tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63694842011-04-21T13:59:04.577-04:00Things worth living for! Things worth fighting for!Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.comBlogger401100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-41559100543955256152007-08-28T15:01:00.000-04:002007-08-28T15:02:49.403-04:00

Thank you for visiting.I now have a permanent home on the Web at:arunshanbhag.comStop by and browse the more than 300 articles.Best WishesArun

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1158686186025551572006-09-19T13:14:00.000-04:002006-09-19T13:17:43.886-04:00

From our Swiss and Austria trip earlier in the Summer.A display of breads in a tiny bakery in Vienna - steps from our friend's house. The bakery carried a variety of multi-grain breads and everything was "organic." The front counter displayed an assortment of dessert rolls, croissants, tarts, pastries and other savories. We'd nibble on an almond- or walnut-filled croissant and sip their

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1153360931989992622006-07-19T22:01:00.000-04:002006-09-19T13:20:34.290-04:00

Kamakshi Canteen, PondaAfter quickly performing the puja at the Ramnathi Devasthan, I sneak away to the canteen beside the front entrance. They make the best missal and ussal paav. As I gorge myself, I notice these two guys taking a Chai break. Both were engrossed in their own thoughts and did not speak to each other. Prolly none were needed. By their mere presence they seemed to support

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1153096727830165682006-07-16T20:37:00.000-04:002007-07-07T15:53:18.970-04:00

Reading the blogs, I notice a subtle tension between those who refer to themselves as Mumbaikars or Mumbaiites. With no axe to grind, I call it as I see it.When our city was called Bombay, we were all Bombayites. We are no longer Bombay, and the colonial-sympathizers need to just get on with the program.But what do you call a resident of Mumbai? In my post from a few weeks ago, I reluctantly

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1146453597734992552006-04-30T23:17:00.000-04:002006-04-30T23:32:26.766-04:00

These tiny grape hyacinths are the most abundant in my yard, and pop up in every nook and cranny. With blooms only a couple of inches tall, they get overlooked amongst the brilliantly proud tulips. Also because they are so tiny, they pose a particular challenge to photograph. I planned this composition for weeks, even before the tulips had started to bud, and crossed my fingers that by the

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1133979535445876682005-12-07T13:17:00.000-05:002007-09-09T20:15:16.990-04:00

Rashmi Srinivasan and Rohitha Eswer during a bharatnatyam performance of Dashavatara, - ten avatars, or earthly forms of Vishnu. Here Rashmi is acting out Narasimha the man lion killing Hiranyakashipu. A beautiful performance by the talented husband and wife team from the Raasavrunda School of Dance, Mysore, Karnataka.The choreography was exquisite. The first three avatars representing the

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1133722352728265302005-12-04T13:49:00.000-05:002005-12-04T13:52:32.740-05:00

As in previous years, M got to make the delicious Kadgi Tzakko. for Boston's Konkani Diwali gathering last weekend. M excels at it, and is one of my favorites. Kadgi (a variant of the jackfruit), is a small round-ish fruit with a bumpy thick skin. Much like the jackfruit, but not spiky. The meat inside is white, the seeds and rest are all edible. Tzakko, is a typical coconut-based 'sukka' (

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1120584761615955432005-07-05T13:31:00.000-04:002005-07-05T13:34:06.560-04:00

A few white hyacinths in the foreground. Note the leftover little yellow crocuses on the right, and daffodils in the background.An Hyacinth pod is made of nearly 50 distinct blooms. WoW!I blame the long winter for the mediocre daffodils this season. This one turned out picture perfect! Nikon D70, Nikon 50mm (75mm effective) f/1.8© Arun Shanbhag

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1114538692308209502005-04-26T14:02:00.000-04:002005-04-26T14:06:31.026-04:00

Last week during Gudi Padva, M indulged me with some freshly made Puran-polis. A konkani delicacy! For those who have not tried one, imagine a paratha stuffed with a blend of chana-dal, jaggery and elaichi. Liberally spread tuup (clarified butter) on warm puran-polis and ... Yumm! M made 10, she ate 2 and I finished 8! What sacrifices the indian woman makes! A true pativrata. Hee Hee!

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1113759982863336272005-04-17T13:44:00.000-04:002005-04-17T13:47:15.100-04:00

After dinner, I absolutely need something sweet. Fruits would be good, but since I eat a lot of fruit during the day, I pass on them after dinner. Here's what I make instead.In a small bowl, pile the following:2 tablespoons of low fat yogurt2 tablespoons of granola (here: Pecan Praline and Orange Ginger Granola; Trader Joe's)1 teaspoon of ground Flak seed (lowers cholesterol, also from Trader

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1113094277422043802005-04-09T20:48:00.000-04:002005-04-09T20:56:41.933-04:00

The Ramnathi Devasthan (God's place, or Temple) in Ponda, Goa is our family's ancestral temple. Millenia ago, groups of Konkani families settled in extended family-based communities in Goa. Each community had their own spirits, which protected them from evil and satisfied their spiritual curiosity. The spirits and associated deities also received gratitude for agricultural and female fertility

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1105307414240297392005-01-09T16:47:00.000-05:002005-01-09T16:51:40.090-05:00

In Mumbai, I am always reminded of how little the people have, how much they crave work opportunities and when they do find opportunities, how hard they work. No wonder then, they excel in everything once they arrive in the 'land of opportunity.' In september, I was running an errand in Kalbadevi. As I waited, I tried to capture images of laborers pulling/pushing their "haath-gaadis" (hand

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1104255444162560452004-12-28T13:36:00.000-05:002005-01-09T16:52:30.823-05:00

instantly so many lives extinguished instantly so many laughs 'n giggles sssshhhhh-ed!

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1098298153717226782004-10-20T14:45:00.000-04:002004-10-20T14:49:13.716-04:00

Previously posted on LJ, Sept 28th Exhausted, totally drained and my circadian rhythm completely shot. Two conferences in the next three weeks and 700 e-mails to attend to. (Why does everyone think I read emails while on vacation?) Since I live to eat (suffer ye thinkers!), my self imposed exile to the culinary Siberia has resumed. Yesterdays cafeteria choices included Corn Chowder (85 Cal),

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1098297711821033012004-10-20T14:40:00.000-04:002004-10-20T14:43:13.690-04:00

previously posted on LJ Sept 2nd from Mumbai Notes first: Long write-up; working from a cyber cafe :( so no pics; sorry have not had the chance to see your posts - will catch up later. Arrived in mumbai around 10 pm Monday night! My cousin brothers picked me up from the airport and we headed south along Worli and Marine Drive. We stopped at "Naturals" for Sitaphal and Tender coconut

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1098216634559158552004-10-19T16:07:00.000-04:002004-10-19T16:11:38.413-04:00

Originally posted on LJ, July 30 before my India trip. I am back now! As I daydream of the foods I will be eating in mumbai, M interjects my reverie - she needs a small diamond cluster earring. "But you already have a beautiful pair," I remind, as if any woman can actually forget the glittering rocks they have. "Those are too big, and for wearing to work everyday I prefer something smaller." :-

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1091714618963616012004-07-30T10:02:00.000-04:002004-08-05T10:04:42.673-04:00

Deep-fried foods are rare in our home. We save it for our favorite konkani delicacies: Jackfruit (Phansa-) Hapol and Spicy Vodi. Haaaah! During our summer holidays in Honavar and Kumta, we kids helped make them. The women would roll the hapol and we would carry them up the rickety stairs to the temporary roof (mandal) made of palm fronds and spread them on the woven mats. As they dried in

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1091549277059721832004-07-28T12:06:00.000-04:002004-08-03T12:08:38.120-04:00

"Dr. Stephen W. Hawking threw in the towel yesterday ... . Dr. Hawking, the celebrated Cambridge University cosmologist and best-selling author, declared at a scientific conference in Dublin that he had been wrong in a controversial assertion he made 30 years ago about black holes, the fearsome gravitational abysses that can swallow matter and energy, even light. As atonement he presented Dr.

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1090960306291314192004-07-27T16:30:00.000-04:002004-07-27T16:32:36.996-04:00

The Democratic National Convention is in town to nominate John Kerry for the US Presidential Election. What a ruckus! Major roads and trains are closed for security reasons. On subways, bags are going to be checked. Imagine the look on the security guards face as xe holds up my soggy gym clothes. They may erroneously sound the biohazard alarm. To save the city such angst, I will be taking a

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1089813093290290242004-07-14T09:50:00.000-04:002004-07-14T09:53:04.500-04:00

Its July and the peak season for fruits at the local farm stall - berries in particular. Blueberries are my favorite, with raspberries, cherries and strawberries close behind. Theres something about blueberries. Bluish-black tinged, tiny, no seeds, tangy and barely sweet, and my tongue turns blue! When I wrap handfuls in a napkin and toss in my bag, they don't get squishy either. Many

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1089767888810051402004-07-13T21:17:00.000-04:002004-07-13T21:19:11.493-04:00

After a two week hiatus, I opened the Nutella jar to make a sandwich. IT WAS EMPTY! How could that be? I never put an empty jar back in the pantry! I asked M if she had the last of the Nutella. Nope she said! Its been ages since she touched Nutella. After much moaning and pacing I asked M again. Nope she insisted! "Besides, its too sweet for me." She is not much into sweets and my stacks

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1089378484341853102004-07-09T09:06:00.000-04:002004-07-09T09:10:44.793-04:00

Livejournal user "shri" says, For me, God exists in Nature and I see him in a beautiful sunrise. I can add, I see her in the blue skies, towering mountains, chirping birds, the butterfly and the serene lake. Wherever you see her, take off your shoes and gaze in awe at her munificence! The pic was taken many, many years ago in the idyllic town of Brevard, NC along the Appalachian Trail. My

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1089295360459956162004-07-08T10:01:00.000-04:002004-10-18T12:14:35.426-04:00

Every morning I pay my respects to the Supreme Being at a small altar in our spare room. It started out with the brass "OM" on the bookshelf during my student days. I purchased the Om along with a booklet of Swami Vivekananda's lectures, at a road-side stall in Kanya Kumari. Reading Vivekananda's 1893 lecture to the World Congress of Religions in Chicago, was a pivotal moment in my life. It

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1089207745714565742004-07-07T09:41:00.000-04:002004-07-08T10:04:37.946-04:00

If a case has to be made for audiobooks, it is definitely when authors narrate their own works. Authors ensure tonal changes are exactly as they intend, and the listener need not rely on interpretations of a narrator. And Maya Angeloumakes a superb case for audiobooks. I just finished listening to Maya Angelou’s “ A Song Flung Up To Heaven.” Listening to Maya narrate her autobiographical work,

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1088448424717582702004-06-28T14:45:00.000-04:002004-06-28T15:37:14.903-04:00

Sunday was relaxing and time to try some recipes. We had picked up a box of Mexican mangoes which were surprisingly good. Combine that with a picture of a tart I had seen in the train. Perfect inspiration for a Mango turnover and a Mango tart. For the turnover, I patted a central square of a pastry sheet, ladled two teaspoons of mango pulp (alphonso), skinned slices of mango, folded over

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1088083056407135512004-06-24T09:15:00.000-04:002004-06-24T09:18:32.786-04:00

My earliest memory of Gafar is either in the first or second standard, running on the foot-path in front of our home in Colaba. He would grab and hurl me up in the air. As I screamed, he would gently let me down. Tentatively I would ask him to do it again, ... and again. Gafar tends this little hosiery stall in front of our building. At the start of every school year, all of us cousins

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1087872198330203262004-06-21T22:42:00.000-04:002004-06-21T22:43:18.330-04:00

The alabaster skin was cool to the touch. As the bulbous tip of my index finger glided gently down the delicate curve, a warm sensation filled me. This was the moment I had been waiting for since I first laid eyes on her. I caressed my finger around the rim and again marveled at the silky softness. As if attracted by a higher force, my finger tip slipped to the raised center and paused.

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1087783630893292342004-06-17T22:06:00.000-04:002004-06-20T22:07:10.893-04:00

My parents were visiting from India on their annual trip. So I took a few days off and just lazed around the house. Caught up on general gossip from Mumbai; what each cousin, nephew or niece is up to; as well as the recent elections, lazy garbage collectors, casual attitude of BMC corruption, and other such stuff. With my brothers visiting as well, we caught up on the really important things

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1087783546050121452004-06-12T22:05:00.000-04:002004-06-20T22:06:14.566-04:00

Nothing works out as I plan; Everything turns out different, totally unexpected, beautiful and just perfect. Better than even I could have imagined, or planned. My whole life, this has been the story. Like if there is an invisible hand guiding me to do its bidding. I just do everything with my heart and soul. Where I end up is anyone's guess. But you can be very sure, its going to be just

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1086919896931187422004-06-10T22:10:00.000-04:002004-06-11T12:00:30.716-04:00

A few months ago, I posted my observations on the reading preferences of commuters in Boston. With a new summer upon us, the trees have dressed up, the grass grown taller and the skirts shorter. To match pansies in bloom, toes captured for the winter in heavy boots, are finally jumping with joy, free in sandals, in bright hues and occasionally toe-rings. ***arun! focus on the topic*** My

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1086576927326388012004-06-06T22:53:00.000-04:002004-06-06T23:17:32.050-04:00

Visiting my uncle in South Carolina, we had breakfast with this view outside the window. Much to everyone's consternation, I had pulled the grills off the window and stepped out onto the deck to take the picture. As I tried to convince my uncle that it really was a beautiful view (and worth the antics), he was probably thinking that I needed to get my head examined. What do you think? Nov

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1086400033878817752004-06-04T21:44:00.000-04:002004-06-11T12:01:10.666-04:00

Seeing many here and on LJ discuss their book lists has gotten me feeling a bit down. I was a voracious reader of fiction through college. Now my interests are primarily non-fiction (science, macroeconomics, spirituality, art, government, etc). While I can speed-read fiction, good non-fiction needs to be savoured. Enjoy well written sentences, re-read certain paragraphs, and look-up difficult

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1086289752868045282004-06-03T15:08:00.000-04:002004-06-03T15:09:12.866-04:00

Ragda Pattis and Meetha Lassi at Kailash Parbat, Colaba Aug 2002; Canon Elan II, ISO 200 Velvia Slide cross posted on

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1084823418854263822004-05-17T15:49:00.000-04:002004-05-17T15:50:18.853-04:00

The heart can think of no devotion Greater than being shore to the ocean Holding the curve of one position Counting an endless repetition Robert Frost

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1084542439861201512004-05-14T09:46:00.000-04:002004-05-14T12:29:22.090-04:00

If you are going to take Vienna, TAKE VIENNA! attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1084474731599735142004-05-13T14:56:00.000-04:002004-05-13T15:00:18.123-04:00

Because my mouth Is wide with laughter And my throat Is deep with song You do not think I suffer after I have held my pain So long. Because my mouth Is wide with laughter You do not hear My inner cry Because my feet Are gay with dancing You do not know I die in Maya Angelou's Even the Stars Look Lonesome

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1084423053459096482004-05-13T00:34:00.000-04:002004-05-17T10:18:06.906-04:00

Magnolias burst thro' buds with luscious pink blooms Cupid shoots for our hearts with crimson tips of quivering maiden lips

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1084419051917434662004-05-12T23:27:00.000-04:002004-05-14T12:35:22.326-04:00

Pink dogwood blooms tipped in red weaving in the morning breeze Chirping bluejays bouncing gaily on japanese maple boughs Beads of sweat ride tender breasts dashing for the coach

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1079538236980906352004-03-17T10:42:00.000-05:002004-05-14T09:15:31.023-04:00

Please follow Arun's World on LJ. I use LJ for most of my posts. Shukriya

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6369484.post-1074807176113351852004-01-22T16:32:00.000-05:002004-05-13T15:52:06.990-04:00

Wow! This was easy. Now I actually have to think. Do politicians actually think of the consequences of their policies? Lets leave that for a different day.

Arun Shanbhagnoreply@blogger.com