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Low effort, feels almost healthy!

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Low effort, feels almost healthy! I decided to make a chunky vegetable soup for lunch, the kind that fills you up, but does not swish like waves in your stomach, forcing you to lie in a horizontal position with your mind lost in vague dreams the whole afternoon . The only occupants of the fridge - corn, carrots and tomatoes, stared back at me. Fortunately, an easy soup, it did not require several varied steps or processes. What it however, involved, was peeling, washing, chopping, sauteing the vegetables and aromatics. It was a long time before I could add the spices, water and let it cook. My hands went in autopilot mode, but the mind wandered. What if one does not feel like going on a culinary adventure, has no sous-chef to prep or wants a quick-fix solution? Naturally, my mind turned to instant soups. Yes, I have tried a few different brands and have my favourites. But no, I am not naming them unless they pay me. And my greater joy is in sharing my new-found gyan about thes...
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Age-Old Colours of Devotion

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Age-Old Colours of Devotion Sharad Purnima (the Autumn full moon),  Nathdwara painting,  National Museum of Asian Art,  Smithsonian Institution I hope life has been treating you all kindly since I last wrote. It is Janmashtami today, the birthday of Lord Krishna. Long ago, when Mani was posted in Varanasi, my three and a half-year old woke up on Janmashtami morning, delighted to know there was no school. “Why?” he asked. “Because it’s Bhagwan Krishna’s birthday,” I said. Only very recently had he discovered that birthday meant cake, junk food, colas, and his best friend Siddharth. The idea that God’s birthday could exist without a ‘budday paaty’ baffled him. I tried explaining that we humans celebrate it for Him, but he wasn’t having it. By noon, I was tired and out of arguments, and then God Himself came to my rescue. Mani called to say we were invited to the evening Janmashtami celebrations at the RPF (Railway Protection Force) barracks. That was a big weigh...
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Bhutan Diary - 3 last Postal Museum, Shopping

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Bhutan Diary - 3 last Last Notes in a Himalayan Reverie Bhutanese fold dances The past two Saturdays, I dragged you along on the first two hectic days of our Bhutan trip. Day three was the birthday we had actually come for, a much more relaxed affair. Some of us made the most of the spa, others vanished into the worlds conjured by their books, while a few chose the noble pursuit of sleep like there was a medal to win. In the forenoon, a group went to a small Buddhist temple nearby to light lamps in prayers and gratitude, and look at everything from a close range. The hotel had been asked to arrange a picnic lunch and the cloudy afternoon was spent in the lap of nature, by the side of a rivulet. We were not alone; it seemed Sunday is the day of relaxing for others too. At several places men could be seen practising archery, the national sport of Bhutan. Photo taken with the group's permission We had a visitor in the evening, a Bhutanese astrologer. I shall refrain from comment...
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Bhutan Diary-2 Dochu La, Punakha Dzong, riverwater rafting

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Bhutan Diary-2 From Dochu La to Datshi- High Passes and Deep Flavours Dochu La pass Last Saturday, I shared the beginning of our recent trip to Bhutan, including a visit to Rinpung Dzong on our very first day. The next morning, our group split into two: the enthusiastic explorers, and those who preferred to take it slow. I joined the first lot, eager to soak it all in like blotting paper, and in the process, thoroughly tested the limits of my limbs. We began the day with a drive to Dochu La. (Incidentally, I’ve noticed that La , in all languages influenced by Tibetan, means pass .) It took us about half an hour to reach the pass located at an elevation of 3,100 metres. We were told that snow-clad Mt Masang Kang and Mt Gangkar Puensum, the mountain peaks of the Himalayas, can be seen to the east of the pass, but it was not to be. It was foggy and an occasional rain-drop would fall, so, we climbed up the few steps to the memorial built with the backdrop of tall, evergreen cypress...
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