Have been gone for a bit...I didn't expect to notice but a couple of loyal followers did...made me feel so good!!:D
The past two weeks were busy...went for a course-cum-trip to NY/Philadelphia..came back last weekend...walked for the Terry Fox cancer research run last Sunday and then--believe it or not--have been hitting the gym since Monday!...am interested to see how long before this cloud passes but so far so good!!
Did anyone catch the US open men's singles final? Wasn't del Potro unbelievable??I adore Federer but sometimes it feels good to see the underdog win!
The story is starts in the 1970s in Afghanistan and tells the story through the eyes of Amir, the privileged and only son of a rich, widowed, philanthropic landlord. The main crux of the book is Amir's friendship with his servant's son, the devoted and more talented Hassan and his always-under-the-burden-of-expectations relationship with his own Baba. And neither relationship can escape the political upheavals in Afghanistan- first the invasion by Russians and then by the Taliban.
The book is an absolute emotional roller-coaster and one of the best books I have read lately. Hosseni is utterly compelling in his first book (hard to believe considering how well written the book is). The personal relationships between Amir, his Baba and Hassan are beautifully depicted as well and manage to tug at you heart time and again. Interestingly, there are no female leads in the movie and the thankfully, Hosseni does not use the 'love-for-women-changed-the-story' idea (I am tired of how many times poor women are blamed for making or breaking stories).
One of the things that struck me when I read the book was about an unfortunate incident Amir witnesses but doesn't do anything about. I wont give the story away- read for yourself what the incident is but it did leave me thinking for a while. It is interesting how your choice of not doing anything, being mute witnesses to a crime haunt your conscience more than committing the crime itself. Not all of us have the courage to stand up for someone in need and this is the price we pay for it- having a guilty conscience that eats on us for the rest of our life.
Hosseni also manages to present the old-day Afghanistan in a new humane light- one of happiness and peace. It is a shame to read about how power hungry politicians have reduced this once beautiful country to its present-day state of chaos, instability and unhappiness. Mind you, the book doesn't even talk about the plight of Afghan women- I read an article in the Economist about child brides, teen pregnancies and about 80% illiteracy in Afghan women. I still remember the picture of a 11 year old child bride seeing her would-be, well in his 40s husband for the first time on their wedding day (shudder!).
Coming back to the book, this one goes on my 'must read' list. Read it for its mature content, beautiful portrayal of human relationships, Afghanistan and for the emotion than runs throughout the book- hope!
Its that time of the year...Lord Ganesha is visiting everyone's houses this week..if you ask me, this is the cutest of all Hindu Gods...with his elephant head and rotund stomach, he is easily one of the most liked deities in Hindu culture..he tops my list for sure!
'Lalbaugcha Raja', one of the most popularly worshipped public Ganesh idols in Mumbai
Ganesh puja at this time of the year is a big event in Mumbai and both N and I miss the fun here in Vancouver...miss bappa coming home..bringing in his tow hundreds of friends and relatives, yummy food, carefree celebrations- in short, 'beshhtest times'. Growing up, I always wanted to bring bappa home but since each (extended) family is allowed to bring only one idol home and one of our uncles has been bringing our family idol to his house over the last few generations, there was no way we could do that. My wish was granted, however, when I got married...N's parents bring their (and now mine) family Ganesh idol to our home in Mumbai...its absolute fun time..miss the mood (sigh, sigh, sigh).
So this year, after being away from Mumbai for a few years (7 for N, 4 for me), we decided to create the magic ourselves....for the first time ever, we made the modaks (recipe follows), did a small puja at home in the morning, volunteered to make food at a local (Marathi mandal) celebration function and then enjoyed the prasad food in the evening at that same function....good times, I say!!!
Marathi Mandal Ganeshotsav, Vancouver
Modaks and home puja
The best part about making the modaks? N and I made them together...anyone who had tried them before should know that making the modaks and moulding them into a nice shape takes time and practice...N and I were like kids in the kitchen...each trying to make better modaks than the other...at the end, I have to admit, N did so much better than I did (hmmmm)!
joint effort- N made the one at the centre- adjudged as the best modak of all :D
For the recipe, I followed the instructions in this video..the recipe the lady uses is exactly the same as N's ma (I am guessing its a standard recipe) but the art lies in making the rice dough while its 'just hot' and then moulding it into beautifully shaped modaks...check out the video here..she has some very interesting techniques for beginners like N and me!
It took us well over an hour to make 12 modaks but we were both quite pleased with the end result...hope bappa liked it as well!:D
joint effort- N made the one at the centre- adjudged as the best modak of all :D