Update
A quick update:
(1) Woke up at 11:15 am and thought that the day is over. I ought to go to bed early like civilized homo-sapiens.
(2). Made some ginger tea and read some of the course books. Around 12:30, decided that the day had to be cherished with my own self. I declined to be cuckooed in my little nest by the sweltering heat outside.
(3). 12:35, the bath was prepared. While bathing, I had decided to eat out for lunch. Just the other day I had seen this place Oodles on Buttles and Neil and had thought to check it out.
(4). Left 97 at 1:00 pm, bought a pack of cigarettes and walked down Hunter. Saw this garage sale with enough Christmas stuff to decorate the whole city. Left Cindy a message about the sale. Bought a table cloth for 25 cents.
(4). the weather was worst to say the least but thank god for the canopies of trees in the neighborhood. Took a turn on Hunter and 3rd and moved to Neil. The day prior I had seen a notice of Moving Sale on Neil.
(5). Sooner the place was in-sight. Dear, they were the same people who were in Clintonville 2 weeks ago. Garage Sale Bohemians! They enquired about Cindy and I told them that she is not very well but I will pay their regards to her. Bought 32 old issues of Vegetarian Times for $1.50.
(6). It was almost 2:15 and I hadn’t eaten a morsel. Decided to peep in to Oogles and found out that they will have a grand opening on Tuesday! The shop next door was a deli which seemed to cater more to carnivores. Decided to swing by Giant Eagle and bought 1 pear, 1 nectarine, 3 florets of broccoli, 1 tomato and a can of carrot juice: all for $4.94. Walked over to Goodale, lied under a tree completed my course work, ate my meal, smoked a cigarette, listened to the pod cast and decided to go to North Market.
(7) By this time, my bladder was ready to burst because of all the fluids. Went in N market, rushed to Men’s loo. I hate Public restrooms, Oh dear; it’s a heaven for predators…
(8). Finally, I was able to find some fresh ginger root. I am tired of those dried ones I have to content my-self with. I also found some nice sage (to burn in the house) and my dear, I am delighted to say that I have fresh chamomile…. All this for a paltry sum of $2.27
(8). Walked back on Neil and saw the house with tube roses. Took a right on 5th and decided to go to Victorian Café for some Tea. Just outside the café, this lady was having a little sale. Ended up looking at the books, bought 2 by Jung, 2 by Krishnamurthy, 1 by Bertrand Russell and 1 on cats, all for 3 dollars. Hung out with the lady for about 2 hours, talked about Keats, Chekhov and Tolstoy. She had reading tastes quite similar to mine. It was whilst we were discussing about the works of Chomsky that this couple came and started looking for the books. This cute blond guy(19-20?) and his girl-friend ( 23?), both were stoned off the wits, I was propped on the sofa lying on the street surrounded by loads of books on sale and the lady sitting at the other corner and we both were busy talking about Fernand Braudel’s A History of Civilisations.
(9) Come to find out that the couple has never read Death of a Salesman by A Miller. My little world is divided in to two categories: those who have read Miller and those who haven’t. On seeing the utter horror on my face and extreme disgust in my voice on knowing his ignorance, he decided to buy Miller. He ended up buying 8 more books. All 4 of us decided to have a big chatter about books, apartments, rents, marriage and all, there on the 5th avenue. What a joy…
(10). Came home at 6:45. Started to cook some supper: Take some almonds and cashews. Make a paste with them and add some freshly pureed tomatoes. Heat this mixture in the pan, add some fresh basil leaves, and simmer. In a frying pan add little oil, some fresh green chili, some fresh bay leaves, 1 teaspoon of fresh tamarind, 2 cloves, and fresh root of ginger and nicely chopped garlic. Fry the mixture on low heat and keep it covered so as not to let the aromatics escape. When the mixture starts to get golden, add a few fennel seed and 1 green cardamom. Switch of both the pastes and let them cool. In a bowl add some coconut milk, root of fresh turmeric and pinch of salt and lemon rand. Make a nice base and add Tofu slices (Extra Firm, no fat), some sliced carrots, and some thinly sliced turnips, 6 green beans, a few peas, and some green pepper. Add a hint of turmeric and saffron. Let the vegetables soak in the coconut milk for about 45 minutes. Then mix all the coconut milk and its contents with the sauces made before. Let it simmer and stir from time to time. Before serving, garnish with some red carrots and cilantro. I decided to make rice with the above food. Take some almonds, sultanas (raisins) and cashews. Add saffron and basmati rice. Cook them all in a rice-cooker! Voila, a scrumptious meal is ready. The dessert was 4 strawberries with fat free cream (I am not very fond of sweet food!!).
(11). While waiting for the food to cook, I decided to burn some sage, lighted the candles, burnt some lavender incense, switched some Chopin and dipped my tired skeleton in a nice cool lemon bath. What bliss, what a joy. I must have walked at least 9 miles today and climbed the 175 stairs but at the end of the day one can always trust a lemon bath to cure all the pains. The study was cooled by the fan and the east door was opened to let the breeze in.
(12). Drank some cheap champagne and enjoyed the scrumptious meal. Read some Edmund White. Its almost 1 now. The civilized people are back in bed after an evening of reckless fucking, indiscriminate fornication and self masturbation. I feel like going for a walk. The sky is beautiful, the air has cooled down, and the traffic has started to get thinner.
(13). I have to go to Easton tomorrow. I wish to buy 2 shirts from Banana Republic, a pair of jeans from gap and some flip flops from Express. Hope its not a hell hot day, I hope it rains…. I can check the weather but I will not. I will not let some philistine tell me what the sky above house number 97 will be in 12 hours. I hope it rains tomorrow and I live for that hope, I will not let Jim Ganahal or some weather man take my only hope away. I long for mist in the air, I miss walking down the Bridge of Sighs surrounded by misty evenings, all dressed up for a formal dinner at St. John’s. I miss Cambridge, I still remember every street, every corner, every building in that city. I will be staying there in like 5 months or so and can’t wait. Till then, I will have to roll on the floor like a crocodile because of heat. I have my ways to romaticise the heat. Now you see, hot weather reminds me of Raju from R. K. Narayanan’s Guide. Heat reminds me Olivia fainting in the palace in Heat and Dust by Jhabwala, hot weather reminds me of Milly in Venice in H James Wings of the Dove. Dear, it was a hot day in June when Septimus Warren Smith decided to kill himself in Mrs. Dalloway. When one has so-many fond memories of summer and heat, why should we insulate ourselves in some cemented structures with gizmos like air conditioners and all? Why, may I ask? I will not like to get the noises from outside masked by the constant humming noise of some electrical gizmo. I hate air conditioning and its likes. If it was not for Tess, I may have thrown my sole little A.C. away, it always gives me a little attack of angina on seeing my electricity bill.
I remember some summers ago, I guess when I was 10-11, going to see Taj Mahal in July with me mam. I still remember walking inside the tomb and my feet burning because of hot marble. It was at that moment I realized how hot, can hell be! I remember spending the nights in Fatehpur Sikri. We stayed in Agra for 7 days and I went there almost every year when I was in India. I miss that hell hot marble structure what people call Taj Mahal, on a summer day.
(1) Woke up at 11:15 am and thought that the day is over. I ought to go to bed early like civilized homo-sapiens.
(2). Made some ginger tea and read some of the course books. Around 12:30, decided that the day had to be cherished with my own self. I declined to be cuckooed in my little nest by the sweltering heat outside.
(3). 12:35, the bath was prepared. While bathing, I had decided to eat out for lunch. Just the other day I had seen this place Oodles on Buttles and Neil and had thought to check it out.
(4). Left 97 at 1:00 pm, bought a pack of cigarettes and walked down Hunter. Saw this garage sale with enough Christmas stuff to decorate the whole city. Left Cindy a message about the sale. Bought a table cloth for 25 cents.
(4). the weather was worst to say the least but thank god for the canopies of trees in the neighborhood. Took a turn on Hunter and 3rd and moved to Neil. The day prior I had seen a notice of Moving Sale on Neil.
(5). Sooner the place was in-sight. Dear, they were the same people who were in Clintonville 2 weeks ago. Garage Sale Bohemians! They enquired about Cindy and I told them that she is not very well but I will pay their regards to her. Bought 32 old issues of Vegetarian Times for $1.50.
(6). It was almost 2:15 and I hadn’t eaten a morsel. Decided to peep in to Oogles and found out that they will have a grand opening on Tuesday! The shop next door was a deli which seemed to cater more to carnivores. Decided to swing by Giant Eagle and bought 1 pear, 1 nectarine, 3 florets of broccoli, 1 tomato and a can of carrot juice: all for $4.94. Walked over to Goodale, lied under a tree completed my course work, ate my meal, smoked a cigarette, listened to the pod cast and decided to go to North Market.
(7) By this time, my bladder was ready to burst because of all the fluids. Went in N market, rushed to Men’s loo. I hate Public restrooms, Oh dear; it’s a heaven for predators…
(8). Finally, I was able to find some fresh ginger root. I am tired of those dried ones I have to content my-self with. I also found some nice sage (to burn in the house) and my dear, I am delighted to say that I have fresh chamomile…. All this for a paltry sum of $2.27
(8). Walked back on Neil and saw the house with tube roses. Took a right on 5th and decided to go to Victorian Café for some Tea. Just outside the café, this lady was having a little sale. Ended up looking at the books, bought 2 by Jung, 2 by Krishnamurthy, 1 by Bertrand Russell and 1 on cats, all for 3 dollars. Hung out with the lady for about 2 hours, talked about Keats, Chekhov and Tolstoy. She had reading tastes quite similar to mine. It was whilst we were discussing about the works of Chomsky that this couple came and started looking for the books. This cute blond guy(19-20?) and his girl-friend ( 23?), both were stoned off the wits, I was propped on the sofa lying on the street surrounded by loads of books on sale and the lady sitting at the other corner and we both were busy talking about Fernand Braudel’s A History of Civilisations.
(9) Come to find out that the couple has never read Death of a Salesman by A Miller. My little world is divided in to two categories: those who have read Miller and those who haven’t. On seeing the utter horror on my face and extreme disgust in my voice on knowing his ignorance, he decided to buy Miller. He ended up buying 8 more books. All 4 of us decided to have a big chatter about books, apartments, rents, marriage and all, there on the 5th avenue. What a joy…
(10). Came home at 6:45. Started to cook some supper: Take some almonds and cashews. Make a paste with them and add some freshly pureed tomatoes. Heat this mixture in the pan, add some fresh basil leaves, and simmer. In a frying pan add little oil, some fresh green chili, some fresh bay leaves, 1 teaspoon of fresh tamarind, 2 cloves, and fresh root of ginger and nicely chopped garlic. Fry the mixture on low heat and keep it covered so as not to let the aromatics escape. When the mixture starts to get golden, add a few fennel seed and 1 green cardamom. Switch of both the pastes and let them cool. In a bowl add some coconut milk, root of fresh turmeric and pinch of salt and lemon rand. Make a nice base and add Tofu slices (Extra Firm, no fat), some sliced carrots, and some thinly sliced turnips, 6 green beans, a few peas, and some green pepper. Add a hint of turmeric and saffron. Let the vegetables soak in the coconut milk for about 45 minutes. Then mix all the coconut milk and its contents with the sauces made before. Let it simmer and stir from time to time. Before serving, garnish with some red carrots and cilantro. I decided to make rice with the above food. Take some almonds, sultanas (raisins) and cashews. Add saffron and basmati rice. Cook them all in a rice-cooker! Voila, a scrumptious meal is ready. The dessert was 4 strawberries with fat free cream (I am not very fond of sweet food!!).
(11). While waiting for the food to cook, I decided to burn some sage, lighted the candles, burnt some lavender incense, switched some Chopin and dipped my tired skeleton in a nice cool lemon bath. What bliss, what a joy. I must have walked at least 9 miles today and climbed the 175 stairs but at the end of the day one can always trust a lemon bath to cure all the pains. The study was cooled by the fan and the east door was opened to let the breeze in.
(12). Drank some cheap champagne and enjoyed the scrumptious meal. Read some Edmund White. Its almost 1 now. The civilized people are back in bed after an evening of reckless fucking, indiscriminate fornication and self masturbation. I feel like going for a walk. The sky is beautiful, the air has cooled down, and the traffic has started to get thinner.
(13). I have to go to Easton tomorrow. I wish to buy 2 shirts from Banana Republic, a pair of jeans from gap and some flip flops from Express. Hope its not a hell hot day, I hope it rains…. I can check the weather but I will not. I will not let some philistine tell me what the sky above house number 97 will be in 12 hours. I hope it rains tomorrow and I live for that hope, I will not let Jim Ganahal or some weather man take my only hope away. I long for mist in the air, I miss walking down the Bridge of Sighs surrounded by misty evenings, all dressed up for a formal dinner at St. John’s. I miss Cambridge, I still remember every street, every corner, every building in that city. I will be staying there in like 5 months or so and can’t wait. Till then, I will have to roll on the floor like a crocodile because of heat. I have my ways to romaticise the heat. Now you see, hot weather reminds me of Raju from R. K. Narayanan’s Guide. Heat reminds me Olivia fainting in the palace in Heat and Dust by Jhabwala, hot weather reminds me of Milly in Venice in H James Wings of the Dove. Dear, it was a hot day in June when Septimus Warren Smith decided to kill himself in Mrs. Dalloway. When one has so-many fond memories of summer and heat, why should we insulate ourselves in some cemented structures with gizmos like air conditioners and all? Why, may I ask? I will not like to get the noises from outside masked by the constant humming noise of some electrical gizmo. I hate air conditioning and its likes. If it was not for Tess, I may have thrown my sole little A.C. away, it always gives me a little attack of angina on seeing my electricity bill.
I remember some summers ago, I guess when I was 10-11, going to see Taj Mahal in July with me mam. I still remember walking inside the tomb and my feet burning because of hot marble. It was at that moment I realized how hot, can hell be! I remember spending the nights in Fatehpur Sikri. We stayed in Agra for 7 days and I went there almost every year when I was in India. I miss that hell hot marble structure what people call Taj Mahal, on a summer day.