Scuba dive to life & bliss

         



                      " The world's finest wilderness lies beneath the waves " - Wyland

Goa is my most favourite holiday destination in the country. I fell in love with the lush groves, panoramic waters and the laid back way of life, when I set my foot here almost 2 decades back. Yes, I came to Goa as a child and it has been a big part of my life ever since. I have been here at least once in  two years and would want to continue this tradition for the rest of my life.

Being an adventure junkie, I have had tried almost all kinds of water sports in Goa - paragliding, jet ski, banana boat ride to name a few. This time SCUBA DIVING is on my bucket list. Ever since I saw the underwater scene in "ZINDAGI MILEGI NA DOBARA", I am just mesmerized by the life deep down.

Goa is an ideal place for such adventure sports especially scuba diving. The absence of riptide currents makes Goa safe for such sports. The ideal season is from October to April where underwater visibility is between 5-10 m. The depth of water is generally 3- 30 m and the water temperature is around 27- 30 degrees making the diving very comfortable.

" Diving is an investment of time and money but rewards can be life changing, literally " - Andy Cummings.

Once inside the waters, Snappers, angelfish, tuna, batfish, sergeant majors are a few of fish that one could spot. In addition to the amazing corals and marine life, Goan waters have large numbers of ship wrecks including the Portugal and Spanish galleons and world war 2 wrecks. Reportedly, there are around thousand unexplored wrecks and you could be lucky to spot one !


One should be normally fit to indulge in scuba diving. It should always be done in the presence of an instructor. Knowing swimming would be an added advantage but is not mandatory. There are quite a few school for scuba diving in Goa, MOJHI being the biggest marketplace for adventure sports. You will be imparted training before hitting the waters. The important equipments for scuba diving includes a special suit, a mask, fins, regulator, buoyancy compensator and a snorkel. Also, a portable medical kit is a part of the equipment.


So, this October, book a scuba diving session and be perplexed and bewildered by the breathtaking beauty underneath. After all,

" A picture is worth a thousand words, underwater ones are worth at least a million " - Stephan Frink

If DDLJ Was remade by Ekta kapoor

There are some movies which enjoy the cult status and to just imagine it being remade is sort of criminal. Remember how Ramgopal Verma spoiled the best entertainer ever made in Bollywood, the epic SHOLAY.

Imagine if Soap Queen Ekta Kapoor plans to remake our favourite love story "Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge" starring  superstar Shahrukh khan and Kajol. And  whom does she pick to play the lead roles.....any guesses?? Salman khan some would say or maybe Ranveer Singh for the main lead whereas Priyanka Chopra, Deepika or even Katrina Kaif could play the leading lady. Going by the past, it's difficult to even imagine the obvious. EKTA being Ekta will alway do the unpredictable like casting Living legend Rajnikant for the role of Raj while opting for the gorgeous Sunny Leone to play Simran. Now, let the drama unfold.

So, Raj aka Rajnikant meets Sunny babe on Chennai express while going to the same jungles where slain sandalwood smuggler Veerappan once lived. Why these jungles, you may want to know? Going by EKTA's  reputation, what can you expect from someone who made Ragini MMS  and Krishna cottage. Now, the iconic shot of Raj giving his hand to Simran to help her board the the moving train.....Rajni gives his hand to Sunny, who manages to catch it but leaves it twice before grabbing it the third time ( remember the saas bahu serials where each important shot is shown thrice- kya, kya, kya ) . And about the famous bedroom scene where Raj convinces Simran that she kissed him last night in the inebriated state. Rajnikant tells the just woken up Sunny that she kissed him last night to scare the shit out of her....and when he turns back to look at her, there's a snake (Icchadhari naagin or shape shifting snake) swooning " Tujhe dekha toh yeh jaana sanam". Oh! And I am not done yet!!
Ekta gets Aamir to play "BAUJI", "oh! Teri, jaa jee le apni zindagi "  becomes the tag line of the movie. Kareena  kapoor was initially roped in to do the role of Preeti, originally played by Mandira Bedi. She lays a certain conditions to do the part as in - there should be atleast 1 sizzling item number  in the movie so that the audiences only remember her and not the "heroine" Sunny Leone like in Dabangg 2 where her "fevicol" song outshone everyone. But now that she is preggers and it's difficult gyrating to an item song she opts out. The original is out and lookalike is in. Yes, the small wonder Alia Bhat now plays the demure and docile Preeti. She has a question - whom do I get to romance, Aamir or Rajnikant? Haha 

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Marching my way into culinary delights @ 38 Barracks

38 Barracks ! Does the word ring a bell? Ding ding ding....Well, yes & very proudly so. It reminds us of our glorious Army and THE REAL HEROES.

                     " Some people make their parents proud but few make their country proud "

38 barracks, located in the heart of the capital at Connaught Place or CP as it is fondly called, takes its inspiration from the great heritage and timeless traditions of our army. As I make my way into the restaurant, I am amazed by the skillfully done decor. It is festooned with the memorabilia of an army man. The medals, trophies, rifles, souvenirs, photographs transporting you into a world reminiscent of bravery, integrity, candor and uprightness.

I was a part of the food bloggers group invited for chef tasting menu curated by Michelin recommended chef Gautam Choudhry. We were welcomed by pretty as a picture amuse bouche which is essentially a bite sized appetizer served according to chef's selection. It had a piece of watermelon dressed with Cream cheese and balsamic caviars.

As for drinks, I opted for the very delightful Banta which comes in three flavours - kala khatta, blueberry and raspberry.  I tried kala khatta, which was a winner hands down and blueberry was also good.

We were served an array of delectable starters like the mirchi vada which was made to perfection. I love spicy stuff and I relished it completely.

Next was beet root galouti kebabs which to my amusement did not have that peculiar beet root-y smell or taste. It's a great way to feed kids the veggies they detest. 

Corn tarts were my favourite along with panner tikka barrels. The delicate and succulent tart was balanced by the tangy corn. Yummm!!!  The paneer tikka stuffed with dried fruits is easily the bestest I have had so far. Take my word for it, it's a sure shot hit.


There were a lot of non veg starters like chicken satay, mutton kebabs served as well.

Much to my delight,  we were served the biggest burger I had ever seen. It was almost thrice the size of an average burger and could easily be enough for 2-3 people. The bun was soft and the patty was very flavourful and luscious.

And as everyone knows, life is too short to say no to desserts. I opted for two of them - a baked pie stuffed with rasogulla and served with Icecream along with my favourite melt-in-the-mouth brownie with vanilla icecream. Need I say more!!! 

And as the saying goes "people who love to eat are always the best people". Loved meeting you all Vickrham, Nora, Sonalini, Aditi, Saumya and Chavvi.

Book Review - My Tarot Something else by Nisha Mehta

                   
                        " Tarot tells what you need to know and not what you want to know"

As a student of science, I am a very practical & "matter of fact" person and would never believe in astrology or birth charts and so did Nisha Mehta, the author of the book "My tarot Something Else". Yes ! She didn't initially but destiny had something else planned for her and here she is as not only a leading tarot reader but as an author of a book on tarot too...strange! Isn't it ? 

               "When your destination is confirmed, a path will appear, the journey will begin".

I personally believe that as we get older, the problems and difficulties that come along, lead us to the occult sciences or "knowledge of the hidden". We all want to seek answers to the questions pertaining to the future. 
       
      "When honesty is not corrupted, faith is not disrupted, the journey will be uninterrupted"

 I received the book around 3 pm and as I opened the packet, I was intrigued by the cover of the book. It had a young women walking alone immersed in her thoughts and I could so easily relate to her. It's your journey and you have to walk alone......


                                               "A thoughtful decision eliminates the confusion"


           This book by Nisha Mehta is a beginners guide to tarot. Tarot is an assimilation of 78 cards consisting of MAJOR ARCANA & MINOR ARCANA. Major Arcana are 22 cards numbered from 0-21 which relate to major events in life. Minor Arcana are a set of 56 cards represented by 4 suits with 14 cards each  - 10 pip cards + 4 court cards. These denote daily and regular life events. This book explains each card in a precise and in depth manner. The author also throws lights on related topics like the key to reading cards, how to spread them, interpreting tarot among others. 


                                              "Success starts with a series of sacrifices"


In the preface, the author tells us about her journey as a tarot reader, the roller coaster ride and how she stands vindicated.


If you are fasinated by tarot and want to know more, My tarot something else comes as a handbook of sorts. An interesting read and highly recommended to someone who wants to know the nuances of tarot. 

Ratings - 4.5/5

Food Trail at The Addams House

I have always been an aficionado of Fairytales since my childhood. Fairytales are generally set in on an idyllic castle and picturesque palaces. Why am I discussing the details of a childhood fave when we are here to talk about the FOOD BLOGGER'S MEET @ THE ADDAMS HOUSE. Well,the answer lies in this picture below.

pic

Doesn't it remind you of a castle? I gazed at the greyishish black exteriors as I made my way into the restaurant. I exchanged pleasantries with the fellow bloggers & introduction with a few. As I placed myself comfortably, I looked around for a 360 degrees view. It was a biggish space with a very idiosyncratic and quirky sophistication. On the open bricked wall were pictures of The Addams Family which were a bit offbeat and whacky. All in all an appealing site with the bar taking the centerstage. A delight for my Drinker buddies...hahaha.

Whacky n Quirky

The Addam Family

We were served the chef's special menu and so started our food trail. We were served ADDAM'S DRAGON POPCORN in chocolate flavour which were treated with nitrogen making it crispier, CHAKHNA WAKHNA which was essentially an assortment of salad with black chana, rajmah and chickpeas mixed with onion, tomatoes and spices, RAJMA CHAWAL BALLS which were fried and served with garlic tomato chutney, CHILLI ROASTED GARLIC AND CHEESE POPPERS and MOLECULAR SPHERES WITH TITBIT. The non vegetarians had a few more options apart from these. I especially liked the rajma chawal balls and chilli roasted garlic and cheese poppers which were so melt in the mouth and flavourful.

We were served an array of drinks which included MOJITO (my favourite), BHOOT which was a rum based drink, WANDERLUST was essentially a vodka based concotion, RASPERRY COOLER which was a combination of raspberry with orange,HAZELNUT CHEESECAKE SHAKE which as the name suggests is a cheescake in shake form which was divine.

The chef dished out some amazing stuff like KULCHA  PIZZAZ  which were kulchas laced with cheese, SUSHI ROLLS,  spiced beetroot patties with cheese and mayo in the form of GIVE ME RED and not to forget the HORNY COWBOY which is a wood oven pizza overloaded with onions, mushrooms, jalapeno's, kidney beans and cheese.

The Addam's house serves Tex-Mex too and I relished the COTTAGE CHEESE TACOS & VEGGIDILLA.

And now the best part, digging my teeth into some sinful treats - HAZELNUT ROYAL CRACKLE, GULABARI CHEESECAKE and RABRI JMUN IN A JAR. I devoured all these three and transported myself into gastonomical paradise literally. Hmmmmmm!!

Food makes a great companion and so does foodies. It was a pleasure to share my table with Vickrham, Ishleen, Jasjeet , Vinayak Bali, Charu Singhal, Paresh Gupta & Shikha Gupta.

Lavender Love

Hey !!! Have you ever thought ..... What is the colour of love? Red .....u say promptly. Errr maybe pink...Most people associate these two colours with love. That's the reason we generally wear reds on Valentine's day.  For me Lavender is the colour of love....it's dreamy, classy and oh-so-elegant. English Lavender is a treat for sore eyes.

Here, I have teamed my Lavender skirt with black tunic. Though Lavender looks equally great with white and is a awesome combo for these sunny days. Black adds charm and character to this beautiful skater skirt from faballey.  I wore a dull oxidised gold neckpiece and black pumps with it.  
Would love to hear from you.....what say guys!!!!

Black tunic - jabong
Lavender skater skirt - faballey
pumps - fashionandyou
Necklace- 20 dresses
Bag - Louis Vuitton

E Yum - Oh so yumm !

After a very busy last week, I got a breather. All I wanted now was to sit back, relax and dig my teeth into something rich and cheesy ( no puns intended ). And what better than cheese dripping lasagne..... I  called E Yum, a home delivery joint and ordered immediately. In 30 minute, my order was delivered. Bingo !!!!

I love lasagne and this one baked to perfection. This melt in the mouth delicacy was full of veggies and layered with cheese. Next time when ordering for food, try lasagne which happens to be their signature dish as well.

Then, there was Pasta in creamy white sauce. Pasta is kind of comfort food for me and I love to eat it sitting on my couch. Though, I like the tangy arabiatta sauce, I asked for the white sauce one as my kids relish it. The penne was Al- dente,  the way I like it. The sauce had loads of garlic and herbs and was of the desired consistency. Another  winner.

And the last item that I ordered was a Veg Indian thalidomide. ..though I must confess, I am not a thali person and never really opt for it. I wanted to try it coz summer vacations are on and lot of women complaint that they cannot visit their parents home in another city as to who will cook for hubby or how would he eat "outside" food for weeks. This is a perfect alternative as the food is like a simple home cooked meal. It had dal, paneer bhurji, sukhe aloo, rice, chapattis and salad. It was cooked in minimal oil and had adequate spices to suit every palate.

E yum is a Gurgaon based take away/ delivery outlet which offers Continental, Italian, Chinese fare. It is also listed on Zomato.

The Luncheon at The Janpath Grill House

Last Friday, I was invited to a food blogger's meet at the newly opened Barbeque joint, JANPATH GRILL HOUSE located in the heart of the city. As I reached the venue, a tricoloured  name plate greeted me....wow!

And then there was a half auto as a help desk, which looked rather cute and quirky. Inside, the decor was simple yet tasteful. The restaurant is spread across two floors and has a laid back warm vibe to it. The highlight of the decor was a handpainted wall depiciting the essence of  "Saadi Dilli ". Have a look :)

As we seated ourselves comfortably, we were served drinks - Gur ka sharbat, hajmola ka gola and aam ki shikanji. Well, all three had distinct taste but Aam ki shikanji had an edge over others. It was something I had not tasted before...neither it tasted like aam panna or any other mango drink nor like shikanji ( which is essentially a lime based drink).

As is the concept with barbeque joints, there was a live grill on the table. An array of kebabs and tikkas were served. Being a vegetarian, I went for the achari paneer tikka, beetroot kabab, which were sumptous. The non vegetarians options included fish, chicken and prawns.

We were also served my personal favorite golgappe,which were baked and styled beautifully. Also, got to see another innovative recipe, the MOLECULAR CHAAT. The executive chef, Tarun Chanana, himself demonstrated the process. Here, dahi and bhallas are immersed in liquid nitrogen ( which has a temperature of - 200 degrees and freezes everything which comes in contact ) for a few seconds. It freezes the curd and bhallas, making it super crispy. Enjoy !

A live pasta counter dished out pasta according to your tastebuds...I happened to taste the "melt in your mouth" cheessey pasta as well as the "tangy" penne in Arabiatta sauce. Both were very good.

There were ample choices for the vegetarians in the main course. Paneer butter masala, Dal makhni and Rajma were really good. You could smell the fresh aroma of spices, simmered to perfection.

Ab kuch meetha ho jaye .... there was phirni, which had a smooth texture and was subtle with just about perfect amount of sugar. Gulab Jamun was like any other you get at regular sweet shops. The rose flavoured kulfi was perfect to round a scrumptious meal.

Though, i missed a chocolate based dessert, i was told the menu changes everyday. The price for the buffet is as

All in all, had a great time with friends from the fraternity and bonded over some great conversation and equally good food. So, next time, you are planning meet friends over drinks and dinner....head over to Janpath Grill House.