Microsoft Word X-(

I have been using Microsoft Word as my primary authoring tool for years now. And the more I use it, the more passionately I hate it. Do the people who design this ever get feedback from users? Do they know how annoying it is to try and format a simple document without Word trying to read your mind and doing it for you?

And now, Word refuses to let me open a docx file someone sent over, as I don't have Office 2007. It prompts me to download and install the file converter. You would think this would fix my problem, but no, it still refuses to open the file!!!

Argggh!!!!!!

Basic curry recipe

This post is credited to Gail who made me remember that I need to put a simplified recipe for everyone :) So, here it goes...

Ingredients for curry (serves 6)

Heavybottom saucepan with lid
30 ml oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
4 cloves garlic and one finger of ginger (made into paste)
2 big onions chopped fairly fine
2 big tomatoes, chopped not very fine
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 teaspoon coriander powder
salt to taste

Mix chilli, turmeric and corainder powder and add about 40 ml of water. mix to form a thin paste.

heat oil in the pan and when hot, throw in the bay leaves and cumin seeds (in an even fashion). reduce the heat to 6 o'clock position and after 4-5 seconds in which the cumin seeds will become whitish, add the ginger-garlic paste, stir and about 10 seconds later add the onions. heat till the onions are brownish (which should be about 15 mins) stirring occasionally. increase heat to max and add the spice powder paste prepared earlier. stir continuously, add about 30 ml water again when the paste starts thickening and stir again. after about 30 seconds, add salt and tomato, reduce heat to 6 o'clock position and sitr occasionally for about 20 mins.

THAT'S YOUR BASIC CURRY - YAY!!

Now let's say we are adding chicken

turn heat to max, add the diced chicken (Don't add any water), cook for about 5 minutes keep turning the paste from the bottom of the pan (folding) so that the chicken cubes are sealed to keep moisture in them. put the lid on, turn the heat to 3 o'clock position and cook for 25 mins. DONE!!!!

Onions :(

My hands smell of onions right now and I hate it !!!!!!!
Serves me right for making all the lamb curry. maybe I should switch
to making pancakes and then my hands will smell .... well, atleast not
like onions :D

so i guess this is it

We had been warned and foretold, but nothing prepared us for the departure of Colwin, Menno and Tanja. It was a beautiful day; the 9th of January; only spoilt by the fact that the next day - a Thursday (or a Colwin Day) unfortunately, was never going to be the same for us. I just wanted to soak up each and every moment at dinner the night before and at airport that day. I was carrying Colwin, who was pretty excited about flying and meet "aupa" and "auma". Then, all of a sudden, he turned to me, held my cheeks and whispered, "will you come in the aeroplane?", in a tone resembling his frequent pleads of "i wanna watch pingoo". Haven't met a smarter and loving kid ever in my life and I don't think that's going to change. Every single day brings up his memories; jelly beans that I was searching on 9th, the ping pong ball he had chewed on and hid behind the couch, the most awesome hand-painted wrapping papers are sure not making things easy. Can't wait to see them again soon. Thanks to Skype, Colwin won't forget us, or at least I hope so....

this IS me

This is me, in pictures

<

sexiest professions

me and gunjan were watching nine today show when they had a list of the sexiest professions - models, firefighters, yada yada yada.... the old shallow mentality of the ever-so-predictable human mind! rise above the stereo prototypes and THINK - you WILL find the following professions irresistable -

5. electricty meter readers
4. woolworths night shelvers
3. grass mowers (not lawn, but the one alongside the road)- especially singaporean indians :D
2. PhD students - WE ROCK !!!!!
1. call center workers - BEAT THAT, models ;-)

Season of festivals

The season of festivals started with Navratri, Halloween and then Diwali next week and of course thanksgiving and christmas. Its interesting that all of these festivals line up around the same time along with Day of the dead and some of the others.
Maya and I dressed up for Navratri and went for Dandiya one day. It was hosted by the Gujarati samaj. Maya brought a friend of hers. It was loads of fun. Anjali stayed back with Ravi. Maybe she will be able to join us next year.

Halloween was great we had been working on the costumes for two weeks. Anjali was wearing one of Maya's hand me downs from two years back. A ladybug and Maya was Princess Mononoke (a kids anime from Miyazaki of the Spirited Away fame).

Ravi made the mask out of papier mache it. Came out really neat and some friends helped out with the accessories.

There are some more pictures in this album.

We are getting ready for Diwali this week. Cleaned up some of the drawers in the kitchen. Ordered some utensils online and a friend is hosting a Diwali party.