Backkkkk and the world has changed for me!!!

Hey everyone..... long time no seee??
Hows u all?

Me back from a very very hectic trip to India and settling in...
Actually I came back to the US last Friday but was reeling under jetlag for the next 2-3 days.

My trip to India was a grandeur success in all ways.....
I was there in Indian soil exactly for 13 days, but then I feel like I did things, ran around like I had to pack 30 days of ooru-suthufying in those 13 days.

To list, I did:

• I attended a very close friend's wedding immdly after I landed in Chennai, and his marriage was in Nagerkovil which is like the bottom-most city in India. But while there, I also went to the Kanniyakumari scenic spots, and took a lot of pics.

• I attended my H1b visa interview coming back and it went off smoothly without all my scary thoughts :)

• I went with Amma, Appa, chithi's on a pilgrimage trip to Madurai, Sankaran Kovil and Tiruchy.. visited countless number of temples there and they were wonderful to say the least.

• Aporama madras-la shopping for my trip back-nnu all the sun was on me ooru-suthufying...

• Visiting all my relatives, thaatha-paati, appa's friends etc etc that my mom started complaining I am not staying at home and spending time with her at all...

• Eating-in, Eating-out... I almost ate like 6 meals a day...if I eat out and come back home to amma's cooking, just because she shouldnt feel bad, I ate one more meal :). Also, every one I visited invariably made somthing I liked, and couldnt resist as well.

I believe I did put on some weight while in India.

• Movie - I went to Sillunu oru Kaadhal and was disappointed like anything, the movie sucked big time...no logic, no story, and over-action literally, but to see a movie in Satyam after a long time was so different.

• Autos -- I took an auto almost everywhere, and invariably I had to cross Duraisaamy bridge all the time and it took ages during peak time..

Besides alll these things, I have one more thing to tell you all. Idhu ellam nadula - I saw a ponnu and was totally bowled over and kalyanthuku okay solitten...Yup! so the world has changed ever since...:)

Before seeing her, veetla I put all the scene I could, I dont think I can decide by seeing and talking to her just once, I will need to talk to her over fone a couple of times etc...Avala paathu pesi, veetuku varadhukku munaadi PCO lenthu phone panni okay solitten!! :-)

Will detail-blog as soon as I get sometime again....but guess I will be regular from now on...
Lotsaa stories and lots to write, so little time though.....

Will keep you guys posted...

ps1: Inimel ennoda regular blogs ku elam poi comment vidanum, appo thaane neenga varuvenga thirumba...

ps2: Idhuvaraikum ennoda monthly minutes usage will not exceed 1000 minutes, but this last one week, i have used like 1200 minutes.(including nights/weekends), I should get a headset soon, otherwise my hands are going to pain most probably....

India here I come!

The initial seeds were sown sometime in March. Yes, that's how long you have to look ahead while planning an India trip especially if you have to schedule a visa interview.

And this 6 month wait is after the so-called-rush-reducing rule - that you have to pay a non-refundable 100$ to book an appointment. I guess things were better before this rule. It is high time they open another embassy in Hyderabad or Bangalore.

Anyways, the crux of this blog is about me leaving to India tomorrow for a very short 2 week trip. I know its going to be hectic - my close friend's wedding to attend, the usual routine places of worship to see, visit family and friends, shop for my return and all this in 2 weeks time. Now that's quite some challenge. Let us see.

Most importantly this blog is also about :
India-ku varennu a request to fans - no red carpets, no cutouts, no bands esp no paal abhishekam et al, thalaivi Trisha maadhiri me opposed to all that - oru child-ku udhavum adhu :)
Mujhe aap me se ek banaa-kar, sirf apne anuraag deejiye.
Ya, ya I have a 8 hour stopover at Delhi and am prepping my Hindi for it!!!
(dhayavu senju hindi la comment vidaatheenga, naan reply panna matten..)

(jiii haaan, haaan ji, aiyaiyo ji, tholla thaangalai ji, nu soli adjust panna poren)

All rite guys,
I shall try to blog from India, but if not, atleast I will have lots of experiences to talk about once I get back from India.

You take care,
P

Home Alone && Sunday Samaiyall...

Manni enna ambo-nnu vittutu family-oda Florida vacation pogave, buvaaku I had to go back to basics and dig into my culinary skills.

Inniku morning SUN TV-la TOP 10 movies kum, Ungal Choice program-ku naduve oru 30 mins gap ( Sapthaswarangal program - nammalukum meejic'kum dhaan konjam dhooram jaasthiyache...)

So naan pannina 30 min quick lunch:

1. Toor dal a cooker la vega vaikkavum. ( 15 minutes) -- US la irukkaravanga - Toor dal vilai vaasiku, vera alternative - Channa Dal.
2. Side'la frozen Spinach and frozen french cut beans bag open pannikavum.
3. Oru kadaaai-la beans a vega vaikavum with salt ( like you do for a curry) - kaaram aporama pathuppom...
4. Spinach + tamarind water + sambar powder, salt udan sethu vega veikavum.
5. By the time the dal is cooked in the cooker, the spinach and beans would have cooked well...( keep an eye on the beans, since beans is been fried dry, adi pidikaama pathu kollavum)
6. Vega vecha spinach la ippo dal-a mix pannina spinach sambar ready.
7. Ippo beans curry la konjam-a cooker la irukkura adhe dal mix panni, deep fry pannunga... deep fry as in - beans'um dal'um ottikka koodaathu... udhir udhir a irukkanum.
Kaarathuku konjam-aa red chilli's a udachu podavum...curry powder potta sodhappidum...(by the way, if you still didnt get what this dish is : quick paruppu usili idhu thaan)

Intha spinach sambar + paruppu usili 30 mins la ungalaala panna mudilla-naa, enna blame pannaadheenga, thappu unga perula thaan...

By the way - taste eppdi vanthuthu nu kekkaatheenga.. oru 6 months a kitchen pakkame pogalai, so konjam so-so nu thaan vanthuthu...

Later,

Quicktips:

QT1: Thottukka - appalam/vadam ku easiest way: Use the microwave, its healthy also. Each appalam 15-20 seconds on each side will make it look like the original.
QT2: Spinach- ku dal add panracha, konjam thanni jaasthi aachu-na dont worry, you are smart. :) Konjam meloda eduthaa rasam, middle-la edutha keerai... One stone two mangoes.
QT3: This may not apply to this recipe above, but ennna samachaalum kadasila Cilantro (adhu thaanga kothamalli) poda maranthudaatheenga. evvlo thaan sumaara irunthaalum, kadasila antha cilantro smell will nullify things - applies especially to north indian side stuff...channa, bhaji et al.