The girl who knew infinity

“I love you on & on…”.

We smiled in bemusement at this strangely phrased reassurance from our daughter.

We always knew that all children have a lateral ability to create proprietary phrases and explanations that simplify abstract concepts & complex theories......Concepts & theories they consciously know nothing about.

But this sentence still sounded bizarre.

“What do you exactly mean Anoushka ?” I probed…..with an induced frown to accentuate curiosity.

She recovered from an initial pause & responded, “You told me that numbers go on & on…and that universe goes on and on……I too love you on and on and on, OK ?”.

Aha moment it was!!

My only regret ?

I wish I had met a teacher like her, when, like all growing kids, I was struggling with my own existential questions on love, life, death, nature, universe, and god.

……Someone who could so effortlessly explain to me the meaning of boundlessness

.…..Someone who could drive home that love - like infinity - is indeed an undefined concept.

……Someone who could pull me out of my insecurities and convince me that love is not a finite quantity........Nor is it a zero-sum game.

That if you subtract any bit from anything infinite you are still left with enough of infinite.

I too love you on & on & on…. darlings !

On a slightly different note - Mumbai’s Prithvi Theatre is celebrating a month long festival on Mathematics through plays, workshops, school visits, etc., starting today.

We plan to attend a critically acclaimed British production on “The Man who knew Infinity” - C Ramanujan, early next month.

No, NOT as inquisitive individuals. But as proud parents of “a girl who knew infinity”. And helped us understand it too.

Writing on the Wall - My IPL Moment!

IPL's 2nd semi-final was scintillating!

No it wasn't the close finish, or Dravid's batting, or the vertical-bat hit by Virat Kohli- off Murali I felt seduced by. It was the joy of seeing a kid cherish the vinidication of his unflinching faith in his hero.

My son thinks, no, believes Rahul Dravid is God in all forms of cricket (now that is bit far-fetched but you know how hero-worshipping goes!).

And by extension, Avik also happens to be a hardened Banglore RCs fan, although has never stepped on anything lying south of Maharashtra in his 9 years.

The Challangers finished 7th last year, and were nearly out of this year's episode too.

But did it matter?

Rain or shine, Rahul's team was always the best for him!

So Avik - here are a few rhyming lines dedicated to you and your hero on reaching the finals! Enjoy!

Writing on the Wall

There was a fan-atic named Avik
in Kolkata, was he born
Flesh in Mumbai, spirit in Bangalore,
his loyalties, seemed muddled & torn !*

*(He let his heart rule his mind, and wagered only on RCs. Blind!)

The Red & Gold will get him glory,
Dhoni's-Superkings ?? (Naah...the kid said he was sorry!)

Jacques & Jumbo will be on a song,
and Jammy's willow will do no wrong
This was, indeed,his wisdom-speak
With a "seam-up" conviction and a flipper's tweak!

Lo and behold - this was to be,
The Force got Veerans down on knees!
Avik - you have your way tonite,
..and 'morrow again could be yours (right?)

No matter who finally scales the height
Rahul will walk with a swagger alright,
With chest puffed, and head held high
The grin of the redeemed and a smile so wry

The Wall didn't crack and let you down (could he ever do ?)
You knew what was coming, and now WE can see it too !!!

Enjoy the moment. Looking forward to seeing you back home soon !!!!....And good luck for tomorrow !!!!

Growing up !!

A fun quiz on "Growing up Years" got me probing into my childhood and adoloscence memories. This time - conciously.

Longing for the centre-stage, and wanting to bring home that shiny medal.

..Those silent prayers and secret wishes to be like your role-model when you grow up.

..Wanting to get even with tormenting adults.

..Taking your parents for granted.

...Dreaming of having the resources to change all that you loathe (including your fake Gunn & Moore cricket bat!)

Many unbridled dreams..few suppressed desires...

A motley mix of confused thoughts...and those unambiguous eureka moments...

A view on everything but a solution for nothing...

Momentary joys that left lasting impressions...

And those never-ending moments of grief that strangely left no scar...

Misplaced fear, trepidation & routinely recurring self-doubts...

Inexplicable yearnings & bizarre cravings...

...And a very personal make-believe world...

And not to forget - the hormones going all over the place!

I am sure I am not the only one who carries such mixed and inexplicable feelings about the good ol' days.

Days, that have shaped us - for good or bad - into what we are today. And in some ways, will influence the way our children will see the world !

Our "maturity with age" is a piece of fiction. At a deeper level we continue to be what we were - malleable human beings, changing (evolving?) every moment....mostly for better, at times for worse.....Growing up is infact a WIP with no end-date.

नास्तो - In the land of Gandhi, Ganthiya & Dandiya !

Yet another Facebook inspired note!

Met an old buddy after 17 years yesterday in Ahemedabad. Joydeep & I go back a long way to our growing up days in Kolkata. Thanks to Facebook and a few common FB friends, we found each other again. Even working for the same company. (Me Mumbai. He Gujarat!)

We decided to meet up for thali dinner, but eventually settled for a no-nonsense gujarati breakfast en-route to office given our other prior commitments.

It could not have been scripted better !!

Left my hotel at 8:00 AM for a small road-side place called Ganthiya-Rath - reluctantly recommended by Joydeep's much cajoled Assistant. (Why don't you go to a proper restaurant instead?)

Crispy, Golden Ganthiyas & Papris with masala lightly sprinkled ;

Mini Khamans that were less spongy that the imitated city variety but fresher and tastier as they can be (less or no cooking soda, I think!)

White "sandwich" dhoklas (I think they use rice in the batter!) with a thick layer of chutney in the middle.

Succulent and mild sweet Patras (made from Arabi Leaves).

...And of course loads of thick green chutney to die for.

All of it offered courteously in liberal portions with folded newspapers for plates! (yes this was an environment friendly, near-zero-carbon-foot-print meal with utmost care for recycling, water conservation and no need for soaps or detergents).

We polished everthing off without much ado while all of us fittingly stood on our Terra firma with a small and low stone-top table in front of us.

And yes, we could not resist pouring a thick blob of sweetish and thick green chutney even after finishing our princely meal.


Business philosophy of this joint was simple and so Gujarati. We cook good and fresh, you eat good and fresh. No frills, no tamasha, no overheads, and....no chairs. Only food & VFM. Eat and move-on. You have got work to do.

Seedhi Baat!!

The only person who had the privilege of a chair was the cashier-cum-owner-cum-Security Guard-cum Quality Supervisor who sat next to the row of numerous kadhais that were busy metamorphosing ordinary looking dough into tantalizing jalebis and alluring ganthiyas....And yes, nothing stayed preserved as inventory for more than a couple of minutes.

This was washed down by two 40 ml "cutting" chais that could not have got any sweeter...We expected our chai to be very sweet so we weren't surprised.

The entire hot-breakfast episode cost us Rs 55 and for once we were both equally keen on picking up the tab :-).....A far cry from our good old kadka days when we would walk half an extra mile for cheaper chai & samosas!

We ate and chatted about past in equal measure like there is no tomorrow and as our watches beeped 9, we drove back to work. Back tp our world of Power-point, Spreadsheets, Meetings, Targets & Deliverables (and Cappuchino with no sugar please !!)

Seems no amount of work-place inoculation and sytematic social nurturing by our adopted environments over the years of adulthood can take the "native" out of some of us.

Thanks Joydeep. Enjoyed the reunion with you after so many years, over an awesome desi breakfast!!! You haven't changed a bit...and I am glad.

If work never takes me back to Gujarat, food will...All the recommendations I gathered through my facebook thread have been preserved and will be used at an opportune time.

इडली Nirvana

My two lunches at Sarvana Bhavan-CP, and an interesting piece read on the Chain & its founder by NYT, all in quick succession this month, allowed me to go back to an old conversation on Facebook.
A conversation that almost made me conclude that there was a niche segment of vegetarian food erotica that was waiting to assert itself through its pioneer in me . Alas, the foodasm did not last long enough & the committment was almost forgotten in not time.

Until ofocourse the opportunity presented itself as an Idli Lunch Opportunity with my esteemed Senior Mr TV Ramachandran (providentially followed by another one the following week). While we discussed our respective memories of lunching in working class "tiffin" joints in Triplicane & rest of Chennai, I could not help going back to one of my most treasured conversations on the subject on Facebook (And long before Facebook really became fasionable!).

Here's to TVR ; & to JPS and Sanjeev with whom I enjoyed a couple of memorable idli meals last month who let me be by encouraging me to eat ghee-idlis in my favorite finger-lickin' way.

Reposting my ~5 year old note - Not much has changed since I first posted this though Sarvana Bhavan now predictably assumes the pole position amongst many worthy finalists, and Ratna Cafe (Chennai) deserves a hall-of-fame mention to correct the inexplicable miss the last time around.

----------------------------- (Reposted) -----------------------------
This is inspired by a chance discussion on the Facebook on something seemingly mundane. Mundane, unless you are wired to savor the flavor of every bite - as Subrat said during (the third course of) this discussion - “using all five senses”.

This blog, in the fitness of things, is dedicated to Subrat Padhi and Anjum Kapoor who were my co-travelers on this gratifying trip down the Idly alley. And of-course, to Shalini (my wife) whose experiments in cookery has kept me alive in more ways than one.......and to the finger-lickingly good idli-platter served at Banana Leaf - Andheri (W).......and finally, to the traditional variety served at Ramakrishna Lunch Home, near Southern Avenue - Kolkata.

How should Idlis be eaten was the question posed by Subrat to his Facebook friends.

We discovered over a couple of days of intense Face-booking, that there was no singular conclusion that could survive the heterodoxy of perspectives floating on this philosophically loaded question. And like all profound inquiries, this one too, (Anjum - I now completely realize), could inspire powerful arguments, forceful debates, fanatical reactions, syrupy verses, and sensuous expressions.


Here's taking the journey forward with "My 5 favourite Paths to Idli Nirvana" - in random order.

1.Separate (Sambar in a bowl, Idlis on your plate and a spoon & fork in your hands)

As Anjum passionately wrote on Subrat’s Wall – How should idlis be eaten ? “Definitely separately. How else will you get to experience the contrasts in textures , colors and tastes…the pristine sponginess of the idlis..the tart and peppery silkiness of the sambar ...and plop ...the heavenly coming together of both on your parched palate ...” . Thanks, Anjum for your prosaic brilliance. That in itself made many of us drool. And yes, we agree when you say that “food can inspire poetry and passion.”

Personally, to me this is Idli eaten "pan-cake style”. A popular, socially safe (and an emotion-deficient), cosmopolitan way of consuming idlis. Allows you to sit in an restaurant without embarrassing your spouse and kids (if you have a 9 year old, and an image-conscious spouse you will know what I mean!)

2.Soaked in sambar (eaten with a spoon, often like a “soup” with dumplings)

Popular in many old-school joints. A few commentators on Subrat’s wall concluded that this was the best way.

Idlis soaked in piping hot sambar served in a soup-bowl kind of dish or a regular plate (depending on the viscosity of sambar) – is a great way to have idlis, when hard pressed for time. Pre-soaking, allows sambar to permeate into the core of the fluffy idlis and fill the air bubbles with hot liquid.

The eater gets a taste of spicy sambar intertwined with the soggy solidity of idlis!!

(From memory, Behror mid-way restaurant (Delhi-Jaipur highway) used to serve it this way before they went for an unfortunate makeover)

3.Cocktail Idlis

Stir fried, small pieces of idlis (served as a cocktail snack) with minimum oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, finely chopped onions, green chillies, salt and a hint of turmeric. The traditional coconut chutney serves as a great dip. A better option than deep fried snacks and calorie-abundant wafers to go-around with the drinks. A very convenient city-avatar of the white magic, but not the real McCoy. Makes for an excellent cocktail snack / starter / appetizer / antipasti / farsaan / chakhna without too much of grease. Looks good too. You can either get mini idlis or cut large idlis into 6-8 pieces.

4.Fried Idli Chaat (Inspired by the famous Dilli ki Aloo Chat.)

You cut idlis vertically like thick finger chips, deep fry like the guys on Delhi streets fry potatoes. Leave it alone for a few minutes for the excess oil to drip off ; add chat masala, spicy dhania / pudina Chutney & Sweet Tamarind Chutney. Toss it up and serve with a sprinkling of chaat masala if you like. Worth doing once in a while, but not a classic.

5.And finally - Blended, Crushed, Mashed, Pulped, Pulverized, Pounded, ….call it anything……this - by any name, will taste heavenly..

My plea to Subrat was to do the Idlis my way. Here’s straight from my heart on the FB wall :

“Crush the soft steaming discs of white magic on a plate like Rajasthani Daal Baati Choorma. Add a spoonful of Desi Ghee. Have lava hot sambar poured over it..Use your deft fingers to caress the "choorma” till every molecule of idli, merges its identity with sambar. (Ghee playing the lubricant that eases the friction of two egos sacrificing their individuality, to unite as one supreme being)..

Spoon-scooped morsels of idli eaten like pancakes-with-maple-syrup can give you joy. But the hot, greasy and gooey mass eaten with fingers will grant you nirvana.

My plate of Idlis must represent a melting pot of diversity - where the sum is larger the parts added. Not a bowl of salad - where elements coldly co-exist - each awaiting personal glory from the gourmet.”

Facebook confession of my favorite style of enjoying an idli-meal may have cost me a few invites that could have potentially caused serious social embarrassment to the hosts. However it did earn me an honorable mention by Anjum on Subrat's Wall for what was termed as “exquisitely sensual finger play".

Thank you guys !! It was great fun !!

PS : My son, a foodie himself, is quite a disappointment when it comes to idlis!! He loves his portions mildly hot with cheese spread and tomato ketchup.

May a Million Dhoni's bloom!!

All the newspapers, magazines, & TV channels have been endlessly talking about the “Dhoni-from-small-town-Ranchi” phenomenon. There have been articles and cover-stories everywhere telling us how the sleepy towns from all the “un-cool” parts of India have suddenly woken up to the opportunities, that for years, were monopolized by the big-city dudes.

We have been over-fed with the success stories of Dhoni, Sreeshant, Narain Kartikeyan, Sunil Mittal, Priyanka Chopra, and many more who epitomise the inevitable take-over of the small-town boys & girls in all fields worthy of any popular attention.

A similar revolution is happening in business world that hardly gets talked about. A silent shift that will shape the way our offices (and America’s back-offices, may I add!) will look & feel in another 10 years!

Over the past four years, as a part of my job, I have had an opportunity to meet a large number of young boys & girls anxious to get their first big-break in life. And the small town phenomenon is catching up here too!!

Allow me to share some of my observations (and do share yours)-

A disproportionately large number of the new-economy entry-level jobs are going to boys & girls (yes, girls!) from places that you never had to spot on the map in your geography exam.

They come from all over the country- Cuttack, Behrampur, Hoogly, Azamgarh, Sikar, Sahebgunj, Nasik, Meerut, Badaun, Rohtak.

States like Orissa, Bihar, & Jharkhand – where the economic opportunities are fewer, naturally have a disproportionate representation.

They are reasonably good products of a bad-education system in their home states. Their hunger to make a mark, and determination to succeed - adequately covers up for inadequate “polish” & “finesse”. These kids are self-motivated & study hard - mostly on their own - to learn as much as they can! They continue to do so even at the workplace. They fear being left behind!

In general, they are very reserved and self-conscious about their backgrounds & limited English speaking skills.

They often do not make the cut for that "dream-big-company-job" but end up working as “on-contract or temp” resources with the very organizations they aspired to work for. After 1-2 years, the best amongst them get absorbed at the starting rung by the same companies, that over time, recognize and reward their hard work, experience and job-knowledge.

Those who make it, invariably do so with a healthy salary that their previous generation never dreamt of.

They are the heroes in their peer-group. They make their extended families, teachers (& postman!) back-home - proud! They also become role-models to their siblings, cousins, neighborhood kids and inspire them to have the big-city dream!!

They are extremely gritty, focused & hard-working and are willing to bust their butts – 7 days a week !

They seldom complain of having got a raw deal in life or seek sympathy. Honesty & integrity is significantly above national average! They are self-propelled and rarely crack under pressure. (There you go…NOW are beginning to see shades of Dhoni!)

Like most of us, they too love Priyanka's pout, Bipasha’s oomph, & Amitabh’s voice & ; and hate politicians, commercial-breaks, & slow internet connectivity.

They too buy mobile-phones with life-time validity for gifting to their parents & grand parents back-home!

It is not just the cricket fields that they have conquered…take a look, they are all around you - in the cafes, lounge bars, shopping malls, music stores, bowling alleys; on the pizza delivery scooters and even in the steel-and-glass offices…ready to work twice as hard as anybody. Willing to sacrifice their today – for a better tomorrow.

And in a few years, many WILL make it big! Some in their chosen professions, and a select few by turning entrepreneurs.

It is only a matter of time before there is a critical mass of success stories going around…and then the positive spiral will build...And there will be a million Dhonis writing an important chapter of India's economy....and surely - their hometowns'.

Jews on the Street & WASPs in the New England area ; Swaminathans, Sens & Raos in the Valley, Marwaris in Kolkata, Singh’s in Canada, and Patels everywhere…..they have all flourished with similar mindsets….(OK..I know the comparison is far fetched, somewhat incorrect and worth debating over, but I am sure you get the drift - "All underdog tribes with fire-in-their-bellies will eventually get prosperous, come what may)

Please look around…there is a garden of million Dhonis blooming…and don't forget to enjoy the defining sight !

....I will be back in a few years with my I-told-you-so rejoinder!