Five years ago, back when I was still a very poor, almost perpertually broke high school student in Singapore on a measly scholarship that seemed sufficient to keep me happy (surprisingly, in retrospect), I used to make light of having a financial safety net. I would make merry at the beginning of the term when our bank balances were flush with  ( Read more... )

A tad premature though it may be, to reminisce upon the year that has been, I foresee myself being thoroughly occupied closer to the very end of the year and the defining year that this year has been for me, exactly as I'd expected at the beginning of the year, it deserves a fitting closing address. It has been a long and mixed bag of a year, but a ( Read more... )

The Chinese are finicky about their kind of food. Much like Indians, they're not very fond of people improvising and making fusion versions of their cuisines. Oh admit it, all you Indians/Chinese, we love to scoff at the anglicized versions of spicy Indian/Chinese dishes ( Read more... )

I'm in India for a (too) quick trip and I'm visiting an assortment of various extended relatives with my parents and catching up on family gossip in Kerala, apart from stuffing myself silly with brilliant food. The meet-his-parents session in Bangalore went well, I think; I would have to confirm this with Ritwik once I'm back.

There's something ( Read more... )

I like most things very easily. Relatively a non-fussy person, I have few preclusions (I do have some!) in my life, whether in matters of people, food, choice of lifestyle, interests, activities, etc. Which makes me a fairly jovial, tolerant, interesting and easy person to be with.

But it also makes the decision-making process that much tougher for ( Read more... )

I remember, a few years ago, when I set the standard in my family for ( Read more... )