Explorer of Experiences

That's me, glam-ed up.  I wrote this entry back in October 2010 when as a part of my job with a PR firm, I attended the Elle Beauty Awards. You can imagine, the excitement of attending one of these in my first job... So glad I wrote about it back then, it brings back so many memories. Enjoy the read! Ever since I watched ‘Devil Wears Prada’, I secretly cherished the thought of working for a magazine, as I am sure, did heaps of other girls. The lure of pricey bags, exquisitely crafted shoes and artfully designed dresses has for so long enraptured the senses of womankind. Courtesy those clichéd ‘girly’ novels and ‘chic flicks’, we have envisaged a surreal portrait of the girl that works with a magazine. Well I did not end up working for any publication but working in PR for an established and renowned brand in hair and beauty is the closest I had come to it. Recently my team and I received an exciting invitation to attend an awards function hosted by a popular fashion and...

The title of this post may confuse some so allow me to clarify. What I meant by 'First Time for the Third Time' is that even though I have visited this desert city twice before, my third visit might as well have been my first because Dubai keeps changing...it gets bigger, better, taller, newer, higher and glossier.   I did not plan to visit Dubai, the trip - you can say, just happened! I en-cashed some frequent flier miles on Emirates and used up my IndiGo Airlines discount voucher (yay to Twitter contests!) and thus ended up saving up a lot on my airfare. But a week before I was due to fly, I got the viral flu and was regretting my decision to travel. I wondered if it was worth the effort - my wanderlust cravings always overpowered my need to just stay put and rest during my off time. Touchdown in Dubai, and I felt well again, yes, just like that. Call it adrenaline rush if you like! I was so excited to be on international shores with friends and food and f...

It's not everyday you get to bake and indulge in decadent chocolate cake. I had been craving to make some cake but the lack of time or the temptation of just lying in bed when I did have idle time, prevented me from taking to the whisk. Day before yesterday, however, the cake craving hit me hard. All that headache from the glaring day's sun exposure left me exhausted but I finally took out the ingredients and got out the cocoa at 9PM post dinner. The usual source to any and all recipes was mum or Google. But this time I thought why not try out what might be the most full-proof recipe; the one plastered on the label of Cadbury Cocoa box! Not ingenious, I know, I know... So for the benefit of my readers, let me list out the recipe below: 5 tablespoons of Cadbury Cocoa 100 gms of butter 1 cup sugar 2 cups of white flour 3 eggs or 1 can of condensed milk 1 teaspoon of baking powder 2 drops of vanilla essence/extract Method: Whisk the butter and sugar till it becomes...

The Groom's not-so-nervous-feet So I was in Bangalore and no prizes for guessing why! I was attending (yet another) wedding of course. But it is not everyday that you get to witness your Nepalese friend a.k.a Groom in a South Indian style dhoti, worn with what seemed like yards of pristine white cloth. With the '2 States' style wedding over in a day, I still had a free day to spend in Bangalore. It's a city I have been to around four to five times now, so I was keen on exploring a new facet of it. This 'Garden City' was facing its worst summer yet and boy was the mercury soaring. Glaring sun mixed with dust from construction sites mixed with pollution from the never-moving traffic made the most headache-inducing pot pourri. I still decided to brave the heat and venture out to make the most of my time. After a quick check on what Lonely Planet recommends to see , I grabbed a friend and headed out with a list of 4-5 places chalked out to visit. This w...

Where in Pune can you rent out a petromax lamp? Discover relics like this and let the city you thought you knew take you back in time... Sometimes it is interesting how well you think you know your city and then you take a second and closer look at the same roads and streets you pass by everyday, only for it to reveal something new to you. It has been years since my family goes grocery shopping to the historic Shivaji Market. Noisy fruit, vegetable and meat vendors sell their produce from under a crippling 150-year old grey structure. But seldom have I raised my head up to notice the building  and spare a moment to wonder how majestic it would have looked when it was first built.  Shivaji Market We are so consumed in our day to day routines, we forget to take the time out to observe what's around us. I pass by the Council Hall every day to and fro my office but have never tilted my head in its direction. I take the left turn from the towering Lal Deval daily to get h...

A view of Trois from the terrace It's a big deal when a new restaurant opens its shutters in Pune, it really is. So inadvertently, you are bound to hear reviews from some of the first visitors to the place. Launched last May, Trois Kitchen and Wine Bar has created quite a stir in the city and its owner-chef Mayur, has impressed most food lovers. Read the reviews, and you'll notice he's had a near 100% success rate so far. The venue is an enchanting white one storey-ed villa on a quiet tree-sheltered lane in Kalyani Nagar (that's right, not Koregaon Park!). Al fresco seating is a big plus when it comes to restaurants (something Mumbai restaurateurs  envy), and Trois has enough of it.  White wine sangria - a top shot I chose to sit at the terrace area where I was in the company of many other diners (a lot of expatriates). With the tinkling of wine glasses and cutlery, happy conversations and Cafe del Mar-esque music as my audio make-up, ...

Over the past few years, in an effort to 'delight' flyers, flight operators have been trying really hard to do that little extra. When brands, college students and even jail inmates ( see this ) were participating in flash mobs on ground, we saw such impromptu flash performances 30,000ft above the ground as well; case in point the Finnair flight attendants who did a Bollywood dance number to commemorate India's Republic Day - and this exercise garnered a lot of exposure and reach on digital media.  So this Holi, SpiceJet got inspired and decided to lead the pack domestically and be the first to have a dance by their crew . Unfortunately though, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation came down hard on them, issuing SpiceJet a show-cause notice . I, for one, agree with this move and below is why: - The only moves the flight attendants should be making are the ones demonstrating safety instructions before take off. That's all.  - Brands are constantly on the...

I have been itching to write this post. I have met a lot of people especially in my work life who have pretty much been the same, work style wise. Very few have stood out. To make a mark, for me personally or professionally, three things immediately crop into my head. These are my so call ' mantras ', and they work. They will not only make your life easier, but will also create a strong impression of you with other people. Don't procrastinate Image courtesy: www.businessmindsetexpert.com Leaving things to do for later is a bad, bad idea. It takes time to get things off your check-list  but it takes only few seconds for another ten or thirteen things to get added to that to do list. I always list my things to do in terms of priority. But what works for me is to get those things done which would hardly take any time. So that gives me the chance of scratching that item off my list. And it's sheer pleasure when I make pencil strokes across that completed item. ...

A simple, small town girl on her path to self discovery after her fiancée dumps her.  We've heard that story before so w hat, you may wonder, is different about this movie? I find out....by mistake! One movie in recent weeks that really has got me excited is Gulab Gang. Not because it stars Madhuri Dixit, but because watching Juhi Chawla as a villain seemed promising from the trailers. I went to Victory Cinema (Pune) which by the way is a very charming heritage building (the balcony seat cost me Rs. 80...seriously)! The opening credits begin with a song showing Kangana Ranaut dancing...okay wow, I thought, Victory shows trailers! But then two minutes in and I realize wait a minute, they are playing Queen the movie! Darn, what a bummer. We put together the pieces of the puzzle and concluded that Gulab Gang was banned from playing and hence Victory decided to screen Queen. With no major star cast and having not read any prior reviews, I decided to give this movie a fa...

If you've gone through my blog, it may bemuse you that this is my second post on tofu. How much do I love eating it? A lot. And why not? I find it tasty, love the texture, and enjoy the variety. You heard me...there's variety even with an ingredient like Tofu - silken, firm, extra firm, fermented, flavoured, etc.  And this 'obedient ingredient' (as chef Roger Mooking would call it in his food show Everyday Exotic), is super versatile to cook with. Deep fry it and cook it with veggies in sweet and sour sauce, or make an evening snack out of it by toasting it on a pan with a little oil and drizzle with salt and cracked black pepper. Like me, if eggs don't suit, you then scramble up a tofu and add the other usual scrambled egg ingredients and you're set!  One of my favourites tofu dishes is when it is baked with peanut sauce. Pure bliss. A picture below to treat your eyes. Now that's a happy meal for me. Just a quick tip, give your tofu a boil in water fla...

(This was post written in March 2012) Not too far away from the bustling, crowd-ridden and pollution-heavy city of Pune, lies a hidden gem – ‘Malhar Machi’ - a tranquil resort tucked away amidst the mountains overlooking Lake Mulshi with stunning, picturesque views. Malhar stands for rain and Machi for mountain, making it a befitting name as this region basks in heavy rainfall during the monsoons. On the far left is one of their best cottages you should stay at Malhar Machi spans over 110 acres and boasts of 19 luxurious cottages. This mountain resort was envisaged, conceptualized and materialized by two Puneites who clearly take their love for nature very seriously. The resort has a very pleasing-to-the-eye earthy, green, refreshing and minimal look and feel to it. In using bamboo, stones, wood, cane and other green materials for the cottages, pathways, furniture, etc., the architect's design pays an admirable homage to nature. The cottages are intelligently pos...