jahaan-e-Khusrau festival finale held at the tomb of Ali Quli.
We camped out under the stars initially on uncomfortable chairs and then on the mattresses that were laid out, being hounded by mosquitoes, choking on anti-mosquito DDT-type fumigation, and bored by the never-ending opening acts on a lovely breezy night. Here, I captured Qutub Minar at gloaming, visibile through the fairy lights and the clay diyas, making the entire area seemed enchanted and far, far removed from reality.

I miss cinnamon rolls. I really do. I even miss the Pillsbury DIY (pretty awful) kind of cinnamon rolls I’d pop open at my brunches 🙁

When she was visiting, mom picked this up for me and I got so excited. But it was totally misplaced excitement. It’s not a cinnamon roll. In fact, it’s not even sweet. Noooo … this ‘confectionary’ is actually a mint/pudina roll. It’s spicy and … just not what my eyes and taste buds had perked up about. So sad 🙁 Next to it is depicted what was a sinfully good lemon tart.

I’ve promised folks pancakes for brunch someday. When I have a life …

A comforting sign in the elevator at the Kumars’ (no, not the Kumars at Number 42.)

Taken early last month when friends and I went to a Rahat Fateh Ali Khan concert at Siri Fort Auditorium. As we were waiting to enter the parking lot, we were overtaken by a ghodi. As her rider took her past us, I noticed the duo had a shadow. I found it so cute. Here they are.

Last afternoon I was chatting with V, and somehow it came up that McDonalds in India (as in most countries) has customized its menu for the Indian palate. What he didn’t know though was that India is the only country in which McDonalds home delivers. I was astounded myself when I first found out, but I now know at least two people (S&T, yes, this is you) who are quite happy to use this service! Anyway, I got off the phone and headed out to return a library book and then catch up with a friend and see a film. Voila, a few houses away was the McDonalds delivery dude, waiting patiently for his payment to arrive from inside. I asked him if I could take a photo and he assented 🙂 Charming, no?

I see these billboards advertising footware and sunglasses every morning. What i didn’t see until recently was that they’re housed in the National Tribal Museum (The Bharatiya Adimjati Sevak Sangh). Yup John Abraham is shilling shoes right under a statue Mahatma Gandhi, B.R. Ambedkar and others. The walls and the doorways of this building are beautifully wrought in tribal work as is the main gate. It boggles the mind to fathom what the Museum folks were doing when they decided to also make it a factory outlet!