Aqua 2012

'Is this queue for Aqua 2012' I asked a lady waiting patiently and she nodded. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was after noon on a Saturday morning. I was at Matunga's Ruia college to check out the exhibition of rare fish. But when I reached there it was so crowded that the organizers had to close down the main doors of the college to keep the people out for some time. I turned back in disappointment.

Despite it being a Sunday, we reached the venue by 10am the next day. My calculation was spot on. There were hardly 4-5 early risers so the place looked practically deserted. The newspaper ad had said that on entry every visitor will be given a booklet containing information of exotic fish (entry fee was Rs 40 per person). But when I inquired about the same, the person at the booth handed over a 2 page pamphlet. I was certain I had seen some of yesterday's crowd carrying away a much bigger booklet. Maybe the organizers hadn't anticipated so many visitors and had run through their quota in the initial days.

The exhibition itself was well worth the 2 trips. Colors on some of the fish were so amazing that you couldn't help wonder who must have thought of them. The tanks looked clean and there was no 'fishy' smell that you usually come to associate with a fish enclosure. While we were there, a man came to feed the fish and it was delighting to see the tiny things gobble up food.

It was also heartening to see so many parents with kids in tow who waited patiently on both days to have a glimpse of the marine life. I just wish the organizers had done a much better job of crowd management. Hope to see many such exhibitions in the city in future.

Opening ourselves to our fullest potential

We Mumbaikars sure seem to have a love-hate relationship with monsoon. When the going gets tough because of intense heat we wait eagerly for the first raindrops. We celebrate the arrival of monsoon but as soon as the roads start flooding and traffic slows down, rain becomes public enemy No.1 :-)

I realized this once again when I left for office yesterday morning. There was a drizzle - too light to call it even that. Just before I stepped out of the apartment complex, I ran into a domestic help who seemed too cheerful for a Monday morning.  'Monsoon is here' she declared in Hindi as she smiled at me. I couldn't help but smile in return. After all, the overcast skies had melted my Monday morning blues.

Needless to say, I didn't open the Mint copy in my bag as I got into the bus. I fished out my Walkman and listened to the songs from the Golden Era as I looked out the wide windows of the AC bus and drank deeply from the blue skies full of pre-monsoon dark clouds.

Getting lost in a dream - the Belgian Waffle Kind

The Food Plaza in front of Croma (High Street Phoenix) has been closed for renovation for such a long time that lately I had begun suspecting if they have closed it off permanently. But the other day huge ice cream parlors run by Haagen Dazs and Ice Cream Works greeted me as I walked in there. Whosoever has managed to walk past without giving in to such temptations should be lauded for possessing superhuman mind control. Such control, however, is not my claim to fame. So, I walked in to a paradise, yet again!

Everything on the menu sounded too good to pass. But I had to start somewhere so I ordered Belgian Waffle Dream. I won't go into the details but I guess if dreams are made of such yummy stuff, I never want to wake up again :-)

I had a chance to try neighboring Ice Cream Works' Peach Nutella last week, mostly because I wanted to try a healthier desert and I liked the sound of 'Frozen Yogurt'. Sadly, the same yogurt left a sour taste – literally and figuratively – in my mouth. Maybe I should have tried the one with Honey cornflakes and honey sauce. Maybe next time, if I dare to walk in again.

Khauk Swe or Khao Soi - what's in a name?

I had grieved a lot when Noodle Bar discontinued their sumptuous buffet. I had come to love the mousse and fried noodles with vanilla ice-cream, not to mention its various main courses. But faced with the choice of eating yet again at TGIF or Manchester United or Komala's or God forbid, at McDonald's, I had to step in there a few days back. Browsing the menu for something different to eat, I came across Khauk Swe – otherwise known as 'Khao Soi'. Should I or shouldn't I – a million dollar question that would decide whether I would savor whatever would be placed in front of me with delight or reluctance. Feeling adventurous, I did order it and was glad to have done so.

A delectable curry full of tiny pieces of tender chicken and a rich taste of coconut milk in every bite. Couple it with a bowlful of boiled noodles. Add chopped spring onion, coriander, fried crispy onions, fried crispy garlic cloves, a twist of lemon juice and a sprinkling of peanuts. And top it off with a fistful of fried noodles. Am I in heaven or what? You have to eat it to believe it.

I later tried the same dish at Asia7 as well but I would prefer the one served at Noodle Bar any day. And I hope there are many days like that :-)

I have been never known as a gadget freak but some toys on these lists sure sound tempting:

Enhance Your MobileExperience

17 Awesome Accessories

Looks like I have been 'Missing In Action' on this blog again for sometime now. The Notes section of my mobile is overflowing with sites I came across while reading magazines or newspapers, events that I wanted to write about and random thoughts that I wanted to jt down before they faded into oblivion. So here goes.....

One recent article in Mint talked about http://weeerecycle.in/ - I checked the site just to find out if there is any e-waste collection center in Mumbai. Funnily enough – centers in Mumbai and Pune are lumped together under 'Collection centers in Pune'. I will spend the rest of my day nursing the bruised ego of a Mumbaikar ;-)

Wanna find out what 'Citizen Journalism' means? Check out http://www.citizenmedianetwork.org/.

For the records, I am using an SMS pack option provided by my mobile service provider for many months now without bothering to find out if that's the best fit for my call and SMS usage or not. But now, I am getting tempted to check out http://www.komparify.com/search/topups just to be sure. Now, as far as changing the option using the service provider's customer support is concerned, that's a different ball-game altogether – one that I doubt I will ever come to enjoy :-(