WSD Book and Garage Sale from Feb 26- March 1, 2014 at Girgaum, near Opera House

WSD is having a BOOK & GARAGE SALE from February 26, 2013 to March 1, 2014 (Wednesday to Saturday) from 10 am to 9 pm.

Venue : LAXMI BAUG HALL, Avantikabai Gokhale Road, (Auto Spare Parts Market Lane), Off Lamington Road, Near Opera House, Girgaum, Mumbai

On Sale -Books, Vases, Crockery, Cutlery, Paintings, Kitchenware, Toys, Knick knacks, Artefacts, Glassware,Clothes, LPs, CDs, DVDs, Gift Items at Throw Away Prices.

Come to think of it, in the beginning I had dismissed 'Elementary' because a female Dr. Watson with oriental looks was something akin to a culture shock. But I find myself becoming a fan of Sherlock and Dr. Watson with each successive episode. The way they solved the case of robbery of the 200 phones was simply brilliant!

Ah, but a couple of episodes back Mrs. Hudson turned up as Ms. Hudson, and that too in a rather fashionable attire, very different from her homely Baker Street avatar. She seems to have shaved off quite a few years from her age too. And her chief occupation was described as a 'Kept Woman'. Ouch! There are only so many shocks that we viewers can take.

I am afraid poor Sir Arthur Conan Doyle mustn't have stopped turning in his grave :-(

Sometimes I wonder how the ministers can sleep at night. Hell! If I have even one unfinished task left at the end of the day, I feel restless as I go to bed. But then that's just me. You can stop any 'Aam Aadmi' on any street of any city in India and he or she will be able to rattle off a list of problems that have been plaguing the country since time immemorial. And yet, the government is inaction and lethargy personified.

Sample this - according to a web tool unveiled by the Planning Commission, the country's energy imports will quadruple by 2027 from its 2012 level of Rs 7 trillion if the country doesn't put in place policies to moderate consumption and reduce dependence on overseas suppliers. (Source: Energy imports to quadruple in 2027 if policy, use don't change)

Knowing both - how the government moves at a pace that will put a snail to shame and also the could-not-care-less attitude of us Indians - I am pretty sure that this dire prediction will prove to be an optimistic one in hindsight. :-(

For Whom The Bell Tolls

'He did not deserve to die like this' said brother of Commander Kapish Muwal who perished in the fire on board the INS Sindhuratna along with Lieutenant Manoranjan Kumar. He is right, not a single member of our armed forces deserves to die like this. Nor do good Admirals like Admiral Joshi deserve to go out like this. But then for people like the Defense minister A.K. Antony this makes little difference. I seethed when I read what he had to say about Admiral Joshi's state of mind when he resigned:

He was totally upset about the whole development. He said he would like to take the whole responsibility, so he requested me to accept his resignation with immediate effect. (Source: CAG warned Navy was losing edge on procurement delays). How very convenient for you Mr. Minister!

Wish he had acted this promptly when the CAG report pointed out the following:

- The systems costing Rs. 3.68 Cr were yet to be installed. (2008-2009 report)
- The systems have remained idle for three years and their warranty period has expired. (2008-2009 report)
- The spares requirement of the Chariot crafts (used for attacking harbor facilities and sabotaging enemy ships) are being met by cannibalizing spares from 3 Chariots converted for the purpose, thereby hampering the operational capability.
- Several operational assets are functioning sub-optimally with their obsolescent equipment or unproven modifications (2010-20011 report)

It's no secret that we are surrounded by hostile countries like Pakistan and China who would not waste a moment in taking advantage of the situation if they see that we are vulnerable enough. And if recent global events are anything to go by, the rest of the world will just look on.

Will the government stop dragging its feet and get on with the modernization of our fleet before the enemy is at the door? Or do we citizens have to start gathering in the city squares in support of our armed forces?

I hope the "so-called" Defense minister realizes that he is able to sleep soundly in his luxurious quarters at night because scores of fine officers are toiling in rough conditions as they guard the nation's borders. It's time to hear the bell tolling - it tolls for us.

Leave The Indian Army Alone

Needless to say, I fully agree with the columnist.

All Through The Night - Mary Higgins Clark

The novel was so small that at first I suspected it to be one half of a 2-part novel. So I checked the front and the back just to be sure. Didn't want to troupe back to the library the next day to change it. While I was at it, I read the synopsis on the back cover. Looked like the story was about Alwirah and Willy - my two favorite characters from the novel 'The Lost Years'. That was reason enough to check it out.

And I am glad to see that Mary Higgins Clark didn't disappoint me one bit. :-)

The story begins around Christmas time. Alwirah's sister-in-law is running an after-school shelter where kids from less-privileged families are looked after every evening till their parents come to pick them up. But the city authorities are hell-bent on closing it down citing the building's old structure. Just then Bessie, someone who Alwirah and Willy both know, dies and leaves her home to her younger sister, Kate, who decides to use part of it for the after-school shelter. But the Bakers, who have been Bessie's tenants, blow up her plans when they produce a more recent will by Bessie that leaves the house to them. Alwirah suspects that the will produced by them is phoney and sets about the business of proving it so.

The Father at the local church has his own puzzle to solve. Who is the mystery woman who has been hanging around his church every day? And what does she want? Is she the same woman who called up asking about a baby that she left on the steps of the rectory seven years back? He is sure there was no baby found seven years ago but the odd thing is that one of the church's important relics, a chalice, was stolen on the same night.

It's a sheer delight to read how Alwirah, with Willy's help, manages to solve both mysteries and bring much-needed Christmas cheer to everyone. This is a must-read for any fan of the Meehan couple.

Fountain Sizzler, Flora Fountain

You just don't casually drop in to have a sizzler. It's a craving - for the steaming chunks of veggies, for the succulent French fries and for the tender pieces of chicken (or lamb, for those of us who are fond of red meat!) dripping with the sauce of your choice - that makes you decide to go for it as soon as you get up in the morning. I had such a craving over the weekend and so I headed to Fountain Sizzler, my most favorite place when it comes to having sizzlers.

Flora Fountain, Mumbai

I think they have changed their menu a bit because I don't remember seeing the 'Teppan Grill' section before but then it has been many months since I last went there. Frankly, I couldn't figure out how any choices under 'Teppan Grill' were any different than the ones under the 'Sizzler' section. So, we decided to order one from each - Sizzling Chicken With Cheesy Garlic Sauce and Teppan Grill - Chicken.

My first attempt to click photos were unsuccessful because both the dishes were emitting enough steam to put any steam engine to shame. You have to wait till things cool down a bit unless you are fond of getting your tongue and the rest of the inside of your mouth burnt. :-)

Sizzling Chicken With Cheesy Garlic Sauce

At first, I suspected that the chicken breast in the sizzler wasn't thoroughly cooked because it was taking quite an effort to cut it up into chunks. But when I popped it in mouth, it seemed tender as usual. I didn't want to waste time solving this mystery because the crispy veggies like carrots, beans and cauliflowers (yep, the same ones that I cannot stand in any of their normal avatars!) plus the golden bars of French fries looked absolutely tempting! Of course, I could have done with some more cheese and some more garlic in the sauce. But that didn't make the dish any less tasty.

Teppan Grill - Chicken

We had asked for the Teppan Grill to be served on the bed of fried rice.Though it had almost the same ingredients - meat and vegetables - the sauce had a distinct oriental flavor to it. Plus there were two large leaves of cabbage (another vegetable that I can normally go to any lengths to avoid eating!), loads of sprouts and fried bits of some green vegetable (spinach or green spring onion - I am not sure which). The miracle was that the chef had managed to take all these healthy-looking things and turn them into a delectable offering! I am sure this Teppan Grill thing is going to be my favorite :-)

Post lunch, a stroll along the road leading to Kala Ghoda is a must. It seemed like they were selling just about everything there - books, mobile covers, purses, wallets, sun glasses, fridge magnets, key chains, bracelets, CDs and toys. It was an effort to tear myself away from the stalls selling magnets and books.

A tall Caramel Frappuccino at Starbucks was a perfect way to end this outing!

Duty - Memoirs Of A Secretary At War

You live in the city and think that the lot of the women has improved in India. You think that you have freedom of choice, you can shape your own life and take your own decisions. Then some article in a newspaper talks about the plight of women in the hinterlands and you think 'it could have easily been me'. Today I came across two such articles in the Mint:

Child Marriages Untying The Knot

Victims Of Superstition

Sometimes I wonder if this country even deserves women :-(