Swapnagandha's World: 1/12/14

Friday, January 17, 2014

Supernatural

The latest episode of season 9 (that was aired after what looked like an eternity!) turned out to be a mixed bag of goodies. On the positive side, Castiel getting back into his angel avatar (though sans wings!) as against a clueless angel walking in a human form was a sight for the sore eyes. I had especially come to hate his stupid grin! And of course, it was heartening to see Gadreel getting cast out of Sam. For a moment there I was afraid that the fight between Crowley and Gadreel is going to tear Sam to pieces.

But it was painful to watch a recap of Kevin getting dispatched :-( The poor kid really got a raw deal. Plus, if what Metatron says is to be believed, then we are unlikely to see any more prophets making a grand appearance anytime soon. So much so for recruitment in the 'Good Guys' camp. Looks like at least for now, Sam, Dean and Castiel are on their own. Speaking of the good guys, it was disappointing to watch Crowley walk free. That said, a confession is in order :-) It is getting difficult to hate this king of demons - after all he does keep his promises and has a sense of humor I wouldn't have expected in someone who has been through hell. :-)

However, I didn't quite get why Dean had to walk away from Sam at the end of the episode. They work better as a team and I seriously hope that they get back together soon and punish Metatron for creating all this mess.

BTW, are we likely to see God coming back to heaven anytime this season? :-)

I am sure there is a Patron Saint somewhere for those of us who aren't born with the proverbial green thumb. Or else I wouldn't have seen these beauties in my balcony's garden :-)

Books For A Rainy Day

Logan's Run

Brunelleschi's Dome by Ross King

If you have ever wondered about the state of the education system in this country, do check out this article by Anurag Behar - A Day On The Road.

A Super Market Users' Guide for My Fellow Indians

1. First and foremost, a Super Market is a place for getting shopping done and NOT A PICNIC SPOT. So STOP treating it as such. In other words, don't bring your entire family to go grocery shopping.

2. Decide beforehand what you need to buy. Making a shopping list is not rocket science. You might enjoy a family discussion in front of the cereal isle. Others don't.

3. Don't use shopping cart as a battering ram to move through crowded areas. Remember that you are not the only one with a shopping cart.

4. Make your purchase and step aside quickly so others can go ahead with their purchase. If you feel a strong urge to ponder over a thorny philosophical issue, do so in the privacy of your living room and not in the Juice, Chips or Biscuit isles.

5. Please note that those who are patiently standing in a queue in front of the guy who weighs fruits and veggies aren't doing so because they don't have anything else to do in their lives. YOU ARE SUPPOSED to stand behind those who came before you. In case you don't know, it is called First-Come-First-Served.

6. When picking up veggies or fruits, don't behave as if the Armageddon is upon us and you and your loves ones will starve to death if you don't pick anything soon.

7. YOU ARE SUPPOSED to stand in queue at the Checkout Counter. YOU ARE SUPPOSED to stand in queue at the Checkout Counter. YOU ARE SUPPOSED to stand in queue at the Checkout Counter.

8. Please note that the guy at the Checkout Counter is not going to process things any faster even if you stand so close to the person in front of you to be called his/her Siamese Twin. If you have never heard the term 'Personal Space', please go check it on the internet.

9. Kindly have your membership card, credit card or cash in hand as soon as the guy starts to process your grocery - especially if you are a woman and happen to carry a purse that has infinite number of pockets. The patience of the person standing next to you in the queue is inversely proportional to the number of pockets that you have to rummage through to get these items out.

10. Please keep your views about the inflation in the country to yourself. Airing them at the checkout counter is going to do nothing to bring it down.

11. Bring your own carrybags or pay for them. Arguing about it is really not going to get you anywhere.

12. And finally, for the love of God, after you have paid, checked the receipt and got the grocery bagged, move away from the counter and take your empty cart with you.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

National Defence Academy Revealed!

Set a reminder for 9pm this Sunday and tune in to the Discovery Channel to know all about the National Defence Academy. For more information, check this page.

Mahalakshmi Saras 2014

I am looking forward to the weekend because I have planned a trip to the MMRDA ground at Bandra Reclamation. Why? To visit Mahalakshmi Saras 2014 of course! I visited it for the first time last year and felt like a child let loose on Treasure Island. The exhibition seemed to have rows and rows of stalls selling cosmetic jewellery, trinkets, Kurtis and of course eatables. They even had a special food court, which, though left a lot to be desired when it came to the hygiene department, more than made up for it in terms of the sheer variety of dishes on offer.

In case you want to visit, please note that it will be held during 16-27 January, 10am-10pm.

Farmers' Market, Maharashtra Nature Park

'A farmers' market? In Mumbai?' That was my first reaction when I came to know about it through a program on NDTV Good Times. Actually I caught the tail-end of that program so didn't learn much except for the fact that the market is held in Maharashtra Nature Park. I searched on the net and found that it is held on every Sunday during specific months of the year. For more information, check the following sites:

http://farmersmarket.co.in/
http://chuzailiving.wordpress.com/2013/11/14/organic-farmers-market-mumbai-maharashtra-nature-park/

I plan to go check it sometime this month. So watch this space for a full report with photographs.